1 50 15 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/3e9189ae1600329a1984e9503b662c4a.pdf c04c06016795d378da7269be5fab0d52 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource 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 5, Autumn 1984 Description An account of the resource The fifth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on topics such as Cherokee sculptor John Wilnoty, Celtic heritage, issues surrounding protecting wilderness areas, and ginseng's role in the mountains. Authors and artists in this issue include: Barbara Reimensnyder, Barbara Singer, John Wilnoty (Wilnota), Phillip Daughtry, Thomas Rain Crowe, Robert Zahner, Marnie Muller, Robbie Gordon, and Chuck Marsh. 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 1984 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Harvest.......1 Cherokee: The Old Days, The Old Ways.......3 The Work of John Wilnoty.......4 Our Celtic Heritage.......6 The New Celt by Philip Daughtry.......7 "You Must Go Home Again" by Thomas Rain Crowe.......8 Wilderness, Appalachian Style Part III by Robert Zahner.......10 Nuclear Waste in Our Mountains?.......13 The Politics of Participation by Marnie Muller.......14 Good Medicine "The Healing Darkness".......18 Ginseng.......19 Mountain Agriculture: a series by Chuck Marsh.......20 Bioregionalism: Past, Present, Future by J. Linn Mackey.......22 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 Cherokee art Cherokee Indians--History Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern Appalachians (People)--History Radioactive waste disposal--Appalachian Region, Southern American ginseng--Appalachian Region North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Agriculture Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Definitions Cherokees European Immigration Forest History Forest Issues Good Medicine Katúah Permaculture Plants and Herbs Poems Politics Radioactive Waste Stories Turtle Island Wilderness https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/4d450fedff98db51d827ad2d6b6eb05e.pdf 17a990be6fc8c33627511b8f4ccfd428 PDF Text Text �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource 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 7, Spring 1985 Description An account of the resource The seventh issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on the culture of economics and work. This issue features an essay on economy by poet, novelist, and environmentalist Wendell Berry. Other authors and artists in this issue include: Donna Obrecht, Elizabeth Squire, Becky Wellborn, Sparrel Wood, Mark Friedrich, Rick Murray, Thomas Rain Crowe, Chip Smith, C. B. Squire, Robert Penn Warren, Barbara Reimensnyder, and Michael Hockaday. 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 1985 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Looking to the Future.......1 Sustainable Economics.......1 The Great Economy by Wendell Berry.......3 Native Village Economy.......4 Hot Springs.......5 Worker-Ownership.......6 Busy Needle.......7 Working in the Web of Life.......8 Spring Creek.......12 Self-Help Credit Union.......13 Responsible Investing.......15 Madison County.......16 Wild Turkey.......18 Update: Forest Service Plan.......20 Nuclear Waste Update.......22 The Gift Economy.......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 Regional economics Sustainable development--Appalachian Region, Southern Cooperative societies--North Carolina, Western Barter--Appalachian Region, Southern Investments--Moral and ethical aspects North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Definitions Book Reviews Children's Page Economic Alternatives Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Glossaries Good Medicine Habitat Hunting Katúah Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Turtle Island Villages Wilderness Women's Issues https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/962957d2fbc58ba3d1a81a382fb3c3bc.pdf cc384e642678c5ef0ae41167bc6ca93f 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 8, Summer 1985 Description An account of the resource The eighth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on the theme of celebration of life and community. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Dan Pittillo, Bill Oldham, Hilda Downer, Donna Obrecht, Barbara Reimensnyder, B.J. Bach, Jay Wentworth, Lowell Hayes, and Thomas Rain Crowe. 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 1985 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Celebration: Way of Life.......1 Katúah 18,000 Years Ago.......3 Poetry by Hilda Downer.......6 Cherokee Heritage Center.......7 Farmers Ball.......9 Celebrating Folk Arts in the Schools.......10 The Simple Tools of Healing.......12 Paintings by Lowell Hayes Poetry by Jay Wentworth.......13 Good Medicine: "Summer Solstice".......14 Sacred Sites Project.......15 Sun Cycle, Moon Cycle (Centerfold).......16 Wild Turkey Part 2.......18 Natural News Update.......20 A Children's Page.......23 Reviews: Minstral of the Appalachians Who Owns Appalachia?.......24 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 Cherokee art Turkey Hunting--North Carolina, Western Folklore and education--North Carolina, Western Cherokee Indians--History Appalachians (People)--History North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Book Reviews Cherokees Children's Page Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Geography Good Medicine Habitat Health Hunting Katúah Poems Radioactive Waste Sacred Sites Turtle Island Water Quality Wilderness https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/e7f01928de6c753c09827e4dfd0aace1.pdf ef599a4389ecc1498b620fa99229c8b9 PDF Text Text --~ $JOO ATUAH ISSUE XVI SUMMER1987 Coming of Age �('"I N [" 00 N El ~ ~ ll.. INTERVIEW: HELEN WAITE. .............................................................3 POEM : "VISIONS IN A GARDEN"....................................................5 THE VISION QlJEST............................................................................6 FIRST FLOW .........................................................................................8 THOUGHTS ON INITIATION.............................................................9 ARCHETYPES OF MALE INITIATION.............................................9 LEARNING IN THE WILDERNESS................................................. 12 CHEROKEE CHALLENGE ..................................................................15 NATURAL WORLD NEWS................................................................16 VIEW FROM THE CORNERS: "VALUING TREf;:S"......................19 TURTLE ISLAND TALKING ............................................................20 YOUNG PEOPLE'S PAGE..................................................................25 ~ ~ . ... -. = ~ ~ :; ·. . • z .s, Ul (.) ~ ~ • ~ ti !; ~ ~~ g ..J St ~ a~ ~ so ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ E-1 CJ) ~ 0 ~ i::t:; z 0 H E-1 u ~ ~ u 0 CJ) CJ) ~ 0 ~ �---~ ATUAH ISSUE XVI SUMMER 1987 f'om time immemorial, aJ the onset of sexual maturity the young peopk would leave the tribe and go out, each one alone, into the world to meet the elements, be tested a11d taught, and find out who they really were. They would make a bond, often expressed in the form of an animal spirit ally, with their homeland that would be a foundation for their adulthood and a continuing source of strength. Thereafter, for all their lives, they would know with a deep and certain awareness that the waves from their every gesture rippled to the farthest reaches of creation and that the power that flowed through them was the force of the all of life. These expeditions into the wild te"ain of the soul were ritualized and became an important part of community life. The community was revitalized and the social bonds were strengthened as the old ones offered their wisdom to the young, and the young ones dedicated their exuberant life energy to the continuance of the tribe and the life ofthe world. In our times, the continuity has been broken. The land is still there • all knowledge lies just outside our doorway, just off the side of the road - and life continues to pulse in the bodies of the young ones coming of age. But that crucial connection in which these were joined is largely missing. Today we must drill into our intelkctual minds the message that was aJ one time a matter of cellular certainty: KATIJAH - page l that we are part of a wider community of life, and we need to take responsibility for our participation in the Earth family. But that urge to seek ourselves in the wild and to touch the wild in ourselves is instinctive and deep, and there are yet those willing to bring the young ones to the threshold of the world, to the edge of their own being, and say, "You must take the next step alone, but I will be here. I will wait for you, and I will be watching." Even without the benefit of the old traditions, these leaders of the coming generation are woking for new forms and new guidance to re-establish the old continuity and reunite the two circles, the circle of the world and the cyc/,e of our lives, and make them once more single and whole. In this issue of KatUah. some of these teachers and guides speak to us ofhow they are bringing young p eople out from civilization to meet the world and some of the lessons that are there lo be learned. In speaking of these things, they offer to us the same challenge that each young person meets when they stand on the brink of adulthood: to open to the world, to kt iJflow through the body into the soul, to feel its power, and by following that power back to its source, to once again come upon the essential nature of our existence and touch our deepest roots. Summer 1987 �H EDITORIAL STAFF nus ISSUE: Snow Bear Scott Bird Julie Gaunt Judith Hallock Rob Messick Mamie Muller Michael Red Fox Chip Smith Brad Stanback Manha Tree David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Sylvia Fox Than.le you again, Kathleen! Special lhanks 10 Bob Wiesclman EDITORIAL OFFICE nus ISSUE: Asheville, NC PRINTED BY: Sylva Herald Publishing Co. Sylva, NC WRITE US AT: Katiiab Box638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 TELEPHONE: (704) 683-1414 COVER: "One must become chaos, ro give binh ro a dancing star....." (Picasso) - by Manha Tree Diversity is an important element of biorcgional ecology, both natural and social. In line with this principle, lWWib cries IO serve as a forum for discussion ol rcgiooal issues. Signed articles express ooly the opinioo or the authors and are n<ll oecessarily the opinions of the KaWab ediLOrS or Stlff. The Internal Revenue Service has declared Klu.Wih a non-profit organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A II coniributions IO KA1UWi are deductible from personal income tax. CORRECTION We apologize to Milo Guthrie and to our readers for neglecting to put his name as author of the excellent article ''The Promise of Biosexuality" on page 12 of KruYfil! #15. 'Ult{VOC~TWN lHE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BIOREGION AND MAJOR EASTERN RIVER SYSTEMS Statement of Purpose Here in the sowhem-most heanland ofthe Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on our continent, Tunle Island, a small bw growing group has begun to talce on a sense of responsibility for the implications of that geographical and cultural heritage. Tlris sense of responsibility centers on the concept of living within the natural scale and balance ofuniversal systems and laws. We begin by invoking the Cherokee name "KatfLah" as the old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The editorial priorities for us are to collect and disseminate information and energy which pertains specifically to this area, and to foster the awareness that the land is a living being deserving of our love and respect. Living in this manner is the only way to ensure the sustainability of our biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in itS continuing evolutionary process. We seem ro have reached thefulcrwnpoinrof a "do or dieH sirnarion in terms ofa continued qU111iry standard of life on this planet. lt is the aim ofthis journal ro do itS part in the re-inhabitation and re-culturation ofthe Kamah province of the Somhern Appalachians. This province is indicated by its natural boundaries: the Roanoke River Valley to tlte north, the foothills ofthe piedmont area to the east,· Yona Mottntain and the Georgia hills to the sourh; and the Tennessee River Valley 10 the west. Humbly, as self-appointed stewards with sacred instructions as "new natives" to protect and preserve its sacredness, we advocate a centered approach to the concept of decentralization and hope to become a support system for those accepting the challenge of sustainability and the creation of harmony and balance in a total sense, here in this plaa. We are nourished by OUT Mother the Eanhfrom whom all life springs. We must understand OUT dependence, and protect her with our love, respect, and ceremonies. The natural law says that the Eanh belongs ro our children seven generations in the future, and we are the caretakers wJw must understand, respect, and protect E Te No Ha for all life. The faces ofthe future generations are looking up to us from the Eanh, and we step with great care not to disturb OUT grandchildren. from a mes.rage to the Unittd Nations GtMral Assemblyfrom the Navajo-Hopi Traditional Circle ofElders, August, 1982 KATUAH - page 2 We welcome all correspondence, criticism, pertinent inforrnaJion, articles, ariwork, etc. with hopes that Kmflah will grow to serve the best interestS of this region and all its living, breathing family members. - The Editors With the next issue, the K.WAh journal will be changing from a tabloid format to a magazine format. This will mean better quality paper and more durability, as welJ as a two-color cover. We're looking forward to the shift and we hope you will be pleased with it. Coincidentally, this upcoming issue, Autumn '87, will also mark the fourth anniversary since KfilYAh began publishing. Summer 1987 �The Eagle has always represented the soaring spirit..... Of all the birds who fly between Heaven and Earth, the Eagle ascends the highest..... But even the Eagle, born to fly, hatches from the egg into a nest ..... Now, on a bright day in the early summer of his life, the young eaglet crouches on the edge of the nest..... Until this moment, the woven circle of sticks has been the bounds of his world..... Within the nest.food came; all the young bird had to do was wait. Within the nest, it was familiar; if the young bird stayed, mother would always return. Within the nest, it was always safe; all the young bird had to do was not look outside. Now.for the eaglet, hesitating there, the nest is a center point in a much greater circle that extends to the horizon in every direction unknown, dangerous, exciting, and free. The young eagle spreads his wings and leaps into the boundless sky..... To the American Camp Association, Helen Waite is the director of the Eagle's Nest Camp near Brevard, NC, an accredited summer camp for boys and girls that is now entering its sixtieth year ofoperation and its third generation ofcampers. But during the summer months, to the young people attending Eagle's Nest Camp, Helen Waite is "Bending GrassH, medicine woman of the camp tri~. a leader and a ~cher by virtue of the love and respect offered to her. Helen Waite works confuJe111ly and capably on both levels of her life, giving the young people who attend Eagle's Nest an excellenl place in which to explore, grow, and change, and then e111ering with them into that special place and rime to help guide them through their changes. Helen: One of the important clements we utilize in camp is "myth-time". This is an underlying aspect of every camp activity. I see a summer camp experience as being about relationships: relationships between the camp members, relationships between ourselves and the Earth, relationships between our split inner selves, etc. In order to learn from anything or anybody, one must first acknowledge one's inter-relationship with that other. Once this connection is recognized. the relationship can be seen as the bonded space between the two. The speed of learning is the quality of lhat space. Camp is the connection field, and we put our attention into creating quality bonding. "Myth-time" is what makes this possible. It is "the time before time", the beginning of lhings. By being aware of the "myth-time" that always lies beneath the surface of our camp activities and our relationships. we create a circle, a tribal circle, within which our relauonships grow - honest, strong, and deep. We humans arc like gods and goddesses in that we can create prodigious amounts of constructive effort or prodigious amounts of chaos. I think we have to return to "myth-time" to relearn lhe true nature of things and to re-connect the two halves of our soul, before we can undertake "initiation", which is talcing a big step "forward" into the next stage of life. ~: How docs this sense of "myth-time" make itself felt in the course of camp life? Helen: "Myth-time" appears in some situations more clearly than others. All the campers do routine ch.ores as part of the camp flow. They learn to take care of themselves by making their beds and taking care of their cabin areas, but they also take part in camp maintainence, doing dishes, making bread, carrying out the compost, tending the gardens. These are tasks that simply need to be done, but they also build relationships. The campers arc learning to serve and to take care of others, and although they may not realize it, they are going back to beginnings. By baking bread they learn the basic nature of bread - the primary relationships that exist before the plastic wrap goes on. The gardens teach them that the Earth is a patient giver. By caring for the animals, the campers come to know them and learn the relationships between all species. By doing subsistence work, the kids learn basic things about the world with the right side of their minds, even as they are consciously acquiring basic skills with the left side of their minds. The presence of "myth-time" is more easily seen when we do story-dramas in the evenings. We start from old Indian tales, creation stories usually, but as the kids go from there and create their own stories, these dramas begin to present in mythic terms what is happening in the camp at the moment. The kids write their own scripts and make their own costumes. We encourage them to use natural music - drums, flutes, and sometimes guitar - to emphasize the basic relationship with the Earth. Katiiah: One of the main driving forces of the adolescent transformation is the awakening sexual energy. Do you deal with that at the camp? Helen: Very much so. First of all, groups are co-ed. We want to have the boys and girls interacting together. We want to encourage strong, natural relationships. In the greater culture young people usually follow roles that on the one hand deviously try to ensnare someone of the opposite sex, and on the other band domincerin&lv try to ensnare someone of the opposite sex. At camp and on field trips the kids are involved in real situations that often demand courage and physical stamina. When everybody is pitching in on a difficult task or talking openly together in a group circle, the sham tends to fall away, and they deal with each other more as individuals and allow each person to make their own, unique contributions. - continued on page 4 KATUAH - page 3 Summer 1987 �• COlllim.aed fiom NC 3 Relationships arise that arc based on friendliness and arc deep and enduring. We see big changes. The girls in particular become more assertive. Often in a group there is one girl, whom I call the "goddess" or the "queen of beans", who takes an active role in the other girls' lives and relationships.The "queen" takes confessions from the other girls - I'm amazed sometimes about how frank they are! - and negotiates relationships. Sometimes she gives her blessing; other times it's "Off with his head!" We talk about siruations like this in the girls' circle, and I ask them, "Do you like having her decide on your life and decide whom you should like?" Usually they say "No", but if they say "Yes", then it's out in the open, and we set up basic ground rules about bow to carry it on. Another approach is to act out the situation. I sometimes say, "Sarah, you be Betty. Jane, you be Sue. Now what would you say, if she came up and said this: ..... " It's often very educational for the kids to see how the others perceive siruations they're all involved in. There are also times when a boy will do something like go into a girl's trunk and snatch out her underwear, because be thinks that that is a powerful act. But it's actually an act of domination. The girl has bad something that's close to her, something very private and personal, exposed against her will. In a siruation like that, I might take the ones involved apart from the group and talk with them about the different levels and the different meanings of the word "rape", trying to be very frank and open so it can be seen as something manageable and not a dark sin someone will be condemned for. I might express it in terms of old stories of gods abducting goddesses, or I might suggest they act out parts of Troilius and Cressida or another story like that something so that the basic relationships are very clear to them. These arc valuable experiences .....if we confront them. So we always try to confront them when they occur. We spend a remarkable amount of time doing that. Of course we do horseback riding, swimming, and all the regular camp things, but we spend a great deal of ti.me in learning siruations like these. But to be learning experiences, there bas to always be someone there who is aware and understands the implications of the siruation in order to take advantage of it and bring it to a satisfactory resolution. In the evenings when we have our shows or entertainment, the kids will let it all out, and we'll see them really strut their stuff. That's great - that's up front and real, and if a camper does have some attra.ction as an actor/actress or a story-teller, that's quite valid. That's their real self coming out KllWlb: "Initiation" is used to mean peak moments that mark stages in a process of transformation that is acrually gradual and happening continuously. But at certain key points one can stop the action and say, "A change is happening here," by recognizing and celebrating the occasion with a ceremony or ritual. Arc there cenain ways these moments are recogniz.ed in camp life? Helen: The first major initiation is for a camper to leave home. This is "moving into the tribal circle". Our society is so fragmented that this sometimes is a major growth-change for a child and often the most important single event of the camp experience. KATUAH - page4 Every camper receives a camp name. I work with an Indian lore group, which is a "tribe within the tribe". They receive their names in a little ceremony which is held at a small waterfall. Each camper has already chosen their name, and they crawl through the waterfall into a small crevice behind, getting completely wet in the process. They are then called back out by their new name. I start with the campers to whom this is a challenge of medium proportions. This docs not make it seem like a light thing of no consequence, but at the same time it encourages those who are more afraid. Because the situation is a ceremonial one, the lcids all go through with it, even though it may be a big step for some. There is something about ceremony and ritual that brings out the deepest and truest aspects of people. The sense of "myth-time" gives meaning to the situation. There is also an element of sacrifice in the ceremony. That is one reason it is hard for some of the kids to go under the waterfall. Beyond just thinking about getting their clothes wet. there is a part of them that realizes that they have to give something up, that "something" being their old identity, to receive a new name and a new identity. For the older kids, we have a program called Hanre, which is roughly analagous to the "walkabout" or other ancient puberty rites in which the young people went out to seek power and to learn about themselves in the context of the natural elements. But while young people in ancient times who had grown up in the circle of the tribe went off on their own as individuals, our campers go off in a group of kids their own age. Hante challenges their physical abilities, which gives them a feeling of accomplishment; it gets them outside in close touch with nature; and, not least imponantly, it tires them out. They do activities like rock-climbing, whitewater kayaking, making a mountains-to-the-sea bicycle trek, and hiking. The "Odyessy Trek" is an 11-day, 100-mile walk along the Appalachian Trail. Being able to take care of yourself completely is an important part of that stage of life, and the Hante group provides for itself totally: they live in their own area, and they cook all their own meals. That means if they come back late from somewhere, and they decide they want supper, they have to decide to prepare it, too. They also prepare and pack alJ their own food for the "Odyssey" hike. We have two food dryers, which the campers built for themselves, and they dry food and make "pemmican" (which is actually my grandmother's fruitcake recipe with a lot more fruit and nuts added) to take with them on the trail. While they're hiking, each camper carries their own food and equipment for the whole 11 days in a 45 pound pack on their back. The group cooks supper together over a communal fire, but each camper is responsible for their other two meals each day. They have to ration their food for themselves. If they cat it all up before the bike is over, then it's gone. The mountains and the woods have an effect on the kids.The "Odyessy" is a journey back to our first home, the wild places. These mountains are very special. They are powerful teachers, and they will work on anyone who will make the effon to get off into the backcountry. Body movement itself is important Jusr the rhythm of feet on the trail can set up a meditative state that changes the kids' consciousness. On the trail we always have a sunset ceremony each day. We gather and pass a "talking feather" so that each camper - continued on page 28 Summer 1987 �Visions in a Garden A light green voice lihs my eyes from the leaves: the Goddess of Green Things is approaching me. Between okra and squash and tomatoes she comes smiling at the com rows through the green song she hums. She·s the mistress of mustard greens an oracle of onions proctor of pumpkins serenader of squash. She·s the governess of garlic enchanter of eggplants leading the lettuce in a growing symphony. With no written rhythms of the cycles and seasons she sings to tempt the turnips and beguile the green beans. With leafy green lyrics highlighting sunshine and rain she conducts the orchestra of my garden and fertilizes my brain. Tat& Andres �by Snow Bear Conirary to what others may say, the dominant culture has evolved cenain "rites of passage" for young people. Drug, alcohol, or toba.cco abuse; early sexual relations; and the thrill of fast and reckless driving are ways that our youth sometimes signify to themselves and to their parents that they are emerging into adulthood. These things arc glorified by the television, movies, and advertising that control the way children of the dominant culture think. I was initiated by my father into the world of men when I recieved a gun from him at the aic of twelve. This is still an imponant moment for many young men in this area. It is a statement of trust for a father to place a gun, and therefore the power of life or death, into his son's hands. It is a major responsibility to accept a gun, for if it is used carelessly, a human life could be ta.lccn. But hunting is also an excuse for the father and son to go out i.nto the woods together. It was a very meaningful time to me. When one is hunting, one is very quiet and sensitive to the presence of other living things. Of course there is the adrenalin rush of squeezing the ttiggcr and ending a life, but, for me, a large pan of the initiation consisted of being alone with my father, silent in the forest Today, I have come to feel that receiving a gun is not a good token of maturity. Our forests arc small and ovcrhuntcd. Where I live we can nor afford to continue killing the few remaining animals. I strongly believe that today our young people need a siitnificant emcrience i.n1Q. life; we should not place such an emphasis on taking life. Before, when hunting was a way of life among the native people, a successful hunt was a matter of human survival; hunters took the lives of their fellow creatures with a spirit of thankfulness based on revcrancc. Today the gun removes us from panicipation in the life and death of the animals we hunt. When someone shoots down a buck from 100 yards away, they do not have to know the animal as well as if they had to get within bowshot. They arc removed from the pain and terror in the animal's eyes at the time of death. I put down the gun at 14 years of age when I discovered I would rather sec squirrels jumping through the treetops, and the deer grazing peacefully under massive oaks. HELPING TROUBLED TEENS MAKE TIIE PASSAGE Part of my family's work is to reach out with understanding to youth at risk and adjudicated youth. In our Second Home Program we take young people into our family (my wife Khalisa, Jody (14), Leilana (6), Johanna (3), who is handicapped). For two months to a year, they arc part of our life and work. We tutor them in all their school subjects; if they are high school graduates, we do remedial work and indepcndant academic study. They learn agricultural and building skills, receive daily counsel, and extend their physical and emotional limits through wilderness challenge activities - backpacking, KATUAH - page 6 visioN QU£ST being self-centered to thinking of things ouLSide themselves and providing for needs other than their own. Another challenge is to see that whatever task they are given is done well. The kids that come to us often do the minimum expected of them at home or in school and make linle effon at personal achievement. In school, when a student "fails", it is assumed that they cannot do any better. Usually they do not~ to do better. In our one-on-one tutoring, we carefully go over every mistake made, and the work is redone correctly. The result of this has been that in a four hour learning day, kids who were labeled '1earning disabled" passed the achievement level of their peers going to school seven hours a day. We are also, literally, a "second family" to the kids. We live in a family context, and we spend most of our time at home. We grow food and make meals together, clean house and cut firewood together, and serve the people who come to the school group programs, seminars, and summer camp. Teenagers from the city are used to having school, the movies and hangouts be the setting for their lives. In our experience, the kids with the least family life are the most messed up. We give them membership in a family that is physically together. There is a feeling of having an extended family built on a foundation of understanding and acceptance, trust and love. It is something solid to move out into the world from, and a place to return to when things get hard TirE VISION QUEST whitewater canoeing, horseback riding, and primitive camping skills. Most of these young people have come from the urban culture and have been damaged by negative "rites of passage". We try to replace those negative rites with positive qualities that will serve them wherever they choose to live. The first order of business is to introduce them to the real world. Not the "real world" as they thought of it • which was largely concrete and fast action, but the living world that sustains us. Connectedness with the earth is healing to human beings, no matter where they are from or bow they grew up. When a person is surrounded by the beauty of living things and the songs of wind and water, the spirit begins to heal. no matter how wounded it is. I try to bring knowledge of the plants and animals to these young people, because it is easier to feel close to familiar things. Along with this, we present them with personal challenges: responsibilities successfully fulfilled, communicating honestly and openly, showing energy and initiative in all their work. We extend our trust to them unless they have betrayed it by being dishonest with us. Responsibilities successfully fulfilled usually lead to a feeling of confidence and strength. As teenagers become proficient at handling responsibility, we tum over to them more responsibility for their own lives, and with that comes more freedom, which is what they keenly desire. A good beginning is taking care of the horses. Keeping them watered, fed and exercised takes a young person beyond As a single rite of passage, the Vision Quest is the form I most strongly relate to, simply because of what it did for me and the influence it had on my life. My understanding of the Vision Quest is that it is a time of solitude in the wilderness, of fasting and prayer, of self examination; a time of discovering one's beginning gifts (strengths and virtues), and limitations, one's medicine name, and how to be of service to others. Two of the teenagers with us in the Second Home Program chose to go on Vision Quests. One boy tried to do a four-day quest fasting alone in the woods, using only water and sage herb. When he began, be thought it would be an easy thing to accomplish, but he returned after a day and a half in the woods. The fasting had been bard, but the "aloneness" was what had driven him back. He said he had been scared of what I would say, but I told him, "What I think matters very little. The important thing is not to be ashamed. The Vision Quest is a teacher. You thought it would be easy to be with yourself alone, and you found that it was not so. You learned something about yourself, and therefore the experience was not a failure." The other person to attempt the Vision Quest was a woman 20 years old. She had stayed with us when sh.e was 15, and had been visiting us regularly ever since, so she was truly "family" to us. She completed her vision quest, in the course of it facing up to some difficult things about herself, and came through in a very strong way. Nowadays few people pass directly Summer 1987 �into adulthood from pubeny. I know that was true for myself. My body was mature quite awhile before I was, and I am still not finished! I have had six people ask me to help with their Vision QuesL Most of them were in their twenties or thinies before they began even asking the 4uestions that led them to make the passage. In the old days when a girl reached the age of 13 or 14 it was time to begin raising a family, and she had to be ready for it. Now there are people in their fonies looking for answers and feeling that they have missed something. Whenever these people ask me, I tell them that they have not missed out, that this change does not come at a set time for everyone, and that it is never LOO late to go through the transition. Those people who come to me asking my help with their Vision Quest, come because they k:now me, and they know the effect my Vision Quest had on my life. The first thing I tell them is that there are other people who can help them better than I could. Then, if they persist, I warn them that, because we are not the Old People, what worked for them in one way may not work for us in the same way. I warn them not to expect dramatic, thunderous visions. Then, if they still want the experience, I make sure that they themselves choose the conditions of their quest. There are two main possibilities. One is a quest for a personal vision to gain better self-understanding and a purpose in life and to find a beginning place on the world medicine wheel. This is best helped by fasting, personal prayer, song, and selfcxamination. The other possibility is to fast for the benefit of all living beings. In this fast I encourage people to make a medicine wheel and walk, first LO the east where they make a song or prayer, then back to the center, and then to the south, where they make a song or prayer, continuing in this way around the medicine wheel for the whole day, or as long as their strength holds out. Several people have mixed the two ways, doing the first for two days. and then the second for two days more. PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY We prepare for the Vision Quest first by exploring the person's purpose in choosing to do the quest, agreeing to the conditions of it (how long, in what place) and passing on any necessary instructions, such as how to build a medicine wheel or how to bless the Vision Quest site. Then we go to the sweat lodge together with a few carefully chosen friends to help us. In the lodge we sing and pray to strengthen and purify ourselves for the healing work ahead. After the sweat lodge, we fill the prayer pipe in a sacred manner. If the person has their own, we fill it, seal it, and that person holds that pipe every waking moment of their quest. My prayer pipe is filled and scaled, and every sunset during the Vision Quest I hold it to make prayer and song to send my power to them. Also at sunset I leave water and sage for them at a place near the site of their Vision Quest At the end of their time I meet them, carrying my prayer pipe. We do not say anything until we have smoked in silence, then the person relates what has happened during the time of the Vision Quest. Of panicular importance to me is to KA TUAH - page 7 know what living things visited them in the course of their fast and what they thought and felt in the presence of these beings. Even the smallest messengers of the spirit arc imponant., and often they have very strong powers. I tell people, "Until you can receive a fly or an ant as one of your relations, you won't be able to receive the eagle or bear." One woman was visited by a spider that dangled just in front of her eyes. She watched it for hours as it went about its work. They became sisters and she learned much. drumming of the woodpecker echoing always there with the trees - yakking laughing i don't know where a feeling ifollow i am the forest around me the activity i am the creek the mus the violets and the bees i am the branches spreading into the sky the sun in your eyes which vanishes suddenly the clouds birds come around a rabbit Only after we talk of these things do the people tell me about their dreams. Even on a Vision Quest, most people's dreams that I have heard have been quite ordinary. I am not a spiritual dream interpreter, but I do give my thoughts and observations as a fellow human being. Dreams arc valuable because they arc often the battleground where peop.lc contend with the fears, doubts, and things they do not like about themselves. In consenting to aid people in their Vision Quests, I am not trying to set myself up as a teacher. I do this with people whom I feel arc my. brothers or sisters. I do this first as a friend. Today many people cannot find elders who know the way of the Vision Quest to aid them. Lacking thi.s , I consider that for them to have this experience with the help of a friend is better than not to have it at all. Everyone I know who has taken a Vision Quest has returned from it strcnghthcned, humbled, and deeply moved. On the Vision Quest we come to know ourselves and our world in a way words cannot express. they don't mind the rain somethingfallsfrom a tree and lands with a thud stay here long enough and you will know there are no secrets i can't describe whaJ i understand the entire meaning seems to be almost here coming from everywhere a/la/once i can't even see guided by the wind whispering in my ear - Patrick Clark Snow Bear has bun co·dirtctor of Farm Camp with hU wife Kh.alisafor niM years. lie is a naturalist, htrbologist. and / follower tf native Earth ways. Pep~rland Medicine s.h.i~ld by Snow Beu Photo by Rob Mcuick Summer 1987 �.. an experience that was hidden for them ...and where they can pass onto her, my daughter, in an atmosphere of empowerment, something that they will in a sense be giving to themselves that they have learned in their own time. I love any and all ceremonies. Do you have any specifics as to how or where you'd li ke to shar e this ceremony with your daughter? W h o would you invite? Where will you hold your ceremony ? Bonnie: When the event occurs, my daughter has requested that she would like to go out with the family for a special dinner at her favorite restaurant. We have quite a few younger daughtefll also and I think it would be beneficial to them co be a part of this celebration and to understand that this is a "big" day --their sister's special day. My daughter and I would then create within the following few days a ceremony for her and some women friends, mutual friends, and we would come together in our teepee. How do you feel about this? Hannah: A little strange... Bonnie: What is strange? Do you think this ceremony will help you to feel less strange? Hannah: Probably Do you feel this way because you know tha t other girls your age do not have this type olf ceremony? first flow We are here today 10 ta.l k about something very special Hannah: Yes Do you want to gather together with other girls your age? 10 a Hannah: No, grownups, but not girls in my class. Bonnie: Would you like to share with us an impression that you woman --her initiation into womanhood. Two friends are here got from the Amazon lndians? with me .. .Bonnie Freed, mother and her daughter Hannah, 12 years old. We've come here to discuss the celebration for this daughter's soon-to-come puberty. Julie Gaunt , interviewing for .Katu.ah Hannah: Yes, I watched this movie called Emerald Forest about this boy who got lost in the Amazon and these Indians kidnapped him and he grew up with them in their tribe and when he got old enough, they put ants all over him and this made him change into a man. Bonnie: That was the symbol of his passing into adulthood. What is it that has inspired you to want to celebr ate your stepdaughter's coming into womanhood? Would you like to go through that? Bonnie: I read a wonderful article in Mothering magazine about a community in California that celebrates the coming of age of the young men and women in their community, boys when they tum 13 and girls when they experience their first menses. It just really inspired me because I feel that whenever we put out or put in front of us an intention, it draws to itself 'like energy'. ln other words, if we choose to celebrate a certain time or coming of age and we do it with an energy, we draw in real positive energy and we give it emphasis. ln a loving and powerful way, my daughter will gain some of that strength in her experience. I believe that it is important, in whatever way we can, to acknowledge and reconnect ourselves to the rhythms of our bodies and also our Earth. These acknowledgements are powerful for us as human beings. There is a rhythm to our lives, our bodies, and to our planet . As a culture we have become very disconnected from these rhythms. So it is very helpful for us to create our own ceremonies from our own instinctive beingness and to empower each other to enact them. I felt very attracted to this particular ceremony as it is presenting itself in my life--having a daughter who is coming along very much into puberty. I feel this could be beneficial to all of us. I want to say though that we do not have to follow any certain ceremony. although we can draw from other ceremonies and learn from them. We should go ahead and create out of our hearts, our love, and our own instincts, ceremonies for passages so that all of us feel connected to our deep inner rhythms. I can re-affirm my own feminine wisdom, my own ageless womanhood, and bring my daughter this celebration that will create a groove..or a flow .. where her life can have a direction... where other women will also come together and affirm for themselves an experience that was difficult for them, or KATUAH - page 8 Hannah: No. (laughter) Bonnie: l think it's important to acknowledge that it is a bodily symbol of passage into adulthood. Hannah: It's scarey! Bonnie: Why do you feel it's scarey? Hannah: I don't know. Bonnie: Do you feel it will be less scarey if you share with other women about how they felt and what becoming a woman meant to them? Hannah: Yes. What 's often scarey is the unknown. We a r e talking abou t somethin g that you h ave not yet e:rcperi enced. This is something you've never been through, so it's na tural for you to be scar ed. Bonnie: So many adolescents don't have an acknowledgement of their passage and so they use other ways to try to establish it, like rebellion and pushing the parents away. Nothing they do seems right to them and they drive too fast, do drugs or whatever they can. If we as parents take that opportunity to acknowledge this passage, perhaps it will free them from these confusing times where they are trying to prove they are adults--if we allow them to become adults. Resources: "Self.(jenerated Ceremonies", Foster, S. & Little, M. in Molherlng. Winter 1986. The article is excerpted from an upcoming book by Foster & Little entitled Crossjng !be Threshold; Contrnrnvrarv 7 Rites of Passage and lnjtjation at SjgniCicant Stages oC !.jCe. Also Earth Wisdom, Dolores LaChapelle. Summer 1987 �THOUGHTS ON INITIATION In connection with the topic of initiations, I have been having thoughts, particularly in relation to young people coming of age, and, I agree, it's vital work. In the past year I've spent a lot of time growing toward an understanding of what's lacking for teenage kids these days and how to provide opportunities for them to find and follow their own visions in a positive cultural context. Today's adolescents are the Pluto conjunct Uranus generation born into the nuclear/mass media age of insanity and deep global transformation.• They need to develop the inner resources necessary to cope with the unbelievable stress built into our social environment. They don't need more information. They don't need dogma in any form. They need iniuanon mto their own private, collective mysteries. There's a fierceness of spirit in kids these days that demands to be grounded in timeless reality to enable them to find strength, compassion, and clarity within, while chaos and change rage unchecked about them. What is initiation? ft is a self- or group-induced experience that frees one to encoun1er one's highest self, one's deepest truth, and one's most expansive vision of reality. What are the functions of such an experience? To provide opportunities for people to find and trLtSt their own myths to live by and to aid them in all life transitions by leading them 10 their own connection with rhe Great Mystery. . l~IJI And ritual? Ufe is a ritual, wherein we learn to bring feelings and ideas into physical reality and to enjoy the process. Along the way, we are all constantly being initiatied into greater awareness and responsibilicy by every instant's dreams. Occasionally we take the time to recognize the miracle of the moment and to honor it: ritual. We need more of those moments of recognition and remembering. We need to do it for ourselves and for each other, and a group ricual provides a structure and context in which it can happen. It is exciting and comforting to be with others who are also daring to get back to their essential selves. It confirms the power, beauty, and reality of the experience we are all sharing. Someday I wish to do initiation rituals with young adolescents. I would ger them our into nature, let them go wild, and then bring all that energy back to Earth in grounded group mediui.tions. I would teach them how to focus all that fine cellular energy in healing ways by channeling it through their hearts. I would give them time, space, and encouragement to find their own deep connections with both the Eanh and the Stars. We would explore and share our discoveries through artwork, poetry, music, and dance. The initiation would be into our infinitely creative selves and into the healing power of love. Rituals would grow out of each person's dreams and awakenings, deaths and creations. The ri1uals would be each person's narratives of reality as experienced both inwardly and outwardly and would serve as bridges between the two. Thank you for existing Maggie Schneider ARCHETYPES OF MALE INITIATION by Rob Messick The first initiation of a human being into the world occurs at binh. At this sacred time an infant instinctively needs to bond with parents. As with other primates, this bond is made through touch and is crucial to the healthy and associative development of an individual throughout his or her life. Due to the large skull and brain size of our species, we are born somewhat prematurely, so that we can pass through the pelvis. The infant is helpless for many months after birth and must have support from parents or other adults for the survival not only of the body, but also for the transmission of human culture through language and other customs. Likewise in human evolution, puberty has also become premacure to the begetting of an adult into responsible life in a community. We can reproduce before our highly structured societies can accommodate the effect of this urge. Near puberty we need a bond slightly different from that required at childbirth. We seek relationships with other adults in the community and with peers of both the SlL!lC and the opposite sex. There are three basic themes in initiation rites of a youth into adulthood: sepfJation from parents and siblings; transformation of roles and attitudes; and integration into the village or community through apprenticeship. The main purpose of initiation practices for young men is to start them on paths into the community, away from the influence of their immediate families, yet still being in proximity to them. Many cultures of the past, and some today, recognize this coming of age time as basic to the health and longevity of a people. The industrial era, or "civilii.ation" in general, has created an environment where these essential bonds are easily jeopardized. It is deprivation at 1hese important junctures that can lead to isolation or disinterest in the cohesive contacts human beings need. Adolescence is basically a result of our descent into "civilization" and the hyper-industrialiw:I era which has created a kind of extended dependency. This period starts after puberty and can last into a young person's twenties. Through schools, jails, factories, and military posts we have institutionalized the spontaneity out of a boy's rite of passage until it hardly exists any longer. Instead of a sudden initiation near puberty, the process is dragged out over many years, which sets up obstacles that can block an individual's ability to integrate into a meaningful role within a community. It is doubtful that we will ever be able to give up adolescence and fully initiate young men into adult roles a1 puberty. There is much to be absorbed of what humans have learned about Universe and our place in it. Yet the initiation process must be started at or near the time of puberty t0 avoid confusion. Some cultural event needs to happen, so that a boy knows that be is accepted and that the other members of the - continued on page 10 KATUAH - page 9 Summer 1987 �"Initiation is a critical time in which the direction is set for the next generation of humanity." • :..:- .J.' J1.t;.' ... ~ - -- ---- ._..!_;i.}..:... lllusintion from a painting by Greg Smith ARCHETYPES OF MALE INITIATION corthJed flan precedlrG page community are ready for him to change. It can be done through tests or trials of strength or endurance, or through vision quests in times of fasting and searching. Initiation is a critical time in which the direction is set for the next generation of humanity. Adults in a village or community need to give great attention to young people going through these changes because the time of cultural bonding can pass swiftly, and for a youth the complexity of finding worth in the world is already frustrating. In these times of great emotional intensity, neglect is the root of misery for individuals and societies. The effects may be delayed for a time, but the response, assistance or abuse, that is offered to a human being in time of need shows the true health or illness of a society. If we mishandle these responsibilities, we cause suffering. For the initiation process to fully flower, a boy must find a role model or set of role models with which he can readily identify. The archetypes, or pre-existing forms., that manifest in these role models are basically those of the Warrior and the Husbandman. Throughout all human systems these complementary aspects exist An individual becomes a miniature of the whole human experience, re.fleeting into and being reflected by all that is good and all that is bad in it. Each person has the capacity to give life and to take life as well. We live out the full circle of our decision to die with peace or with killing. Either path requires great courage. The Warrior is partially represented in the range of de.~b1.lctive role models offered by the present dominant western culture. Militarism is the primary culprit in this psychological tragedy, not only in terms of wars fought among nations, but also in communities, the family, and especially within a man's soul. Militarism seeks to break the spirit and split the heart and mind of an individual and then call these powers back in the allegiance of a state or cause. This is done by manipulation through fear and rupturing or perverting lhe ties with family, peers, and community. There is a false discipline in this alienation from deep human bonds, which ultimately denies a sustentative initiation into life. Militarism also perpetuates the myth that the only evil enemy is somewhere outside the self, neglecting the necessary struggle to conquer the enemy within. A real initiation should clearly teach that the potential for doing wrong exists in everyone, but that the power of choice exists also. It is only through self-examination that the faults of our species can be clearly identified and transformed. KATUAH- page 10 The personae that arise from a long-standing tradition of militarism become deceptively enticing, and appear to offer roles that are important and economically worthwhile to those on the verge of initiation. These destructive male role models ultimately weaken and often tear apart the social fabric of human beings and the sacred web of life on this planet. There is a need for strong, alternative male example in this society. The archetype of Husbandman offers a vital option. The practice of Husbandry is defined as male caretaking, not only in helping to raise a family but also in tenns of growing food, caring for other species, and being a contributing member in a community. This involves a deep and spontaneous motion away from the trodden paths of destructive male energies toward those that plant good seed and provide a place for them to grow. Also "Sensitivity and the ability to love and be compassionate are essential to human survival, as are the qualities of being determined and forceful." involved in this creative process is the wisdom that recognizes the generations to come. Planting for the future joins the human path with other life in such a way that humans become a kind of permaculture, adapting and innovating within a bioregion as an interconnected yet distinct structure. The Husbandman attempts to integrate and heal within the human community. This does not mean that men should become effeminate and passive. It means that the strength of male energy can be expressed through beneficial roles within a community. It is important for a male to be in balance with the female part of his soul. Sensitivity and the ability to love and be compassionate are essential to human survival, as are the qualities of being determined and forceful The love within the heart of our species can flourish when we respect our connectedness. Initiation is a call to face the Wanior and the Husbandman. This initiation rite should exist to allow a boy to listen to his inner voice, with guidance and wisdom from elders, to determine what path he must take. Initiation for a male is successful when it evokes conscience even in the midst of fear; when it shows that both archetypes exist within him. Summer 1987 �Katuah Spring Gathering KATIJAH - page 11 Summer 1987 '( .,'.Lq • 111\U l IVI �ADVENTURES IN THE REAL WORLD: LEARNING IN THE WILDERNESS SLICKROCK EXPEDmONS and so perhaps our adolescent rites of passage should be less specific and less strucrured than in a deeply-rooted society. On the trips I lead, our goal is to learn about ourselves. I keep the groups small. There are five boys or three father-and-son pairs in each trip. The fathers and sons take a siit-day trip, and the boys take an eight-day trip, of which five are spent hiking and three in canoes. I supply the people taking part with everything except their clothes. The Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area is an ideal place for our exploration because it is high, rugged country and contains one of the largest remaining stands of old-growth forest in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. This is a portion of the Appalachians that remains unaltered, and with Lake Cheoah to the north for canoeing, I feel that this area offers a deep experience of the basic elements of the natural world. On the trips I emphasize survival skills blended with experiences of naturt!. I want the kids to learn how to make a camp, how to cook, and how to clean the site so that there is no trace of camp remaining. At the same time, I want them to learn to identify plants and animals and to know which plants are useful to the camper. complete the trip. After two or three days it is as easy to continue up the mountain as it is to go down, and each boy wants to keep up with the others. When we SW1 out, the boys have a hard time concentrating on any one thing. They are noisy, and their minds are going in 20 different directions at once. But when they get out in the deep woods among the mountains, there is a sobering effect. When we are camping out on Stratton Bald, for instance, which is a 5,000 foot high grassy bald, there are miles of unbroken forest all around us, and it gives a sense of the enduring strength of these Southern Appalachian Mountains. It is humbling to be up there on your own resources, so far away that the nearest town is just a small glow on the horizon and overhead is all of the immense, dark sky. lt makes one feel not quite so gigantic in the world, but more a part of the world. I would also like the boys to gain a sense of the world in and of itself. I hope that more than once on every trip each boy has an opportunity to forget aU about himself in contemplating some aspec1 of nature, whether it is a butterfly, a tiny flower, or something as awesome and frightening as being on top of a mountain and seeing a thunderstorm come in at eye level. by Bun Kornegay Burr Kornegay is an experienced wilderness guide, having led trips since 1971 when he started taking people into the Adirondack Mountains of New York Stace. Now he takes groups of boys 11-16 years ofage and f ather-a11d-son groups to explore rile Slickrock Wilderness Area in Graham County, NC. We visited and talked wirh Bun, and he told us how he brings boys to and through a particular rite of passage. This initiation helps the young adolescents to discover and work with a new, mature perspective. There is nolhing that one could call an "ideal initiation" as such. An initiation implies a very definite idea of the status that a person is being initiated into. There are some very elaborate and enduring initiation rites among tribal groups. The ceremony for boys who are passing into manhood in the Masai tribe of Kenya is an elaborate ritual that lasts several days. The Masai have, in the course of a long, unbroken tradition, come to a very clear idea of what a man is, and their initiation prepares the boys for that. Perhaps for them that is an ideal initiation, because it makes everything very definite. The boys know exactly what they are heading for, and are led there by a carefully defined procedure. The way our society is, I do not believe we can have that sort of thing. And perhaps it is not so desireable anymore to know so clearly what a man or a woman is, KATUAH- page 12 "Any kind of rite of passage slwuld be a challenge to the young people involved. It should test them to what they believe is their utmost to utilize both their mental and physical endurance and to draw out of them qualities that they did not know they had." At the end of the trip the boys will know a way of camping that works. The next time they go out, they can add their own ideas and do things their own way, but they always have the basic knowledge that they can live well in lhe wild. Any kind of rite of passage should be a challenge to the young people involved. It should test them to what they believe is their utmost to utilize both their mental and physical endurance and to draw out of them qualities that they did not know they had. While hiking, I have had boys say that they were going to literally die right at that moment at that very spot on the trail, but I have never yet had a boy who did not Summer 1987 �"It is humbling to be up there on your own resources, so far away that the nearest town is just a small glow on the horizon and overhead is all of the immense, dark sky. It makes one feel not quite so gigantic in the world, but more a part of the world." I want them to sense the age of these mountains. That is another aspect of learning their place in this world: to remember how long these ridges have been here. Another thing I hope to bring to the boys is some degree of organization and self-discipline. This is an important aspect of attaining adulthood, because another name for a teenage boy is "disorganization". Camping is literally an exercise in getting one's life together for a time. Trips demand a lot of attention to details, or else a boy might find himself unable to locate that poncho or that flashlight at a time when he needs it. When we are on the expeditions we do everything as a group. The boys do not carry their own rations or cook their own meals.We rotate duties, and the meals are packed so that in one package is everything for a complete meal for the whole group. I run a tight ship when we are in the woods. I do not allow the boys to run off this way and that, because that is taking a chance that they would get bun or get lost. The boys soon realize that they are going to have to work and play together to be both safe and comfortable in the woods. When I am leading these groups of boys I have to remember that I'm offering myself as an example to them. When I was young and in Scouts, I remember how I looked up to my Scout leaders. It's a natural thing. This is an imponant influence for a young person's behavior. Out in the woods I try to set an example of an "outdoorsman" in the fullest and best sense of the word: one who is not only a skilled camper, but someone who sees nature as more than just something to exploit KATUAH - page 13 I have to be a teacher, a guide, and a counselor, but sometimes I like to just be one of the boys. I like to swim and play "king of the mountain". I like to have fun too. J have had boys who were considered "problem cases". One boy who came the first summer had been diagnosed as hyperactive and was on two or three different types of medications. He had been in a lot of trouble at school, and the psychiatrist who was working with him advised me to not accept him on the ttip. He was an active fellow. It was hard to wear him out, but there was not a mean bone in his body. That first year, I saw he took his medicine every day, but he was still as hyperactive as any boy could be. It appeared that the medicine was having no effect at all He came out again the next summer, bringing all his medicines with him, but I did not remind him about it, and he did not take his medicine the whofo time we were out. He was so much better! Calmer, mvre responsible, much more pleasant to be around. I told his grandfather about this when he came to pick the boy up. The boy's mother later told me on the telephone that he bad not been on any medication at all since that trip. That was a kind of initiation weaning from Ritalin! Many of today's outdoor recreation activities reflect a desire to conquer or dominate the world, a trait that runs deep within our culture. The world does naturally present us with obstacles, and surmounting these obstacles as they confront us is very imponant to our development. But on my expeditions I downplay external thrills. There is a lot of challenge and adventure in living outside and exploring rugged, wild country. If someone goes out with the purpose of dominating or overcoming nature, they are using it to build up their own ego. There is a big difference between that and going out to humbly learn about oneself. For mQre information on Slickrock Expeditions, wntact: Burt Kornegay P.O. Box 1129 Cullowhee, NC 28723 -recorded by Stephaen De/or, Didier Cuzange, and David Whttkr Summer 1987 �more ADVENTURES IN THE REAL WORLD WOLFCREEK Wll.DERNESS SCHOOL by Curry Morris Wolfcreek Wilderness School in Blairsville, GA has been offering programs for teenagers for 15 years. The school recognizes the natural environment as the ideal locale for self-realization and offers a variety of outdoor courses to promote self-reliance and personal growth. The school also has mountain heritage programs that teach aspects of the land-based cultures of the Cherokee Indians and the early white setllers. "I'd like to leave you with a little thought I've been thinking about ..... it's about finding the "rhythm of life" .... .'The Rhythm oflife" is like truly good music: if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know. You and the people at Wolfcreek showed me how to find my "rhythm of life". Thank you." - C (Sclwol course) One of the school's most specialized offerings is a 26-day outdoor exploration program for teenage boys in trouble with the law. For many of the boys the program is a last alternative to long jail sentences. The program is not specifically therapeutic or rehabilitory, but is based on the premise that challenging experiences in contact with the world of nature can put a boy in touch with deeper and truer inner resources untapped in life on the urban streets, that can serve as the foundation for a new awareness of self and can lead to a new relationship to society. During the summer one- to three-week courses are open to individual youths of all ages. Wolfcreek Wilderness School Rt. I, Box II90 Blairsville, GA 30512 KATUAH- page 14 OU1WARDBOUND by Doug Silsbee Outward Bound was conceived when a British shipping magnate observed that, in several instances when his ships were torpedoed in the North Sea, it was often the older, more seasoned sailors who survived in the lifeboats, while younger, physically stronger seamen perished. Outward Bound founder Kurt Hahn began the program as an experimental approach to train younger seamen - not in survival skills per se, but in fully utilizing their own tenacity and inner resources in difficult circumstances. The program was continued in British private schools as a training course for adolescents. Hahn's vision was to strengthen society by improving the individual's self-concept, sense of responsibility to others, and awareness of Lhe potential to achieve seemingly impossible goals. There are now 30 Outward Bound schools in the world, one of which is located on Table Rock Mountain, NC. The North Carolina Outward Bound School runs wilderness-based courses in a number of places in Katiiah, from Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mountain to Standing Indian and the Chatooga River. The goal of the school is to create powerful emotional and spiritual experiences for the 2,000 students that take part each year. The programs offered by the organization are personal growth and values oriented, and wilderness is an important component of the training experience. Participants, many of whom have never slept outside in their iives, spend from 4 to 23 days outside with a group of 10 to 12 other students and two instructors. Courses take place in the wilderness because of its inherent spiritual value, and because it is a new and unfamiliar environment for most of the participants, and it is a much less complex emotional environment than civilized society in which to learn about oneself. fears: of falling, of not looking good in front of their peers, of being alone, of failing. By dealing with the external challenge of the activities, and the internal challenge of their own fears and perceived limitations, participants come to better know themselves. Other activities focus much more on the group, and impel group members to come to terms with conflict, to look hard at their own decision-making processes, and to find new and more effective ways to work together towards a common goal Outward Bound experiences are different from most initiation rites in that they do not occur at a set time in a person's life, and are (usually) not proscribed by someone else as a prerequisite for coming of age. There are special c-0urses offered for educators, adult women, people over age 55, corporate executives, alcoholics, and cancer patients, but a majority of Outward Bound participants are adolescents, and for these the course provides a powerful and meaningful "initiation rite" into adulthood. NC OurwardBound School 121 N. Sterling St. Morganton, NC 28679 ,y/1 p Course activities are designed to place people under a manageable, yet significant, degree of stress. Rock-climbing, a specially designed ropes course, whitewater canoeing, hiking. solitary time in the forest, and runs on mountain roads and trails are new and challenging experiences for most of the participants. Many of the activities require inctividuals to confront their own Summer 1987 �adventure, education about the tribe's cultural heritage, and community service. In 1979 Gil Jackson, head of the Family Services office on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and Earl Davis, a former Peace Corps worker, began the Cherokee Challenge program in response to problems they saw among the youth of the Eastern Band of the Cherokees. "Most of the kids felt poorly about themselves," said Davis, "and that feeling arose specifically because they didn't feel good about being Indians. Any time they saw Indians portrayed, it was in a negative way - the image they had was that Indians were at best poor and slovenly and at worst public drunks. "Cherokee Challenge was begun initially because the kids needed to know that there was a lot in their Indian heritage that they could be proud of. We want the young people to feel good ~of who they are, not in~ of who they arc. "That was in 1979. Now the organization's concept has broadened somewhat, because we have found that when the kids think better of themselves, they do better in school, they're more fun to be around, and, in general, they're bener, healthier people." The Challenge groups from each township on the reservation and in Robbinsville are organhed into gru ups called"clans", after the fu~cient Cherokee clan system. Participants arc 11-14 years of age and mostly boys. One clan has a mixed membership of boys and girls. The others meet separately. Cherokee Challenge activities stress KATIJAH - page 15 All aspects of the Challenge program are group oriented, and the canoeing, rock-climbing, hiking, and caving eitpeditions, said Davis, "help the group members to learn about themselves and about each other. The trips get the kids outdoors, where they learn new skills and learn how to get along with others." On one caving expedition the group went to cast Tennessee near Craighead Caverns (now the tourist attraction Lost Sea Caverns), which archeological excavations have revealed was formerly used for council meetings or ceremonies by the native inhabitants. 'The group went into large caves near there," Davis related, "so they could experience the wonder of the caves and feel the annospherc their ancestors felt 200 years ago when they gathered there for an initiation or a meeting." Service work - picking up trash, splitting wood for the elderly, visiting at the old people's home, to name a few of the activities - helps the children in getting along with the community and points them toward worthwhile ways to fit in. "It shows them that they, too, have a role in the life of the community," said Davis. As a part of reclaiming pride in their native heritage, the children have been doing sweat lodge ceremonies under the tutelage of Nora Montelongo and her son, who is a pipe-carrier for the Cherokee nation. The sweat lodge is a sacred rite of bodily and spiritual purification that in fonncr times was practiced before any important mission was undertaken. In the lodge the children learn chants and songs in the Cherokee language, which otherwise is not widely spoken among the young people on the reservation. In speaking of the ceremony, Davis said that the young people are expected to approach it seriously and that "they are taught that the sweat lodge is a valid way to communicate with God, the Great Spirit, the Life Force, or whatever we want to call that part of ourselves." The Cherokee language has proven a stumbling block, however, in the cuhural preservation project "Fading Voices", which is an interview program fun ded by a foundation grant in which young people from Cherokee Challenge were to go among elders of the tribe to record their stories, reminiscences, and details of the way tribal life used to be. "We haven't been able to get as much participation by the kids as we had at first hoped," explained Davis, "because the old people are more comfortable speaking in Cherokee. It is their native tongue, and they can express themselves beuer in their native language. Since so few of the kids know Cherokee, many times they got left out of the conversation. "Since we have been under some pressure to produce materials in order to comply with the conditions of the grant, much of the work has necessarily been taken over by adults familiar with the language. However, I hope that later on we can turn the kids loose with tape recorders to get interviews in the way they want to. This oral history program is extremely valuable - any time one of those old people passes away, something irreplaceable is lost - but it would also be valuable for the kids to have the experience of communicating with the ciders, even if we don't get a foot of tape from it." "We want the young people to feel good because of who they are, not in spite of who they are." Material from the "Fading Voices" interviews will be printed in a special issue of the Journal of Cherokee Studies published by the Cherokee Historical Museum. Working on a shoestring budget and relying largely on volunteer help from the community, Cherokee Challenge has made strong beginnings in the formidable job of picking up the broken threads of Cherokee tribal tradition and reweaving them into a meaningful community life for the youth of the tribe today. / Cherokee Challenge P.O. Box507 Cherokee,NC 28719 Cheroue Challenge is a Mn·fJl'ofil organization. Summer 1987 �NATURAL WORLD NEWS THE BUTTERNUT IS DYING by Clyde Osborne The white walnut, another of America's great nut and timber trees, seems headed for extinction, says Bob Anderson, a plant pathologist at the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station near Asheville, NC. Better known as the butternut tree, this walnut species has been hit by a fungus disease known as the butternut canker. "And no one is doing.anything about it," Anderson said as he pointed out tree after tree in the Bent Creek drainage basin being devastated by the disease. "There's not a single scientist in the nation trying to find a solution to this problem. A pathologist at the University of Wisconsin worked on it for 10 years, but he retired three years ago, and no one has taken up his work," Anderson said. The disease was first found in 1967 and has spread rapidly. In 1966 a survey in North Carolina and Virginia found 7 .5 million butternut trees in the two states. A new survey which has just been finished found that there are only 2.5 million left, and almost all of them are diseased. Cankers spread around branches and trunks, eventually killing the infected trees, although each canker lasts for only one year and then heals over. Eventually the trees are girdled by canker after canker in the bark and the cambium "right down to the wood", according to Anderson. The chestnut tree, decimated by a blight disease, has continued to live because it continually sprouts from the roots left in the soil. But the butternut doesn't send up sprouts from the roots. And sadder yet is the fact that the nuts of diseased butternut trees are not viable. The disease puts the trees under extreme stress. The nuts produced are useless for propagation. "So unless some answers are found by someone, it looks like the tree is a goner," said Anderson. A pathologist in Virginia told Anderson that he had found a few butternuts which seem to have some resistance to the disease. If these resistant trees could be propagated, he said, they might be used to restock forests where butternuts have been eliminated or are being killed. The butternut tree is basically a northeastern American tree. Like many other northeastern species, it grows in the Appalachian mountains, but is uncommon in other parts of North Carolina. KATUAH-page 16 Butternut has been used for furniture, cabinets, fine woodwork, and panelling. Its wood is lighter than that of black walnut. But it has been an economically valuable tree just like its cousin over the years, although it has never been as prevalent . The black walnut seems to be resistant to the butternut canker, Anderson said, "although you can infect the tree manually by intrOducing the fungus into it" And occasionally, black walnut saplings, if under stress, will show signs of the disease. Still the disease does not seem to be a threat to the black walnut. Reprinted from the Asheville Ci1ill.l1 by permission. THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT Nawral World News Seivice The American Chestnut was the: most generous tree in the forest., giving nutritious nuts for humans, livestock, and wildlife. The wood was lightweight, rot resistant, and had a beautiful grain. The bark was an excellent source of tannin. The native chestnuts grew 30% faster than oaks, and even surpassed the rate of growth of Tulip Poplar. A mature American Chestnut tree could be over 100 feet tall and have a diameter of 10 feet or more. And furthermore, the chestnut composed 25% of the Appalachian forest trees, growing everywhere from deep rich coves to dry acid ridges. The American Chestnut is now extinct within its native range, except for the shrubby sprouts that grow from the old root systems. It is the victim of a fungus disease called "the blight" that was accidentally imported on some Chinese Chestnut trees around the turn of the century. The blight kills the trees by forming a canker just underneath the bark, which spreads until it eventually girdles the tree. The Cninese trees evolved with the blight for thousands of years, and are resistant to it, but the American Chestnut had no resistance. The root systems of the trees survive and continue to send up new sprouts, but the blight usually kills these before they grow large enough to produce nuts. Because of the American Chestnut's generosity and dominance of the eastern forests, its demise is considered the greatest biological disaster in recorded history. There have been many disappointing attempts to bring the trees back, but it seems that the time has finally come for a breakthrough in blight-resistant American Chestnut trees. The Chinese Chestnut is blight-resistant and produces large nuts, but it is a cultivated orchard tree and could not survive or reproduce in a wild forest ecosystem. The American Chestnut Foundation is undertaking a "backcross" breeding program that will result in a tree with the blight resistance of the Chinese Chestnut and the forest-type timber growth of the American Chestnut. The initial step in the backcross breeding program is to cross a Chinese with an American chestnut. This bas been done before, but the offspring usually resemble the Chinese parent in their growth pattern and only about half of them are able to resist the blighL With backcross breeding, the blight-resistant half of the Chinese X American offspring are crossed with a pure American Chestnut. Approximately half of the hybrid offspring of this cross are blight-resistant, but since they are 3/4 American Chestnut, they will exhibit more of a forest-type growth pattern. Working with only the blight-resistant half of each generation, the backcross step is repeated to bring in more and more of the American Chestnut growth pattern while retaining the blight resistance acquired from the original cross with the Chinese parent. If the American Chestnut Foundation can get the financial support it needs to continue the backcross program for 20 years, we should have a blight resistant chestnut tree that is almost identical to the native American Chestnut. (Then we'll have to get out our hoedads and stan planting chestnut trees on those Farce Service clearcuts.) There is yet another ray of hope for the American Chestnut. The blight, a fungus disease, has become infected with a virus disease in some areas of the country. The infected blight is known as hypovirulent, and even the non-resistant chestnut trees are usually able to survive infestation by bypovirulent blight. If the hypovirulent blight spreads and replaces the killing blight, then the old American Chestnut root sprouts that are already here in the forest will be able to grow to Summer 1987 �maturity. The drawback to hypovirulence is that there appear to be many different strains of the blight fungus, and each strain of the blight can only be affected by a compatible strain of hypovirulent blight The American Chesmut Foundation is sponsoring research on hypovirulence aimed at isolating hypovirulent strains that can spread naturally through the forests. The American Cllestnut Foundation publishes an annual joumal and accepts tax-deductible contributions. Contact: Dr. David French, Treasurer The American Chestnut Foundation c/o Dept of Plant Palhology University of MinllCSOla St. Paul, MN 55108 For more information on chestnuts, subscribe to: Cheslllutworks RL I, Box 341 Alachua, FL 32615 ($10 per yenr - 2 issues) NATIONAL FOREST PLAN: CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TIIB GYPSY MOTii COMETH Nalllral World News Service The "public input" meetings were well attended, yet an eerie silence persisted throughout. Most had already heard of the millions of acres defoliated in the northeastern states. Few came to debate or question the proposed treatments. AU came to find out just what was to take place. At stake was the fate of 11,000 acres of private and federal lands in Clay County, NC. The Fires Creek watershed bad become the site of a "spot infestation" of the feared gypsy moth and had received a personalized environmental impact statement and a custom-made "eradication program". The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., was imponed into this country in 1869 in an attempt to create a silk-producing moth. The rest is history. What the future bolds for us here in Southern Appalachia may come as a surprise, for the gypsy has arrived. The gypsy moth is more than an out-of-state transplant. It is a symbol of our mobile society. It is highly adaptable and has no natural predators here. The larvae spin silken threads and are carried by the four winds. The adult moth lays eggs on any object near at banct, thus hitching a ride to faraway and exotic places. Natunl World News Service The 15-year management plan for the Pisgah and Nantabala National Forests was made official in April and immediately elicited another storm of protest from both local and national environmental watchdog groups. At issue were three points insened into the plan in Washington after a compromise draft plan was submitted from the US Forest Service regional office. The first point said that if timber demand increases, the maximum acreage liable for cutting could be raised from 586,000 to 846,420 acres. The new plan also called for a study to assess that demand, although the last study was completed only two years ago. The new plan also called into question the status of three areas declared as wilderness in the draft plan. A brief statement insened into the final document said that wilderness designation for Craggy Mountain, Lost Cove (Avery Co.), and Harper Creek (Avery-Caldwell Co's.) would be subject to review and "possible modification by the Chief of the Forest Service, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the President." The Western North Carolina Alliance was already intending to appeal the plan because of the high level of clearcutting called for in the Pisgah and Nantahala forests, but the Wilderness Society, a national environmental group, said through spokesman Ron Tipton that the insertion of the three points into the plan would almost cenainly result in an appeal from that group as well. Tipton indicated that other environmental groups might join in the action. Its food source is primarily the foliage of oak trees, but it also feeds on hickory, poplar, birch, and cherry leaves, while a menu of 500 species of shrubs and vines is also available. Fruit trees, some nursery stock, and evergreens such as spruces, helmlock, and pines are selected as well by older larvae. The primary goal. of the larvae is to eat, and after the first molnng this becomes a twenty-four-hour-a-day obsession. The effects of defoliation are varied and depend on several factors. Dry sites with shallow soils seem to be more susceptible than protected sites where moisture and organic matter are adequate. Yet, slow-growing trees may survive repeated defoliation better than fast-growing timber. Healthy trees can withstand one or two consecutive defoliations while stressed trees and evergreens succomb after one attack. Even the healthiest tree will exhibit dieback and a 30 to 50% reduction in diametric growth. Defoliation weakens trees and valuable energy reserves are used to refoliate. Weakened trees are attacked by other opponunistic pests and usually die. Defoliated areas are subject to increased levels of runoff and sedimentation, increased temperature, and ultra-violet light levels at the forest floor and waterways. Larvae droppings are a stream pollutant Mast crops would be drastically reduced. The overall change in plant and animal species composition would be cataclysmic. It was obvious that some action had to be take.n. The Southern Appalachian region is considered to be more favorable than any other area previously occupied by the gypsy. Conditions in Clay County we~ shown to be more than adequate to sustatn very high population levels. AdditionallY, clearcutting to favor oaks, the current management technique iJn the National Forest lands, encourages infestation and timber loss while mixed hardwood stands are less susceptible. Unless remedial action against the moth was taken, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APffiS) of the US Department of Agriculture, acting on a congressional mandate, could quarantine all timber products, nursery stock, horticultural and agricultural crops, and regulate the movement of mobile homes, RV's, and any object that could harbor eggs and increase the spread of the insect The result of this quarantine would be socio-economic chaos in the region. Because of the large acreage of the Fires Creek tract, aerial spraying was accepted at the public meeting as the o.nlY viable method of attack. Several chenucal and biological alternatives were proposed to curb the infestation. Each came with its own dangers. The dangers of introducing synthetic, chemical insecticides are widely known, thus the treatment was not seriously considered. The idea of biological control was the preferred alternative. It was agreed that two foliar applications of a liquid formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bl) and Dimilin (Diflubenzmon) would be sprayed 7 to 10 days apart at the onslaught of larval feeding. Bt would be used along waterwars and Dimilin throughout the steep mountatn terrain. Bt is a naturally-occurring bacteria which when eaten by the larvae, induces digestive paralysis and death by starvation within three days. It has a relatively small target group of insect species. EPA bas given it a "full registration" and has not assigned precautionary restrications for use over water. The Bt spores are degraded by sunlight in 3 to 12 days bot may persist in the soil for several months before passing into the food chain. It is "essentially nontoxic" to mammals, birds, fish and other animals. Treated areas may be re-entered once the spray has dried. . Dimilin is a harsher but more effecnve treatment. It belongs to a group of insecticides known as growth regulators. It targets insects having exoskeletons and kills by interfering with the molting stage of their life cycle. EPA considers Dimilin to be "moderately to extremely" toxic to insects and aquatic invertebrates and "slightly" toxic to mammals, fish and birds. lt has a soil half life of 1 to 3 years and "will not accumulate in organisms as it degrades and passes through the food chain." Research on the use of parasites and sterile male moths as natural controls has shown promise, but the methods are still oriented towards small "hot spots." It was the opinion of the expens that this treatment would control the gypsy moth with minimal environmental impact. A - continued on page 18 KATUAH - page 17 Summer 1987 �--------- ,;::II_.·. . w--- _i_ _ trca - cn - co-n- u _ i_ _l_ 8 4 8 5 - - -tsim lar _ -tm -t, - d -c-ted n 9_ --- . ---""""" .;~,~~~=·--------C- &_ - - E- -- -A - P L_RAT- S ARE over thousands of acres along the Tennessee-North Carolina line (cast of Johnson City and west of Boone), provided hopeful results. In early May spraying on Fires Creek was completed. Monitoring of the area will continue for several years. The local feeling is "what's done is done and it had better work." But the gypsy moth is advancing south at the rate of 6 miles per year. Rcgardlcssofthcdcgrccofcontrol achieved in watersheds such as Fires Creek, the gypsy moth will enter Katuah in approximately 20 years and within 35 years will become well established throughout the bioregional province. WASTE TRANSPORTATION Natural World Newi The Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility that the US Department of Energy wants to locate in Oak Ridge, TN may rum into a semi-permanent repository for all of the nation's high-level nuclear waste. Faced by widespread citizen resistance, DOE hopes for completing a nuclear waste repository by their 1996 contract deadline have faded into the distance. The MRS is currently the favored alternative as a storage place for the spent nuclear fuel rods that will be passed over to the government in that year. If the MRS were to be built, 13,400 shipment-miles of radioactive nuclear waste in railcars and 6,200 shipment-miles in trucks would pass through the Katiiah mountain area annually, according to figures released by the Southern States Energy Board. Without an MRS facility, 3,700-5,400 shipment-miles of wastes would pass through the mountains annually during the next few years. Responding to this threat, citizens from 13 states met in Maryville, TN in response to a call by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League to devise a strategy to counter the proposed MRS and the problem of nuclear waste transponation. The group coalesced into a new organization, the Southeastern Environmental Network and agreed to work on nuclear and hazardous waste transponation problems and to encourage alternative fuels and energy sources. The new organization represents a consensus that local people need to take the initiative in determining new directions for energy policy. The feeling was that if the people did not do it for them.selves, nobody would, and that local groups needed to make their needs clearly felt in the legislative chambers and, in effect, "lead the leaders" to better solutions to questions of energy generation and waste disposal. KATUAH- page 18 .[:\_f;~~; .·· ~:f-'"''".. . . ; ·'1:· .-:).:• ·~ ..,, • ".:!.: :.-. ,• .·!~·::··;-. ~, · ti· ·:.,.,.~.~ ;;~t:~Y · STATE ENDANGERED LIST ·z~;!:: .#~. NC Wildlife Resources Commission r"i ,.. !~J/_. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking legislation that would create an official state list of animals that arc endangered, threatened, or of special concern in that state. A bill now under consideration by the NC General Assembly would allow the Commission's Nongame Advisory Committee to name members to a council of wildlife scientists. Those experts would develop and use standard criteria for identifying and placing animals and birds in the three categories. Debbie Paul, manager of the Nongame Section of the Division of Wildlife Management, said, "We have rare species of particular interest in North Carolina that aren't on the federal list. There are several unofficial lists of rare animals, but none developed under scientific review or using standard criteria." Some animals already considered endangered in Nonh Carolina include the peregrine falcon, the bald eagle, and th~ eastern cougar. • , MOUNTAINS GET THE SHAKES NUCLE A_ ....., - - _ R WASTE," SAYS DR. SMELLO Nauual World News Sa-vice How far away is the Shearon Harris nuclear plant from the mountains? As close as your electric bill, CP&L ratepayers learned at a NC Utilities Commission hearing in Asheville May 20 when company representatives told a stunned audience that they were seeking a 26% rate increase over the next two years. The revenue is largely to pay for the $3.8 billion Shearon Harris facility, which went into operation on May 2. CP&L spokespeople did offer to give customers a reduction in fuel rates and an overcharge refund, -which would panially offset the effects of the increase during the first year, if consumers agreed to swallow the proposed rate hike. Many of the people who jammed the hearing were elderly people on fixed incomes who may have remembered the exuberant early days of nuclear power when officials promised "power too cheap to meter". The Harris plant was criticized throughout its construction for consistently running over budget, but only later will consumers learn about the "hidden costs" of the Harris plant, which are not figured into cost estimates for nuclear power: the price of radioactive waste disposal and of "decommissioning" (tearing apan and disposing of the irradiated building structures) in 40-50 years when it must be taken out of service. Environmental coSts, of course, never show op in corporate accounting. Or. Smcllo, a colorful clown , attended the meeting wearing a sign saying, "CP&L rates are a nuclear waste". Smello accurately summed up the feeling of the meeting at the end of his address when he said, "I may look like a clown, but CP&L is areal joke." / Narural World News Service An earthquake registering 4.2 on the Richter seismic scale shook parts of Katiiah during the early-morning hours of March 29, 1987. Sheriffs' departments and rescue squads received several calls from alarmed residents, but damage by the tremor was limited to pictures shaken off the walls. The quake centered 30 miles southwest of Knoxville, TN, but the effects were felt as far cast as Andrews, NC. Katiiah is located in the Appalachian Seismic Zone. According to the Tennessee Eanhquake Information Center, this wne is a weak spot in the Earth's crust where two major tectonic plates meet and overlap.The two plates generate great stresses where they press together. The seismic rone is an area where that pressure is likely to be released in the form of an earthquake. The last major quake in the Appalachian Zone was a movement of 5.8 magnitude in 1897 that was centered near Pearisburg, VA. The March tremor was the first to register over 4.0 in 13 years. According to the eanhquake center, the Appalachian Seismic Zone is an active area, recording 25 to 30 shakes per year, but most of the activity registers under 2.0 on the Richter scale and is not perceptible to humans. NEWS The senate was held hostage today by strongwomen who fired brilliant bursts of metaphor over their heads and then escaped into a waiting Future. The Right Hemisphere Liberation Army has claimed responsibility. • Will Ashe Bason Summer 1987 �MONITORING TIIE 'CIDE SEASON It's summertime again in Katuah! Time for sunshine, birds, flowers .....and poisonous chemical sprays. Many farmers, companies, and government agencies use herbicides and pesticides for fast, effective, and highly tocic weed and insect control. Farmers spray pre-emergent herbicides to discourage weeds in their com and tobacco. Railroad companies and state transportation departments regularly spray railroad beds and roadsides, utility companies poison powerline right-of-ways to keep them clear, and the US Forest Service blankets selected areas in the National Forests with herbicide sprays from helicopters. Throughout the growing season, farmers protect their crops with pernicious, long-lasttng pesticides. Suspended particles of these liquid sprays drift great distances through the air. They enter the food chain by being inhaled or ingested in contaminated water and food. The sprays are highly foen, carbon-bound chemicals, so instead of being broken down, they accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals. Acute exposure to pesticides and herbicides cause a burning sensation in the skin, eyes, or throat, and forms congestion in the head and lungs. There may be swelling and aching in these areas and coughing. Sub-acute exposure may cause only a listless, achey feeling and a low resistance to virus. This level of exposure is possibly more dangerous in the long run, because the cumulative effects may result in cancer or other degenerative diseases years later when the cause is hard to pinpoint. A group in Floyd County, VA is surveying the effects of toxic sp rays among their community members and encourages groups in other parts of Katuah to do the same by keeping records of spraying dates and locations and watching for any apparent differences among family and friends. "If we all do this and compile our records," they say, "we may notice a pattern, and we will have more information with which to stand up and say that most spraying is unnecessary and unsafe." Contact: Nancy Barnhardt P.O. Box 417 Floyd, VA 24091 A VIEW FROM THE by Mchael Hockaday CORNERS Valuing Trees: A Thought Burl Had Nowadays I was thinking: what Is a tree worth anyways, In the year of its cutting, and in its lifetime, that being a history of everytime we change it? One half a tree becomes a stud framed In a wall as long as it stands, forever worth about a dollar twenty-nine. That's what you paid for it. Sure, it helps (or doesn't help) hold up a wall, a door, a window, but its inherent value as a stud has been fixed, done with, forgotten behind a layer of fabric, sheetrock, paneling. Done for. Gone. Another soldier of the forest bites the dust of anonymity. Other trees, or half-trees, quarter-trees, trunks, boards, cherished in their dead state more than when they grew alive, are used, touched again and again, changed, utilized in continually various ways; these have a life in history as various as many lives. This winter, after Christmas mostly, I started cutting up the gnarly little yellow pine poles a neighbor used some years ago to hang that season's crop of tobacco in my barn. I had mentioned in the fall he'd better come get them, else they'd be dust by spring. More nitrogen in the garden. Gone. Done for. I decided to handcut them to stove and hearth length with my bucksaw that's been hanging around doing very little since I made it more than a year ago. It's work, in-between, after-work, work that's harder as their girth gets bigger, but chainsawing them hasn't been a joy either. And it's quiet at least, a task more aimed at viewing and appreciating the winter sunsets, end as they may. These poles (trees) 1 was rendering into kindling had been grown, whether by God and nature or man 1 don't know, cut down, trucked around, de-limbed, nailed up to support a cancer-causing agent, left to rot, then taken down, de-nailed, dragged from the barn, sawed Into length, and carried again inside to quickly burn into ash. Makes a hot fire. Good start for winter mornings. Can't be used to hold up much anymore. Gone. Glad to have it. And what a store of time and labor went into the using of those trees, each one a part of the shade we love in summer, helping to sustain some forest's mystery. What attention we have given them.we who are In need of trees, maybe more attention than some people and animals get. So what 1 the worth of is those trees that cost the original user nothing but the time spent getting them? And another thing: the same parts of a tree that may be less than their worth to use them - a real waste of time twisty, doughty , unmanageable for building needs maybe the very material made into items that become collectibles - the life-size carving of a saint, a sparkling oaken threshold, or the delicate-colored, uniquely shaped panel, screen, or fan. What is the worth of only that sort of tree? How expensive is shade? So is it irony, fate, wisdom, or simply a matter of economics that the ugliest, most hard-to-get-to, orneriest trees become the survivors, landmarks, or sacred ones? Some trees are not made for studs, but mostly all wood bums if you get it hot enough. When summer came and that shade that is woven by a community of trees appeared, beckoning in its cool appeal, I left off the burning of deadwood to go and just sit under such a precious canopy of living wonder. I sat content awhile, having for a spell no further need to cut, change, bum. There, in those healing depths of forest - or was it a wood? who cares? - the creek chuckled as it sparkled along to the sea, and I could not but agree that things seemed fine in such a greenwood, while the sun blazed and wind shimmered the heatwaves. "What is the worth of these trees?" I was thinking. Gr1tphics by Rob Mcssiclt KATUAH- page 19 Summer 1987 �Resource Directory Hurrah! Plan et Dr um Foundation has just published A Bioregiona l Directo ry listing bioregional groups, publications and contact persons in Nonh America. The directory includes a brief description of each listing and it also includes a map of the represented areas. To purchase a directory ($2) or to fi.nd out about joini.ng Planet Drum ($15), contact: P lanet Dru m P.O . Box 31251, S an F r a ncisco, CA F oundation, 9413L Here are some selections from the Directory: Mattole Watershed Salmon Support Group, P.O.Box 188, Petrolia, CA 95558 (707) 629-3514 Restoring near-extinct native populations of Ki.ng and Silver salmon through the use of low-tech propagation techniques and habitat repair, MWSSG focuses on salmon as an indicator species in order to raise local watershed consciousness. Established in 1980, the group has released over 100,000 salmon into the Mattole River. Ohio River Basin Info rmation Service, 103 Gibson Lane; Wilder, KY 41076 (606) 781-5502 ORBIS gathers and distributes information that is pertinent to the health of both the natural and social ecology of the Ohio River Basin. It is concerned with water pollution, soil erosion, and ways in which the human community can promote healing the bioregion. ORBIS runs Sunrock Farm, a bioregional educational center, which hosts a program on "Fanning and the Natural World" including activities, tours, songs and hayrides for lhe kids. ORBIS will eventually publish a resource newsletter, "The Heartland Teacher", to promote bioregional education at the elementary school level. The Hopi Epicentre for International Outreach The Hopi E p icentre fo r I ntern ational O u t r each has opened its doors under the authority and auspices of the Hopi Traditional Leaders from the village of Mishongnovi on Second Mesa. Its purpose is to educate the national and international communities about Hopi culture, history and spirituality in relation to current events and how each individual must take personal responsibility towards the healing of the Earth and all her inhabitants. Directed by spokeswoman Marilyn Harris from Mishongnovi, the office is currently worlcing on a film project ba~ed on the "Hopi/Dine Neighborship Gathering". It is an effon to inform, educate and share important spiritual perspectives of Natural Law with the hope of stimulating creative solutions to the problems facing humankind today. Also, there is an effort to gain entrance to the UN as the Sovereign Hopi Nation to address an official meeting of the General Assembly in order to deliver the Navoti (Hopi prophecy and knowledge). To inquire or connibute: Hopi Epicentre for International Outreach, 22 S. San Francisco St., Suite 211, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. (601) TILTH Association, P.O. Box 218, Tualatin, OR 97062 TILTH is a non-profit association on the Pacific Nonhwest which links urban and rural people who support a sustainable, regional agriculture. Members include commercial organic farmers, small holders, market and home gardeners, landscape designers and many others who either practice or support biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture for the region. TILTH publishes a quarterly journal and periodic newsletter updates. TILTH ASSOCIATION/SEATILE 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103 SEATILE Til.,TH is an urban chapter within Til.,TH's regional network that is interested in city-based food production. Its office contains a resource library of books and journals devoted to urban gardening and animal husbandry. Seattle TILTH .aJso has a "Demonstration Garden" featuring raised-bed vegetable planting, espaliered fruit trees, composting demonstrations and a solar greenhouse. 774-2644 Earth Island Earth Island Journal, An International E n viron m en tal N~ws Magazine is an invaluable resource for keeping in touch with the ecologicaVcultural health of the planet--including rainforests, sustainable development, indigenous peoples, appropriate technology, etc. Earth Island is a network (computer and otherwise) of individuals, projects, ideas, and places that promote ecological consciousness and action. Ea r t h Island I n stitute, 13 Columbus Avenue, San Fran cisco, CA 94111 KATUAR - page 20 NABC Il Proceedings The NABC II P r oceedings from the North American Bioregional Congress, 1986 is now being published. It is a 90-page quality paperbound book which contains highlights of the week-long Congress, including reports, resolutions, and summaries of presentations as well as photos. The topic areas ran;l:e from alternative economics, eco-feminism, permaculture, nauve peoples and people of color to bioregionaJ envisioning and poetry. Price is $l0eacb plus $1.50 p&h. Contact: Alexandra Han/ Proceedings, P.O. Box 1010, Forestville, CA 95436 Summer 1987 �m Big Mountain "Our way of life is our re ligion, and our teaching. If we are r elocated by force, we will all die slowly. The people wo uld not be in bala nce with Mother Earth and Father Sky and t he spirit ual people. In ever y way, he re we are connected to t he la nd. We belong here." Ma ry T. Begay, Dine elder Background: Just south of the Peabody Co:i1 Company strip mine at Black Mesa (AZ), the U.S. government is forcibly relocnting 10,000 Navajos (Dine) nnd 100 Hopis in what has come 10 be known as the Navajo-Hopi land dispute. In 1974, Congress passed Public Law 93-531, which crcntcd n Relocation Commission and declared that Navajos and Hopis living on I.he wrong side or Lile panition hne c1rawn by Congress would have to move. Native leaders charge that the relocation is designed 10 facilitate access 10 minerals, primarily coal, underlying the disputed lands. Relocation is cwrently being accelerated by livestock seizures, fencing by government crews, a housing construction ban, and harassment of Navajos resisting relocation. Nnvajos who hove voluntarily moved to nearby cities have fallen victim 10 fradulent real estate deals and loansharking. (frotn Th e Workbook, Southwest Research & Information Center, P.O. Box 4524, Albuqucniue. NM 87106) Big Mountain suppon groups around th~. contin~nt continue to renew their effons to suppon the traditional Dine (Navajo) and Hopi peoples in their struggle against forced relocation from lheir homelands. Currently, a lawsuit is being filed which challenges the constitutionality of forced relocation by demonstrating the inseparable relationship between the land and the religious practices of the traditional Dine. All attorneys involv_ed a;e donating their services, but funding for offices, etc. is sull needed. Both the US House and US Senate arc planning to conduct field hearings this fall in the Joint Use Area (JUA) and Hopi Village Nations, concerning this issue. In the House, the commiuce which will be conducting the hearing will be the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. Three representatives from around the Katuah arc~ are on this committee: Clarke (NC); Darden (GA); and Lewis (GA). These hearings could possibly be an imponant way for ~c traditional Hopi and Dine voices to be heard. If you want to wntc to express your concerns, write: Rep_ _; US House; Washington, DC 20515. Although the Dine arc usually self-sufficient, government harassment in recent years has created a serious need for food, clothing, wool, and tools. A slide show "In Defense of Sacred Land" (30 min w/ tape) is available for sale ($65) or rent ($20/wk). It offers a close·up look at 1he traditional Dine cult~re at Big Mountain and features the complex reasons behind relocation and the people's acts of resistance. A video "The Wrong Side of the Fence" (VHS, 60 min) is also available for sale ($50) or rental ($20). For general information on Big Mountain and to make contributions, contact: Big Mounta i n Legal Defense/Offense Committee, 2029 N. Center St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (602) 774-5233 Prophecies The coming of great eanh changes ( canhquakes, upheaval, polar shifts, etc.) in this period of our canh history has been spoken of in the prophecies of many cultures including_ Hopi, Mayan, ~s wcli as Christian. In the Mayan tradition, this August, 1987 is regarded as an extremely significant time. In all the traditions. great emphasis is placed o~ the period lc_ading up !o these changes as an important ume for conscious cleanng a_nd hcaling... a rime for getting in _balance with the Earth an~ w11h oncsclf...a time to make a special effon to walk evenly With one anothcr...a time to acknowledge and live within the ways of the Great Spirit ... to remember the Great Mystery. Even now, Tunle Island and the whole planet is experiencing great stress. It is imponant that we listen keenly to what is occurring. Ho! KATUAH-page21 Green Politics "Throughous our country aNJ our region there is a deep Med /0 reclaim tht word 'politics'. Politics does /IOI hove 10 conjure up images of special illteresu. corporOle affiances aNJ short·range vi.sum. It can begin 10 mean self-gowrnance, day-kH/ay ciliunshipaNJ long-range understanding. Politics can begin 10 reflect and align itself with nature and tht Earth instead of actively defying it. Wt can begin to see pofilics.. .as if people mal/ered...as if tht biotic community mauered...as if tht Earth mO/ttred. from "Tht Politics of Participation" ~ Autumn, 1984 H Currently, there is a thrust towards a new/old dimension to politics...one that speaks to ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, and personal & social re5P0nsibility. It promotes regionally-based cultures as well as community-based economics. It encourages an envisioning of the present and the future, in terms of bioccntric sustainability. The movement here in North America and around the globe is called "Green Politics". In North America, both in Canada and the United States, the activity and focus is more regional and local rather than national. In the United States, though, there is a Committees of Correspondence Clearinghouse which serves as a national networking center for local and regional groups and individuals in the country. Groups around the continent are working on many levcls--some arc running local and regional candidates, others arc drafting political platforms, while others arc forming study groups, addressing specific environmental and economic issues, etc. This summer 1987, Building the G reco Movement will be the first open national meeting of the Greens in the US, and will take place July 2-7, 1987 in Amherst, Massachusetts. It will be an educational conference rather than a gathering to make decisions for the Green movement. Sponsored by the Committees of Correspondence, it is open to all Greens and activists in kindred movements. It will include plenary panels, workshops, and group discussions as well as music and celebration. For conference infonnarion and general inquiry: Na ti o n al C learinghouse, Comm i ttees of Correspondence, P.O. Box 30208, Kansas City, MO 64112 The ten key values which have been drafted by the Committees of Correspondence and are being discussed and stmtcgiz.ed by local Green groups around the country arc: *Ecological W isdom •Grassroots Democracy *PersonaJ & Social Responsibility •Nonviolence •Decentralization •Community-Based Economics •Postpatriarchal Values •Respect for Diversity *Global Responsibility *Future Focus & Sustainability Richard Harrison, from the Katiiah region, is planning to attend the national conference as well as assist in forming a regional ·11oca1 Green Discussion group . The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 22 at the Pack Library meeting room in Asheville, NC from 7:00 -9:00 pm. For more information: Richard Harrison, 183 Edgewood Road, Asheville. NC 28804 (704) 254-6910. Resource reading: Green Poli!ks. The G(obnl Promjss:, Capra and SprellUllc. Bear & Co, S:111t:1 Fe, NM, New cdir.ion t986; Secjo g Green; The Polj!jcs or Ecology Exp(pjncd. Porritt, J. Basil Blackwell, Inc. NY 1984 ; The Sojrilunl Dimcosjon or Green Po(il!cs, Spretnak. Bear & Co, 1986 ... periodicals: Green Lfllrr. ed. Jerry Gwnthney. P.O.Box 9242, Berkeley, CA 94709; New Options , ed. !'.tuk Satin. / P.O.Box 19324, Washington. DC 20036 Turrie Island is the native name for the continent of Norrh America. Summer 1987 �DRUMMING LETTERS TO KATUAH Following are portions of a letter sent to the editors of community papers in Georgia and Tennessee as well as to Katuah: Dear Editor, In order to keep my family off food stamps, I've had to leave my home in southwestern Virginia for the past three winters and set pine seedlings on clearcut National Forest land in the Southern Appalachians. We use an axe-like tool called a "hoedad" and get paid by the tree, so we hustle over mountainsides and through briars, bushes, and the tops of fallen trees. It is hard work, but the pay is good. The land we plant has usually been clearcut of any vegetation over three inches in diameter and then burned over so that when a planter looks up from planting the view in the distance is often like a picrure postcard, while the closeup Looks like a scene of nuclear devastation. At fll'St I thought that the government must make a lot of money doing this, but in truth it costs tire taxpayers a lot of171()ney to clearcut National Forest land! In the fll'St place, the timber or pulpwood is usually sold cheaply because of the remoteness of most National Forest land. Then there is the cost. both environmental and economic, of the roads that the Forest Service puts in to the site and the cost of a new gate and Ioele to keep the public out. Then there are the salaries of various people who mark the boundaries, bum the site, replant pines, people who oversee the people who replant pines, and often people to cut away or poison competing hardwoods a few years later. The cash from the timber sale only barely begins to pay the money price and could never pay the environmental price of the cuttings. Replacing the mixed hardwood forests with rows of pines reduces the food resources available for many animals. Cutting the hardwoods also reduces the brilliance of the fall colors in the mountains. The new pine forests are made of trees genetically similar to each other, which are more likely to fall prey to insects or disease before they are scheduled to be cut When this happens, the Forest Service sometimes sprays large areas with insecticides, and this has a large economic and ecological cost The Appalachians can never really compete in growing pulpwood with the deeper soil and warmer climare of the nearby Piedmont or the Coastal Plain, and in the misguided and federally-funded attempt to do this we will lose priceless mountain topsoil into our streams and lakes and also lose a lot of money. rm not advocating an immediate end to clearcutting, rather a slowing down to think it over and an end to automatically favoring pines over hardwoods. The policy of clearcutting was begun in a sincere attempt to help our local economies. 11 is certainly true that I need the money I make at my job. So let's invent some more wholesome employment for ourselves: - Perhaps we could pay people to replant ginseng on suitable mountain sides in the national forest. This could KATUAH-page 22 conceivably make more money than timber sales with vastly less environmental impact. Harvest could be by permit or by free foraging. This could greatly benefit all kinds of local people and even earn needed foreign eithange, as Appalachian ginseng is esteemed the world over as the very best. - Perhaps people could be employed seeking out the surviving American chestnut trees and helping them survive. Perhaps some of the new blight-resistant hybrids of American and Chinese chestnuts could be planted. - Perhaps the Forest Service could hire more people to extend and maintain hiking, bicycle, and horse trails. - Perhaps the Forest Service could help local people set up more efficient sawmills, solar kilns, and small woodworking industries to make better use of the hardwoods we do log. - Perhaps the Forest Service could establish small, local nurseries for treeS and shrubs that benefit local ecology and economy. - Perhaps the Forest Service could do more work educating itself and the people about the terrible realiiy of acid rain, which has already killed the trees on the tops of the highest peaks and is threatening the entire forest. - Perhaps the Forest Service could foster the development of a few small, viable, village communities within the National Forest which use local energy sources and are built to suict environmental standards to teach us how to live with the forest instead of off it, and offer the people wholesome alternatives to living in trailer parks at the bottoms of mountains or in cabins in beautiful bu1 lonely hollows. If any of these ideas seem far-fetched, remember that we could save taxpayers a lot of money by deciding 10 give the land back to the Cherokee Elders who, after all, did a very good job of land stewardship here for thousands of years and would probably take the job at no pay! The Forest Service is composed mostly of fine outdoor-loving men and women who hate the bureaucracy that siymies them more than any outsider possibly could. They have been caught between a rock and a hard pince with a charter that demands economic benefit of the local communiry, the reality of local timber economics, and the the basically similar needs of sponspeople, conserv:uioniStS. and tourists. Remember, only you can prevent runaway bureaucracy! The Forest Service was set up to nuke policy based on feedback from local people, and when we don't offer this feedback, we short-circuit a very good and idealistic system. Please write down your ideas about National Forest land use and send them to: Chief Forester, US Forest Service, USDA P.O. Box 2417 Washington, DC 20013 Help return the Forest Service to the service of the forest. Will Ashe Bason Check, VA Summer 1987 �Dear Katiiah, rocks only by shoring their silence ond solitude or e we invi ted into their deep time their woy of being before god whot they do they do well keep time w eor w eother guard secr et s mark the eorth whot we see them d o is nothing our senses ore too human their shopes t oo eternal t he life t hat flow s too hidden for all our owareness we have little understanding of how such life Is sacred so they fall split open sit p atiently until w e come ond hear the universe w i thin them groan Its sacred groon - Thom as Dal e Cowan Pho10 by Rob Messick This information is im~t! Can you include this, in pan, in the 'Solstice' issue of Katiiab? Please try to find room! (Excerpts from material senr in) The canh operates as a resonant function of the interface of two metaprograms, the solar and the galactic, whlch together comprise a single field. A resonant frequency phase shift (RFPS) is scheduled to occur August 16/17, 1987. The RFPS will alter the molecular resonance patterns of all living phenomena. By their plasmic nature, most biological fonns will be able to absorb this shift and adjust to the new frequency pat1ern. However, much that has been artificially constructed according to stress specifications not accounting for RFPS may well be disintegrated. In prepara.tion for Phase Shift '87, it is important to reactivate spirit guides and human-to-human bonding programs; to reactivate biopsychic maintenance of planet nodes and crystal gridwoik so that new frequency imprinting can be received by the earth itself in order to activate and monitor the new phase. This is to be accomplished by groups of people in common attunement attending to all planetary nodes-power points, shrines, sacred sites; to alert people by whatever skillful means possible concerning what is about to occur. Ultimately this means the evacuation of the cities. since their artificial structures will be largely destroyed Therefore, plan a crusade--a phase shift crossing--that is a completely hannonic operation, one that can synthesize the old frequency into the new. The Crusade should be in motion by Summer Solstice, 1986. (transmission) 1987-- 144,000 Sun Dance enlightened teachers will totally awaken in their dream mind bodies. They will begin to meet in their own feathered serpent or winged seipent wheels and become a major source of the light to help the rest of humanity to dance their dream awake. A Sun Dance teacher is any human being who has awakened, who has balanced their shields, who has gained the dream mindbody and who honors all paths, all teachers, and all ways. (from Prophecies of lntenribal Medicine Societies of Native American Indians) Beginning at Dawn everywhere on the canh on Sunday, August 16, 1987, 144,000 humans arc being called upon to create a complete field of trust by surrendering themselves to the planet and to the hlgher galactic intelligences which monitor the planet At that time and continuing through Monday, August 17, the higher galactic intelligences will be transmitting a collective planetary vision as well as messages of personal destiny to and through these people, the rainbow humans. (Open letter) Harmonic Convergence: World Harmony Days Aug 16-17, 1987 Join in the Celebration of Harmonic Convergence, a conscious bonding of people to support an evolutionary shift from separation to unity and from fear to love. World Harmony Days include celebrations at local, regional and international levels which will focus healing energies to the earth. At the core, 144,000 people will gather at sunrise on Aug 16 at sacred sites around the globe. They will join at these Earth "acupuncture points" to create a resonating link between Universal Energies and the Earth. For info: Harmonic Convergence, P.O. Box 6111, Boulder, CO 80306 (303) 443-4328. Anonymous DRUMMING -conlinuedpage24 KATUAH- page 23 Sammer 1987 �Dear Follc- 1 really enjoyed the latest issue of KatUah. Il continues to give me great joy to think of the time, energy, spirit, and blood that is cycled through each issue. It is a great labor oflove and work. I liked the "Coverlets" anicle a great deal. I learned much. But the letters on "More Wilderness" in the "Drumming" section seemed to me to be shon-sighted. Sometimes I am confused by what most people think of as being a "whole system", since the word as it is commonly only used often seems to have little to do with the world of good science. (I'm ralkjng about responsive scientists who care about the land, and there are more than a few out there.) I wonder if those writers have any idea how complex a proposal it is to suggest that cougars could once again roam "the wild areas of the Appalachian Region"? Let them take a trip to south Florida and take a look at how hard it is to support a couple of dozen cougars in an area as large as .illl of western North Carolina! Who knows how common cougars were in this area? They are primarily "big package" predators by preference, which would suggest that white-tailed deer would be a major food source. The scat of healthy cougar cats consists of 90% "big packages" and 10% small game. So maybe to establish a Fe/is concolor population in Katuab, we should put them in Cades Cove instead of in a "wilderness area". Like Henry Thoreau, I feel now is the time to stop building castles in the air and start putting in a few foundations. I'd as soon see us use our energy to create a "working community" of people, plants, animals, land, and life in the Appalachians with what we have now. We already have a wonderful predator moving into our area: lhe coyote. What"s wrong with a few coyotes? I would suggest that people who care about the wildlife in our area go out with a good .410 shotgun and kill every feral housccat in the region. These "wild" cats take a huge toll on songbirds and small mammals. John Lane , fKJl iffl)J~(}={f !NJ!ElfWO!RlK ~fPJflOfli1@~ ffrr©m @~qfhl@rrnfli1@Jrq Over 125 adults and children gathered at the Pepperland Farm Camp in Farner, TN for the Katiiah Spring Gathering. It would take quite a while to describe in depth the things we learned, the experiences we shared, and the spirit we felt there. But we can say that, there, the beginnings were set to help the Katuah bioregional organization grow and become more firmly rooted in our daily lives and in our local communities. A network of local contact people is developing... to help nurture a bioregional vision in their communities, to help bring the Katiiah journal to more people, to encourage more local input into the journal, to pass around the word about events and actions, and to sponsor bioregional speakers and events in their local communities. Write to the Katiiah journal to find out what being a local contact per son means. Volunteer, if you can. People are also coming together into " speci fic interest" groups to discuss particular areas of bioregional life and culture. The emphasis is on educatin g themselves as to the most a ppropriate strategies for living in the mountains. It includes keeping up with news, events, and new developments in that particular interest area as well as lively discussions of how it relates to this r egion. Hopefull y, it will also mean submitting articles on that topic so that each aspect of mountain life is represented in the Katuab journal. to "Specific interest " topics include: Forestry and Wildlife, Agriculture and Regional Diet, Water, Sustainable Economics, Healing, Education/Personal Growth, Communities, Ene rg y, Spirituality, Bioregional Theory, Regional Politics, and Shelter. Luke Staengl of Floyd County, Virginia agreed to coordinate a Katuah regional phone tree to be used as a networking tool for issues that require immediate attention such as environmental defense issues, legislative action, and other special events. Luke emphasized that when an issue comes up locally and yet receives regional attention and response, it is much more likely to be taken seriously. He encourages all of us to make use of this kind of networking. Already, there are over 70 names on the phone tree list. Some people have agreed to simply receive a phone call and act on it (write a letter, etc.). Others have volunteered to call others in their community, as well. If you would like to participate in this important regional phone tree send name, add ress, phone number to: Luke Stacngl, Rt.3, Box 120·2, Floyd, VA 24091. KA11JAH - page 24 Write to the Katiiah journal if you have an interest you would like to discuss with other people in the region or if you would like to participate in this budding regional network in some way: Katiiah , P.O.Box 638, Leicester, NC 28748 Summer 1987 �TRANSITION The hawk flies over me and up it sings silently soaring; "Spring!" I have died from lack of flight from lack of green it grows. I see the new and turn my head the old has clasped my soul strength welling up and tears that are not wet but fall like acid rain, scorching emotions and stunting growth. The hawk flies over me and east. I turn to see what it sees - taking on the sorrows all around and shaking and testing my new wings I cannot fly yet. I turn east, thirst overcoming, I long for water. Mirages appear in front of me and I think I have found what I am looking for but it is not water in my mouth, it is stars. The hawk flies over me and up singing, silently soaring, springing from ashes and into lightning. I am becoming light free as the clouds, soaring..... I am learning to love with the intensity of fire. Hawk, energy condensed, shadow threatening those like me who laugh and put if off. Shadow comforting those like me who cry, and my tears are sizzling like hot oil on the water of transition. Wustration by Misha Wilson - Mara Bradburn LESSONS IN PEACE Young Pe op I e's Page Wanted: a world of peace. I say peace - easily, freely, the word stems out and perhaps is used too often. Wanted: Peace. I crave it. Freely. I create it. Sometimes. Peace is when my anger turns back on itself and cries for wisdom. When anger thinks logically and knows it's not worth it. Anger, mushrooming, exploding in my body, turning, facing, understanding ..... Wanted: A peaceful world. The earth is crying. Peace is when my sorrow grows into the trees the leaves absorb it and say; :"rejoicer· When sorrow is channelled the tears become song Peace is when I ache but I walk, singing, in the woods anyway. Wanted: Peace. I say peace as if I know what it means. But when I listen, instead of talking, Peace says that no one knows. No one. Peace is when my resentment lets loose its harsh ties and becomes forgiveness. Wanted: a world of peace. I dance. I talk. I laugh. I act. I create. Peace is when you're doing everything you can and the only one listening Is Peace. - Mara Bradbu, KATUAH- page 25 Summer 1987 �f't't~'t'f'f't'f'ft'tf't'f'ft'f't't'f't events ~:::~::r~JUNE 9-8/16 ASHEVILLE, NC 19-21 CULLOWHEE, NC Appalachian Writers' Association meeting. Contact: Jim Nicholl; Dept. of English; Western Carolina University; Cullowhee, NC 28723 21 SUMMER SOLSTICE Local gatherings everywhere! 21-27 BRASSTOWN, NC Music/Craft Week. Contact: John C. Campbell Follc School; Brasstown, NC 28902 (704) 837-2775 JULY 1-7 G R AHAM COUNTY, NC Continental Rainbow Family Gathering. For information, contact: Rainbow Family of Living Light Box 1097 Newpon, TN 37821 Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. For ticket info., write: The Follctellers, P.O. Box 2898; Asheville, NC 28802 10 CELO, NC Full Moon Gathering. Mount.ain Gardens, 6/24. See 11 HIGHLANDS, NC "Nantahala Week". Education, exploration, raft trip. Contac1: The Mountain Retreat Center; 841 Highway 106; Highlands, NC 28741 (704) 526-5838 21-27 23-24 SWANNANOA, NC Second Annual North Carolina Alternative Earmin& Fjeld Days. Workshops: Marketing Green Manure Crops Spccialiry Crops Grceobousc Management Tools..... more. Exhibits, demonscrations. At Warren Wilson College campus. Contact: Dr. Greg Hoyt; Mountain Horticultural Oops Rescareh Station; 2016 Fanning Bridge Rd.; Fletcher, NC 28732 2-7 AMHERST, MA "National Conference for a New (Green) Politics" - workshops, strategy, principles. Write: New England Committees of Correspondence; P.O. Box 703; White River Jct., VT 05001 3-5 WAYNESVILLE, NC "The Bliss of Freedom" meditation retreat. Stil-Light Theosophical Rc1rcat Center; Rt. 1, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 28786 11 ROAN MOUNTAIN Roan Mountain Day Hike. See Nature Conservancy, 6111 11-12 LINVILLE, NC The Highland Games. Scottish piping, dancing, Highland athletics ("tossing the caber", "putting the sheath", more). $7.00. McRae Meadows (US 221 two miles north of Linville, NC) 13-18 ~",r ,-....,.,..-, CELO, NC "Building and Planting Stone Walls" workshop. Joe Hollis; c/o Mountain Gardens; 3020 White Oak Creek Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714 24 ~" ,£~ HOT SPRINGS, NC A Rinzai Zen Retreat. Contact: Southern Dhanna Retreat Center; Rt 1, Box 34-H; Hot Springs, NC 28743 24-28 MARSHALL, NC Timber Framing Workshop. Contact: Country Workshops; 90 Mill Occk Rd.; Marshall, NC 28753 (704) 656-2280 15 CELO, NC "Building and Planting Stone Walls". Mountain Gardens, sec 6/24. GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. "Mosses and Related Plants". Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6127-28. 18-19 22 27 BAT CAVE, NC Day bike. Contact: NC Nature Conservancy; P.O. Box 805; Chapel Hill, NC 27514 CELO, NC "Art in the Gnrden" - drawing and painting class. Saturdays through 8/1. Rhea Rose Ormond; Mountain Gardens, see 6/24. 3-12 HOT SPRINGS, NC " Breathing and Meditation". Southern Dharma, see 6124-28. ASHEVILLE, NC Formative meeting for Green Politics Discussion Group. 7:00, Pack Library. Contact:. Richard Harrison; 183 Edgewood Rd.; Asheville, NC 28804 (704) 254-6910 5-11 27 T ROUTVILLE, VA "When Modem Medicine Fails What Then?" Exploring alternatives. Rainbow Chapel; Rt. 4, Box 87-A; Troutville, VA 24175 GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. "Research on Wild Mammals of the Great Smokies" workshop with Dr. Michael Pelton. Smoky Mountain Field School; Dep't. of Non-Credit Programs; 2016 Lake Ave.; Knoxville, TN 37996 CULLOWHEE, NC "Landscaping with Native Plants" seminar. Contact: Jim Honon; Dept. of Biology; Cullowhec, NC 28723 (704) 227-7244 BRASSTOWN, NC Black smithing Summer Craft Session. JCC Folk School, sec 6/21-27. 25 HIGHLANDS, NC "Folks, Lore, and Truth". Sec The Mountain, 6/21-27. 23-25 5-18 BLUFF MOUNTAIN, NC Day hike. Nature Conservancy, sec 6/27. 27-28 8 CELO, NC "Dancing on the Deck" - morning and evening dance classes. Wednesdays through August 12. Rhea Rose Ormond; Mountain Gnrdens, see 6/24. MARSHALL, NC Ladder-back Chairmaking Workshop. Country Workshops, see 7/13-18 27-31 f't't'f'f'f'f'f't't'f'tf't't't't't~'t't't KATUAH - page 26 Summer 1987 �AUGUST 1-2 GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. "Mushroom Identification" weekend and "Big Game Observation" backpacking trip. Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6/27-28. 2-15 CELO, NC Full Moon Gathering. Mountain Gardens, see 6/24 9-14 GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. 19 "Forests and Trees of the Smokies". Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6/27-28. 23-30 WA YNES VILLE, NC "What is Theosophy? " seminar/retreat. Stil-Light, see 7/3-5. 19-20 GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. "Research on Wild Mammals of the Great Smokies" with Dr. Michael Pelton. Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6/27-28. 24-28 MARSHALL, NC White Oak Basketry Workshop. Country Workshops, see 7/13-18. HOT SPRINGS, NC "Vipassana and Hatha Yoga". Southern Dhmna, see 6/24-28. 8 NORTH WEBSTER, IN "The North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology". Write c/o P.O. Box 14305; San Francisco, CA 94114 BRASSTOWN, NC Blacksmithing, Knife Making courses. JCC Folk School, see 6/21-27. 7-14 19-22 26-30 HOT SPRINGS, NC "Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation Retreat" . Southern Dharma, see 6/24-28. 29-9/4 BRASSTOWN, NC "Eanhworks" (Fiber and Clay Week). JCC Folk School, see 6/21-27. MARSHALL, NC 20-26 BRASSTOWN, NC Blacksmithing and Early American Crafts. JCC Folk School, see 6/21-27. 25-27 WA YNES VILLE, NC "An Introduction to Spiritual Astrology". Stil-Light, see 7/3-5. 29 ASHEVILLE, NC "Is There a Future for the Black Bear in the Southern Appalachians?" conference. $5.00. 9 am - 6 pm.Owen Conference Center; UNC-Asheville. See ad this page. Windsor Chairmaking Workshop. Country Workshops, see 7/13-18. 10-15 FARNER, TN "Backpacking Adventure" (ages 11-18); tracking, foraging, primitive camping with Snow Bear. Pepperland Fann Camp; Star Route; Farner, 1N 37333 "IS THERE A FUTURE FOR THE BLACK BEAR IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS?" SEPTEMBER 3-7 FARNER, TN "Touching the Earth Mother". Retreat with Shahabuddin Less. See 8/10-15. ~~~tt RECLAIM YOUR P£RSONAl POWER AT A NUA1\JRING MCM.NTAIN RETFtEAT °""""" - AUGUST17-23 $285 am. U 81Y OUT\.AW, UIT, MICHAEL.A&CHMlOT CHR1$TIHE 9YRD. C.H.C.. HERBALIST PAM MONTGOMERY, 4-7 BRASSTOWN, NC Labor Day Music and Dance Weekend. JCC Folk School, see 6/21-27. CAROLYN MOOR£, INOIAN VAUEY RETREAT 6 CELO, NC Ill 2 eox sa. WI.US, VA. 24390 fnl3l .,...295 PleMt tMJ.11• 04/I bfocAn ICW oet.MI Full Moon Gathering. Mountain Gardens, see 6/24. 14-16 ELKINS, WV Augusta Folk Festival. Augusta Heritage Center; Davis and Elkins College; 100 Sycamore St.; Elkins, WV 26241 11-13 GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. "Spiders of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park". Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6127-28. 16 GREAT SMOKY MT'NS. "Summer Wildflowers of the Great Smokies". Smoky Mountain Field School, see 6/27-28. 16 HARMONIC CONVERGENCE Join with others at sunrise and share your vision of world peace and harmony. 16-19 HIGHLANDS, NC "Dare to Explore". Rock climbing, whitewater canoeing, hiking. The Mountain, see 6/21-27. Issues Facing the Black Bear and Mountain Habitat Its TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1987 Owen Conference Center, UNC-Asheville 11-13 WAYNESVILLE, NC "Henry David Thoreau and the Tao of Simplicity" seminar at Stil-Light. See 7/3-5. 16 CELO, NC "Dividing Perennials and Making a Flower Garden" workshop. Mountain Gardens, see 6/24. 18-20 ASHEVILLE, NC New Priorities Conference on Peace, Social Justice, and the Environment. Contact: The New Priorities Center; 54 Starnes Ave.; Asheville, NC 28801 Invited Speakers Include: Dr. Michael Pelton (University of Tennessee) Dr. Roger Powell (NC State University) Ms. Lauren Hillman (US Forest Service) Dr. John Collins (NC Wildlife Resources Comm.) Jim Noles (NC Bearhunters' Ass'n.) Admission: $5.00 Sponsored by: Dept. of Environmental Studies, UNC-A Bear Action Networlt Kal(iah �gets a chance to speak. They talk about things they are feeling, experiences of that day, or whatever they want to speak about The simple ritual of passing the feather puts a lot of meaning into that little gathering. It makes it ceremonial, and I find the Jcids often talk of very deep things that are on their minds. Again, it's the power of the mythic that seems to bring out people's deeper selves. We always try to have a fire in the evenings when we're traveling . It's not just for the practical necessity of cooking our foocl. nor only because the fire is a center for the group circle, but we make a fire because it is in itself such a basic, important element that I want to invite it into our circle and introduce the Jcids to it. And fire is a teacher. In mythic tenns it says to us very starkJy, "That which would give light must endure burning." ~: Besides the external recognition, there is also an initiation that happens within the adolescent at this time of change. These private initiations are perhaps the most important Do you run into examples of these at the camp? Helen: Kids want to be heroes and heroines. They will do a lot to achieve a victory. And they want to be good grown-ops, so they will respond to a challenge to prove themselves. Kayaking and rock-climbing provide a different type of challenge. Rather than testing endurance and encouraging a reflective, meditative state, they bring the campers very much into the immediate moment They have to extend tlleir senses and concentrate on putting all their energies 10 the task at always some point where they have to meet that fear and overcome it to be able to continue. At that crisis point there is a sudden sensation of becoming very calm and objective. As the Hopi Indians say, "The soul comes out of the top of the head" through the fontanelle and looks down on the body clinging there with a single, perfectly clear eye that transcends all fear or questioning. Kat\Jah: So these experiences actually coun that fear to generate energy for an initiatory experience. Helen: They inevitably do that, but they also demand total physical exertion which often exceeds what the camper believed to be his or her physical limits. The world is perceived very clearly when one is hanging on to a finger-hold crevice, and a single climb can shift the terms in which a young person defines his or her identity, creating a new acceptance of self. And all these elements together add up in some way to a spiritual connection with the God force, which, while it is not readily defineable, is the strongest source of personal power. Bot we don't have to seeJc these situations out. They are a naturally-occuuing part of camp life. One time I was with a group of the younger campers. The thing we were going to do that period was to climb trecS. They all started going up, except for a mentally disturbed boy named Jimmy. He was standing on the ground malcing climbing motions with his hands, ~oing "Uh, uh, uh," like a monkey. I thtnk it's very important for the kids that, once we say we're going to do something, we do it. I realized that this was an important moment for him; it was very imponant that he at least got to the first branch. So I called the other Jcids around. Some of them were already way op in the tops of the trees, but they all gathered around, and we talked about this. We made it a group project. Jimmy didn't mind the group talking about his problem, in fact I find that the kids seldom mind having the others talk about them in the circle. We talked about it, and then with a lot of reaching, hoisting, and encouragement, Jimmy made it up into the tree. It was a group effon, but it was also a personal victory for him. hand. 11 The river is a good teacher of humility, because in a kayak, the ldds have to recognize and use that force. 11 Groups go k.ayalcing in the fast rapids in several of the mountain rivers. On the water, the kids have to concentrate on their movements, their techniques, while always being aware of the rapids coming up ahead. They have to be constantly sensitive to the river. It's an immense, strong force. The river is a good teacher of humility, because in a kayak, the kids have to recognize and use that force. TI1ey have to flow with it, if they're going to avoid being thrown under. Rock-<:limbing is another challenging activity that tests the kids' abilities. When they're pulling themselves up the side of a cliff, the campers have 10 rely on their own strength and have to watch their own motions in the same way as on the river. They have to control their fear, so their body can be completely relaxed, and they can continue 10 climb. There's KATUAH - page 28 These experiences come up, bot for them to have a positive effect, there must be a teacher present who can interpret and resolve them. "Education" in its Latin beginnings derived from educatus, part of the verb educare, "to bring fonh from within". Education does not mean to superimpose knowledge that belongs to others on top of the initiate. It means to bring out the eternal truths that lie hidden in every relationship. So there must be relationship and it must be experiemial. Now that's a school! ,, - Recorded by DIV Summer 1987 �w€BWO~ ENVlRONME.NTAL IN'raRNSHIPS available at Long Branch Environmental Education Center in pcnnaculllR. wildlife ad'JOCIC)', 80lid and ha%ardous waste issues, appropriate technology. Room and board. Coruacc Paul and Pal Gallimore; RL 2, Box 132; Leicester, NC 28748 (704) 683-3662 ORGANlC FERTILIZERS, herbs, and organically-grown, local produce at the WNC Farmers' MJutetl Look for the Fa.irglen Farms stall, uniis F and G in the wholesale area of the Farmcn' Market: 570 Brevard Rd.; Asheville, NC (704) 252-4414 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER, cenified, creative, self-motivated, and organized needed at Valley School, a parent-governed alternative school in Monongahela National Forest, WV. Resume, refeicnces to: Teri KulSko; I Kirk St.; Elkins, WV 26241(304)636-2979 THE APPALACHIAN HERB NEWSLETTER: exploring the potenlial for herbs as cash crops in Appalachia. Subscriptions $12/yr.. Write: A!)J)a!acbjan Herb Newslcttcr - ASPI; RL 5, Box 423; Livings100, KY 40445 acres near Boone, NC sccting families with SIJ'Ol1g visions and resources to manifest a peaceful place for our children to grow in love and to survive the corning of the new age. Paul and Susan Del Rios; RL 2, Box 314; Vilas, NC 28692 (704) 297-4937 LAND TRUST in the forming on 57 PURE HONEY - unhealed and unfiltered. Poplar, locust, and sourwood. One of nature's blessings! Price and ordering info from Jimmy Holladay, the Beekeeper; P.O. Box 908; Black Mt'n., NC 28711 (704) 669-9788 INDIAN VALLEY RETREAT- 140 llC(CS in Blue Ridge mountains with facilities available to rent for groups or individual retreats, either guided or unstructured. Send for information and seasonal calendar of healing, transformative evenis to: Indian Valley Holistic Center; RL 2, Box 58; Willis, VA 24380. "AS WE ARE" - Women's music by Pomegranate Rose, a four-woman group playing lively original music. Casseue tape available for $9.00 ppd. from RL 2, Box 435; Pittsboro, NC 27312 A Bil.L is under consideration in the NC legislawre that would affect lhe future of homeschooling in the state. For info, call: Candy Boehm (704) 667-8826 or Tricia Sommerville (704) 658-0809 Tiffi CENTER FOR NEW PRIORITIES - now open, in Asheville, NC, for all groups dedicated to wort:ing towards genuine, life-oricnl.cd, change for lhe community. Office space, small meeting space, and ltitchen facmties are available. For more information, call (704) 254-4714 or write the Center, 54 Starnes Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801. The Cenier appreciates donations, large or small, to help with iis upkeep and activities. PEPPERLAND FARM CAMP - a unique summer camp experience for chi.ldrcn 6-16 years. AdvenlWI: trips, riding, Indian lore, swimming, more. Delicious vegetarian meals - special diets accomodated. Also seeking counselors and slllff. For info: Pepperland Fann Camp; Star Route; Farner, TN 37333 (704) 494-2353 WINGED HEART HOMESTEAD - 283 ICl'CS in Indian Valley district, SW Virginia. On this Cann we want IO start a self-reliant community of families emphasizing organic farming melbods and creative personal and spiritual growth. Contaet: Muzawir; RL HC-67, Box 171: Alum Ridge, VA 24051. APPRENTICESHIPS • offered in large, organic, m3Jket garden business and home subsistence/ preservation garden. Gardeners have eight years experience teaching organic, biodynamic-French intensive, labor intensive gardening. Housing. Contact: Bob and Sandy Gow; Rt. 2, Box SI; Zionvillc, NC 28698. {919) 385-6606. CLINCH RIVER EDUCATIONAL CENTER offers counseling for individuals, couples, groups. Also classes in personal growth and body awareness. P.O. Box 993; Abingdon, VA 24210. FARM FOR SALE - 43 acres, Calhoun Cty. WV; 5 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 &: Carol Freeman, (704) FLOWER ESSENCES - Harmony with Nature &: SpiriL Gentle emotiortal support during transitions, specific issues, relationships. Opens communications. Self-adjusting, non-toxic, awareness "tools" for improving the ionCl quality. Correspondence to: Elaine Geouge, c/o Patchwork Castle, Celo, 3931 HWY 80 So., BumsvWe, NC 28714 At ARTHUR MORGAN SCHOOL 24 studenlS and 264-5726. $30,000. KA11JAH - page 29 SOCK-A-DOOZ PUPPET PETS - Walk 'cm, talk 'em, make 'cm Oy. Wag their tails, you can try. They will love you, hug you if you're blue. Now PUPPET PETS can be your friends too. Handcrafted by Bonnie Blue; 78 1(2 Patton Ave. (#10): Asheville, NC 28801 "CELEBRATION SPACE: Songs to Celebrate Life" - A casset.te tape completely produced, performed, and recorded by members and friends or lhe Floyd County community to raise money for the Floyd County Community Hall. This audio songbook contains 15 original songs and chants and 3 traditional songs to learn and sing in your own community. The sound quality is uneven, but the c:ncrgy. spirit, and joy shine through. For the cassette 1ape with lyric sheet (ppd.), send $10.00 to the Floyd County Communi1y Hall Projca; RL 1, Box 735; Floyd, VA 24091. CREEKSIDE PRESS - Assistance for authors and poctS in editing, computer scrvices, and submitting manuscripts for publication. Lori Ward Hamm; P.O. Box 331; Abingdon, VA 24210. PARM WANTED - young family seeks owner-financed, low down payment (SSOO or less) small acreage (10 acres or less) in the N.C. mountains for home, gardens, fruit tree, and peace. Also, we would appreciate info on jobs and/or job offers in the area. We are young, hard-working and dependable. Please write Mr. &. Mrs. Jorge Velazquez: 174 Countrywood, Cleveland, TX 77327. ARCHITECTURAL ADVlCE AND DESIGN: Adam C.ohen; RL 2. Box 217; Check, VA 24072 14 staff learn together by living in community. Curriculum includes creative academics, group decision-making, a work program, service projccis, extensive field trips, challenging outdoor experiences. Write: 1901 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714. Shell gorget llJlelJ1hod 11 IM Orcat MoWld. ScvieiviUe. TN WEBWORKING continued next page Summer 1987 �WEBWORKING cootinucd ASTROLOGICAL CHART S. 7-page interpretations of planets in signs and houses with planetary aspects. Easy to read. Great gift for the newly-born. Send SIS, name, date. time, and place of birth to TouchslOOe; Rt. 2, Box 314-K; Vilas, NC 28692 OAK LEAF WORKS - hand-crafted futon mauresses, zabolOO noor cushions, yogamats, and buckwheat bull pillows; SUllldard & custom sius available, to suit your needs. Write or call for our free brochwe: Oak Leaf Works; Star Route, Box 43; Floyd, VA 24()1)1; (703) 763-2373. DA YSTAR ASTROLOGICAL SERVICE - niual, transit, comparison charts. Very accurate. Only $3.00 each. Chris and Will Bason; Rt. 2, Box 217; Check, VA 24072 (703) 651-3492 ROSE AROMATICS - cssentiai oils have been healing body, mind, spirit, since ancient EgypL A most pleasant therapy! Dabney Rose; 108 Church Rd.; Asheville, NC 28804 (704)2S4-9SS I WEBWORKING Is free. Send submissions to: Ka1W MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS - herbal salves, tinctures, & oils for bitthing & family health. For brochwe., please wrire: Moon Dance Farm; RL l, Box 726; Hampton, TN 376S8 P.O. Box638 Leicester, NC Katliah \ Province 28748 SCOTT BIRD GREG BLACK (704) 683-1414 683-4795 Mebtcltte of tne farlfJ ~Spirit Ul.TIIAVIOLET PUAlflCATIOH AHO ALTElllMG SYSTEMS cus~m beabeb nystal MCklaces SOLAR PRODUCT'S · WATER AHALVSIS RANDA~ C. 704-~5912 LANIER _.._.. ~ 131 r.,_ -..,..,, 1111. - l l o. N C. 2*4 . HWY. 107 RT. 88 BOX 125 CULLOWHEE, NC 28723 (1041 291-103' Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic NaturaJ Food Store & Deli 160 BroadWay Asheville, NC 28801 MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE/ CAFE BOOKS - 342 Merrimon Avenue Asheville, NC (704) 258-9016 CARDS - OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday-Saturday: 9am·8pm Sunday: 1pm-5pm RECORDS 61 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 253-7656 (704) 254-0134 'Jlja!?~ 'J\!1~1 BOBCAT l'ruvoJ1na PttM>nol ~<Vt« Fllloni Book Nttds In Spcclahzecl Fle!Js 704-264-5866 'Nat!lr<\ls y,.., T-SHIRT SHORT SLEEVE T: $10.00 ppd. Colors: Ecru, White, Sliver, Seafoam (It. green) Tea/ LONG SLEEVE T: $14.00 ppd. (Include• Paw Print on Sleeve) Colors: Ecru, Sliver, Tea/, White Satisfaction assured or return for full refund. PleaH Indicate size, color, sleeve length, quantity. B ~)OkD Q""' Thin(s L, .. . GARY HEMSO'TH 8ooludrr IN ADULT SIZES S,M,L,XL We a/so have a /In• of aweanhlrts and kid• T-Shlrta Boone Bel&bts Sbopploc Centu Boone, North CaroUna 28607 t-----------------t FRIEDMAN & Introducing the BOBCAT This full color design Is hand-screened on T-SHIRTS OF 100% PRESHRUNK COTTON KAlUAH - page 30 Where Broadway mMts Merrlmon Ave & 1-240 8 DESIGN, INC. ENUGY SYSTEMS THAT />AY FOR THEAISELVF..'i I ..- - ~-- -,.. -.., ~-=..,.,ca=-=-.,:-:.=-.-=-= - -=::-::....,..==. l(AWI~- P O llOXlll7 OIUS80AO. H C 21125 Summer 1987 �Kmflal1 wants to communicate your thoughts a11d feeli11gs 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: K.atiJ11.b; Box 638; Leicester, NC; Ka!Uah Province 28748. For fall, Katflah is looking for facts.feelings, and amazing tales about Yonah, the black bear, totem spirit of the Southern Appalachians. In the winter issue, the focus will be on "Sheller". Please send drawings, designs, thoughts, or ideas on what is appropriate she/1.:r in the mountains. Medfclnt" ;illfes BACK ISSUES ISSUE NINE - FALL 1985 The Waldee Forest - The Trees Spealc Migrating Forests - Horse Logging Starting a Tree Crop · Urban Trees Acom Bread - Mylll 'Time ISSUE 1WO- WINTER 1983-84 Yona - Bear Hunters - Pigeon River Another Way With Animals - Alma Becoming PoliticaJly Effective Mountain Woodlands - Katiiah Under the Drill- Spiritual Warriors full color ISSUE TEN - WIN11'ER 1985-86 Kate Rogers - Circles of Stone : Internal Mythmalting - Holistic Healing OD Trial Poems: Steve Knaulh - Mythic Places The Uktena's Tale. - Crystal Magic "Dreamspcaking" ISSUE THREE - SPRING 1984 Sustainable Agriculture - Sunflowers Human Impact on the Forest - Childrens' Education - Veronica N"icholas:Woman in Politics - Lillle People - Medicine Allies T- s&frts In the traditional Cherokee Indian belief, the creatures in the world today are only diminuitive 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 arc called with reverence "grandfathers". And of them, the strongest are Kanati, the lightning, the power of the sky; Utsa'nati, the raulesnake, who personifies the power of the earth plane; and Yunwi Usdi, "the little man", as ginseng is called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws up power &om the underworld. Each is the strongest power in its own domain. Together they are allies: their energies compliment each ocher to form an even greater power. As medicine allies, they represent the healing powers of the Appalachian Mountains. The medicine powers of Katuah have been depicted in a striking T-shirt design by Ibby Kenna. Printed in 5-color silkscreen by Ridgerunner Naturals on top quality, all-cotton shirts, they are available now in all adult sizes from the Katfiah 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 balance here in the mountains of Katuah." To order, use the form below. ISSUE ELEVEN - SPRING 1986 Community Planning - Cities and the Bioregional Vision - Recycling Community Gardening- Floyd County, VA - Gasohol - Two Bioregional Views Nuclear Supplement - Foxfire Games -Oood Medicine: Visions ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 1984 Water Drum - Water Quality - Kudzu Solar Eclipse - Clearcuuing - Trout Going to Water - Ram Pumps Mierohydro- Poems: Bennie Lee Sinclair, Jim Wayne Miller ISSUE FIVE- FALL 1984 Harvest - Old Ways in Cheroltee Ginseng - Nuclear Waste - Our Celtic Heritage - Bioregionalism: Past, Present, and Future - John Wilnoty - Healing Darltness - Politics of Participation ISSUE THIRTEEN - Fall 1986 Center For Awakening· Elizabeth Callari - A Gentle Death - Ro.spice - Ernest Morgan - Dealing Creatively with Death Home Burial Box - The Walce - The Raven. Moelter - Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom ·Good Medicine: The Sweat Lodge ISSUE SIX - WIN'IBR 1984-85 Winter Solstice Earth Ceremony Horsepasture River - Coming of the Light - Log Cabin Roots - Mountain Agriculwre: The Right Crop • WilJiam Taylor - The Future of the Forest ISSUE FOURTEEN • Winter 1986-87 Lloyd Carl Owle - Boogers and Mummers - All Species Day - Cabin Fever University - Homeless in Katuah Hommade Hot Water - Stovemaker's Narrative - Good Medicine: Interspecies Communication ISSUE SEVEN - SPRING 1985 Sustainable Economics - Hot Springs WOTker Ownership-The Great Economy Self Help Credit Un.ion - Wild Turkey Responsible Investing - Worlting in the Web of Life ISSUE FIFTEEN - Spring 1987 Coverlets - Woman Forester - Susie McM.ahan: Midwife - Alternative Contraception - Biosexuality Bioregionalism and Women - Good Medicine: Mauiarchical CullUl'e - "Pead" JSSUE EIGHT - SUMMER 1985 Celebration: A Way of Life - Katiiah 18,000 Years Ago - Sacred Sites - Polit Ans in the Schools - Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle Poems: Hilda Downer - Cherokee Hcriiage Center - Who Owns Appalachia? Celebration KAWAH: Bjoreruonal Journal of the Southern Appalachians Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748 Regular Membership........$10/yr. Sponsor..........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Name Address City Area Code K.AWAH- page 31 Enclosed is $ to give this ejfort an extra boost State Phone Number Zip I can be a local contact person for my area Back Issues Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.00 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.00 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.00 = $_ _ Complete Set (2-11, 13-15) @ $19.00 = $_ _ T-Shirts: specify quantity color: tan S_ _ M_ _ L_ _ XL_ _ @ $9.50 each............$_ TOTAL PRICE= postage paid _ $_ _ Summer 1987 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource 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 16, Summer 1987 Description An account of the resource The sixteenth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on the initiations and rituals surrounding the coming of age and the maturation of young people. Authors and artists in this issue include Tata Andres, Snow Bear, Patrick Clark, Maggie Schneider, Rob Messick, Burt Kornegay, Stephaen Delor, Didier Cuzange, David Wheeler, Curry Morris, Doug Silsbee, John Lane, Clyde Osborne, Will Ashe Bason, Michael Hockaday, Nancy Barnhardt, Thomas Dale Cowan, and Mara Bradburn. 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. Interview: Helen Waite.......3 Poem: "Visions in a Garden".......5 The Vision Quest.......6 First Flow.......8 Thoughts on Initiation.......9 Archetypes of Male Initiation.......9 Learning in the Wilderness.......12 Cherokee Challenge.......15 Natural World News.......16 View from the Corners: "Valuing Trees".......19 Turtle Island Talking.......20 Young People's Page.......25 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 Puberty rites Outdoor Education--North Carolina, Western Camps--North Carolina, Western Youth development--North Carolina, Western Cherokee youth--North Carolina, Western North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> 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 Congress Cherokees Community Education Electric Power Companies Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Geography Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Katúah Katúah Organization Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Turtle Island Western North Carolina Alliance Wilderness 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/3bb540dcdbeaaaf1f14ddae1dc0e4557.pdf a36e851f2b8b17710f0753e60cf20014 PDF Text Text Postage Paid ~UA~)OURNAL Bulk Ma~ Permit #18 Leicester, NC P.O. Box638 Leicester, NC 28748 Katu ah Province 28748 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED ISSUE 20 SUMMER 1988 $1.50 BIOREGIONAL JOURNAL OF TH E SOUTHERN A PPALACHIANS �THE TRACKS OF THE PANTHER Will Mark the Length of the Appalachian Range ..... and Beyond CONTENTS The Tracks of the Panther............... 1 "Wilderness is not a land-use designation!" Alphonso Lubek Highlands of Roan ..................................6 Celo Community: 50 Years on the Land ..................... 8 Celo. lnterview.................................... 1O Land Trust: Tenure for Our Time.. 11 Learning Community......................... .12 Mountain Landscapes at Risk ......... 13 Rest in Perpetual Wilderness ....... 14 "The Ridge"............................................15 Farmers and the Farm Bill... ........... 16 Good Medicine: "Relating to the Land" ............. 17 "It Comes in a Mist" ...........................18 Duke's Power Play.............................. 19 Cherokee Micro hydro Project... ..... 21 Drumming: Letters to Katuah ........ 22 by David Wheeler Photographs by Gil Leebrick Leave for awhile this world of damaged and broken life cycles, and step into a different time frame. Leave the deranged pace of our society - the quick buck, fast food, the instant replay - and move to another rhythm. In this time perspective, forests and glaciers flow and recede. Slowly and ponderously the mountains breathe, inhaling and exhaling through the ages. Species migrate across the face of the Earth, through time in which there is no time, only an endless procession of seasons and the stars circling overhead. This is evolutionary time. From this time space we can see indusaial society as a sudden wound that tore open the Eanh's flesh and let in dangerous poisons, diseases, and putrefactions which threatened our planet's very existence. But the wound is now slowly healing over. The last traces of infection and sick, decaying tissue arc now disappearing. See a new race of human beings, few in number, their bodies strong and sensitive to the world, their intuitive faculties awake and aware to every shift in the energy patterns around them. These people are not driven by goals or guilt from artificial motivations or formulations of good and evil. They live simply, keeping their senses unencumbered to fully receive the greatest delight: the gift of existence in a world that is whole, that informs and provides every motivations or formulations of good and evil. They live simply, keeping their senses unencumbered to fully receive the greatest delight: the gift of existence in a world that is whole, that informs and provides every facet of their lives. These people live in small tribal circles surrounded by the powerful forces of the natural world. They see themselves as the eye at the center of the world - the part of the whole that can look back on itself, see itself jn its entirety and delight in the intricacies and movements of the life pattern mandala. The camps of these humans are small islands in the midst of the flow of the world. Wilderness to them is not a rare and specialized category. Wilderness is their reality • sometimes fearsome, but never alien or forbidding. Wilderness is the central fact of their existence. It provides for them. It shapes their consciousness as well as their physical existence. And when the time comes, wilderness takes their lives. Wilderness is habitat is home. Life at the center of the world can be sustained forever, if the people think and live in evolutionary time. The step into this vision of the world may seem like a long one to us, situated as we are in this time, but in actuality it is not so far. We are only 400 years removed from it on this continent. And we need to think in these terms, for this is ecological reality. This is a vision of the world in balance. We need to think of it, aspire to it, before we can achieve it It is from this perspective that we are offered the proposal "Preserve Appalachian Wilderness" (PAW) authored by Jamie Sayen of Stratford, NH and first published (continued on page 3) KATUAH- page 1 SUMMER- 1988 �CARRYING WATER: Scott Bird Christina Morrison Chip Smith Rob Messick Marnie Muller David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: John Morris Jack Chaney Michael Red Fox John Lang Colleen Williams Will Ashe Bason Judith Hallock Michael Hockaday Oliver Loveday Cover Photo by Gil Leebrick of the Environmental Arts Center, Highlands, NC Invocation by kore loy mcwhirter STATEMENT OF PURPOSE EDITORIAL QFFJCE nus ISSUE: Worley Cove, Sandymush Creek PRINTED BY: Sylva Herald Publishing Co., Sylva, NC WRITE US AT: Katuah Journal Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 TifE SOlll'HERN APPALACHIAN BIOREC!ON AND MAJOR EASTERN RIVER SYSTEMS TELEPHONE: (704) 683-1414 Diversity is an imponanl element or biorcgional ecology. bOth natural and social. In line with this principle, the Katuab Journal lries to serve as a forum for the discussion of regional issues. Signed anicles express only the opinion or the authors and arc not nccessnrily !he opinions of the Katuab Journal editors or stare. The Internal Revenue Service has declared KatiJah a non-profit orgnniMtion under section 50t(c)(3) of !he Internal Revenue Code. All contributions to KatUah are deductible from personal income tax. 'LNVOCA.TWN summre solstice songe I speake forre the darke forces I amme the seede the light-mongres have forgottenne theirre purpose we gathre ande growe no one canne live withoute oure beinge evenne the sma!Jeste glimmre is made greate inne oure presence a!Je muste returne to us you maye dance ande dragge atte youre sbadowes wishlnge themme awaye whenne you wearye of the battle forre supremacye and separationne you wille come to reste inne oure annes we wille rocke you to sleepe to the songe of the moones' darke face she singes of youre memorye thatte we are one 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 ofresponsibility for the implications of that geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of r~sponsibility 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 "Kantah" as the old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The province is indicated by its nawral 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 priorities 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 ofthe 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 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 Katuah will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its living, breathing members. - The EdiJors KATUAH - page 2 SUMMER - 1988 �(continued from page I} in the Eanh Firsr! Journal. The PAW idea is simply to create a continuous wilderness or habitat area from the Florida Keys to the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, using as a foundation the present protected route of the Appalachian Trail. The idea seems outrageous in the present social context, but it is actually a modest transitional step toward ecological sanity. A continuous wild habitat the length of the Appalachian Range could provide the first requirement for wilderness, space, and in time enable the return of unique plants and large animals - panthers, bears, wolves, moose - that have been exterminated throughout all or parts of the mountain chain. lf the PAW plan became a reality, plant and animal species could migrate freely from Karuah to the Gulf of Maine bioregion to the north, and likewise to the Aorida Peninsula bioregion to the south. "The 'backbone' for this wideranging habitat," says the PAW document, "already exists, albeit plagued by slipped discs and cracked vertebrae. The Appalachian Trail runs for over 2,000 miles from Mt. Katahdin in nonhem Maine to Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. "Wild areas along the Appalachian Trail must be expanded, buffered, and protected in perpetuity as wilderness. Only then will the backbone suppon the weight of the massive wild areas throughout the C3Stern reaches of Tunic Island which will be joined to the Appalachian Trail 'wilderness backbone' by means of wild, natural corridors. In this way the Adirondack wilderness (in NY) can be linked co the Appalachian Trail in the Green Mountain National Forest (VT) via Lake Champlain and other riparian and terrestrial wild corridors." KA1UAH - page 3 A continuous wild habitat the length of the Appalachian Range could provide the first requirement for wilderness, space, and in time enable the return of unique plants and large animals - panthers, bears, wolves, moose - that have been exterminated throughout all or parts of the mountain chain. Of the Katuah province, PAW says: 'The Southern Appalachians.....are home to the most varied deciduous forest in North America. Due to the extraordinary range of plant habitats and climates, 2,500 tree, shrub, moss, and lichen species occur there, 1.500 of which are flowering. There are over 200 endemic species, including 40 wildflower species. 'There are more than 25 wilderness preserves in this area, but, unfortunately, most are of the usual variety, i.e., less than 10,000 acres. Almost the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain to the northern tip of the Shenandoah National Park traverses National Park, National Forest, or designated wilderness. There is enormous potential for 'big wilderness' in the southern Appalachians. "This is the good news. The rest of the story is more familiar. Roads parallel or bisect much of the Appalachian Trail. National ForestS and Parks are not managed for wilderness, and most designated wilderness is fragmented and confined to mountain tops with spectacular views. The lower reaches, drainages, swamps, valleys, and less scenic areas - in shon, the areas with the greatest biological diversity and species richness - are generally unprotected." The proposal also mentions re-establishing the American chestnut tree, once a dominant species in the Appalachian woods and a major food source for the large wildlife populations that inhabited the mountain forests. PAW activist R.F. Mueller and olhers in Virginia have proposed a 65,000 acre "Shenandoah Wilderness Area" in the northwest corner of the present state boundaries. The PAW proposal states that, "This proposal is PA W's highest shon tenn priority even though the Shenandoah Wilderness lies approximately 30 miles from the Appalachian Trail. Appropriate buffering and connecting corridors in National Forest land will connect it to the backbone. It should be noted that in the long run PA W's vision calls for greatly expanding this core area..... "The Cranberry Back Country in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, fifty miles as Raven flies from lhe Appalachian Trail in Virginia, will also be joined by natural corridors to the backbone..... (The Cranberry Back Country) offers promise of supporting a healthy wolf population which could begin to radiate to other wild areas such as Shenandoah Wilderness, and then up and (continued on page 4) SUMMER- 1988 �(c.ontinued from page 3) down the Appalachian Trail Wilderness network. "The Cranberry Back Country is composed of the 35,000 acre Cranberry Wilderness and the 45,000 acre Cranberry Back Country which merits immediate wilderness designation. Surrounding the Cranberry Back Country is a large block of roaded, but wild, Monongahela National Forest and other public and private lands which provide good buffer to the core wilderness..... " The northernmost of the large, protected habitat areas would be a Northeast Kingdom Wilderness Park and Biological Preserve in the northeast quadrant in the present state of Vermont. The PAW document says that this area is particularly important, because "For four of the most wilderness-dependent species - cougar, lynx, wolf, and pine marten - blocks of 400,000 acres or more in wilderness are needed to maintain viable, stable populations. For the cougar, a 400,000 acre wilderness is needed specifically in Vermont to assure thriving, interbreeding populations elsewhere in the Appalachians, because this species has a country-wide distribution and prefers mountain realms." Below Springer mountain the habitat zone would continue south to link up with a proposed habitat area for the Florida panther and other native life forms that would comprise most of central Florida. "One possibility," mentioned in the proposal, "would be to continue the Appalachian Trail southwest from Springer Mountain into eastern Alabama's Talladega National Forest and thence eatsward to the Chattahoochee River south of Columbus, Ga. "A similar priority exists at the northern end of the Appalachian Trail A route north of Katahdin, hopefully incorporating the St. John's River and the fabled Allagash in Maine to the Gaspe Peninsula region must be devised The goal is to ultimately reach the Canadian tundra. Then the tropical will be truly rejoined with the tundra, just as migratory birds have KATUAH - page 4 continued to keep them joined throughout the centuries of ecological fragmentation and destruction." "We must consider the natural history of the region and the ecological needs of wild/ife and the landscape, rather than continuing to ask, "What is politically realistic in the context of industrial . A merzca.?' . . . . . we must consider the whole system, not what sort of a compromise we can sneak through Congress." "Our basic strategy," says the PAW manifesto, "is to identify large, core wilderness areas which are to be protected in perpetuity as federally-designated wilderness. Surrounding these cores will be buffer zones. The inner buffer zones will be managed as mature forests, thus increasing the effective size of the wilderness core. They will mitigate the impact of civilization on the core areas and will mitigate the depredations of wildlife species on humans and their possessions. Appropriate benign human activities like canoeing will be permitted. "Outer buffer zones would border on human settlements. Primitive hunting and long-rotation forestry might be permitted in the inner portions of these outer zones. The outermost sections, which actually border on developed areas, might permit more intensive forestry, including tree farming, recreation, and possibly low-density housing. "These buffered wilderness cores would be linked by wild corridors to other nearby cores. These corridors must be wide enough to permit the flow of species, individuals, genes, and energy, and to provide space for habitat patches." Elsewhere in the PAW document author Sayen explains the need for massive, undisturbed habitat areas: "The issue of predation points out the importance of large wilderness preserves, preserves of 400,000 or -more acres. As is well known, many plant and animal species undergo periodic fluctuations in population and range. During periods of unusually favorable weather, species tend to expand their ranges and populations. When conditions change adversely, range and population contract to below-average numbers. "Herbivores like moose and deer feast off early successional plant species that colonize natural disturbance areas. But after a number of years the plants mature and grow out of reach of the herbivores, or the SUMMER- 1988 �browsing pressure causes a decline in vegetation locally. Large moose and deer populations can no longer be supported. and they either decline or go localJy extinct and move on co another, more hospitable locales. The decline of the herbivore population affords plant communities a chance to recover. "Meanwhile, the decline in prey base causes the wolf population to decline or go locally extinct, as it follows its shifting prey. Gradually, the herbivore population builds up in favorable new feeding areas and the wolf population follows. The cycle goes on endlessly, and in time herbivores return to the first site, whicb by now has recovered from earlier overbrowsing. It is essential that wildlife and wilderness managers recognize this cyclic phenomenon and that a wide range of ecosysteµis in differing states of succession be inclulied in a wilderness preserve to insure chis dypamic process. This requires that we manage for processes rather than for individual species." The PAW proposal is a challenge to us to dare to break the boundaries on our thinking imposed by the current social order: "We must consider the natural history of the region and the ecological needs of wildlife and the landscape, rather than continuing to ask, "What is politically realistic in the context of industrial America?'.....We must consider the whole system, not what son of a compromise we can sneak through Congress." The vision embodied in PAW is also a challenge to our society as a whole, because "Merely setting aside large wilderness preserves will be fruitless if we continue to generate acid rain; nuclearwaste; pesticides and herbicides; overpopulation; and a violent. exploitative attitude towards others (human and non-human)." Can our species live up to the standards of wilderness? This question is crucial to the success of the venture to "Preserve Appalachian Wilderness," but it is also the ultimate question of our species' continued survival in the world. KA TUAH - page 5 Jamie Sayen, the author of the PAW manifesto, is also tlu! author of the book Einstein in America. lie is a member of Conneeticut Valley Earth First! and was a spawner in the Salmon Revival Run up the Connecticut River this summer. Gil Lubrick is residenf plzofography teacher and workshop leader at the Appalachian Environmental Arts Center in llighlonds, NC. lie has fought of Honolulu Community College and NC Cenrral University. His landscape photographs hove been nationally exhibited and reside in numerous public and private collections. Copies of the complete PAW proposal are available for $3 .00 ppd. from: Gulf of Maine Books; 61 Maine St.; Brunswick, ME 04011 In addition to the outline of the wilderness plan, the paper also contains valuable background information on the formation of the Appalachian mounrain chain, a brief history of the Appalachlan Trail, thoughts on the importance of wilderness and the need for large, wuJisrurbed habitat areas, and more specific specifications for wilderness in the nonheast. THE POSSIBLE WILDERNESS For more information on the importance of large-scale wilderness habitats, read The Fragmented Forest by l.Arry Harris (University of Chlcago Press, 1984) Potential Wilderness Areas in Appalachia SUMMER-1988 �Xnown as the Highlands of Roan, the Roan Mountain massif is a magnificent isolated mountain mass of 23,000 acres located in Caner County, Tennessee and Avery and Mitchell Counties, North Carolina It is a vast high country with huge grassy areas that roll and undulate in every direction. Winds, averaging 25 miles per hour year-round, ripple the tall sedges and hair grass ...like seaweed in a great tide. l n late June, Catawba rhododendron blooms color the ridges purple. Flame azalea and mountain laurel splay orange and pink against blue-grey backdrops. In winter, the winds pile snow deep in the protected valleys while rime ice clings to exposed twigs on the summits. Unaka, the Cherokee word for "white", gives the range its name. Season by season, almost moment by moment, the Roan reveals itself, always displaying a wide spectrum of mood and ecological treasure. The Roan provides a haven for an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals, many of which are rare and endangered. Each year researchers, teachers, and amateur ecologists come to the Higltlands to study the many species and seek new finds. Throughout the nineteenth century, botanists from around the world visited the Roan in their studies of Appalachian flora. The quote (on next page) from Elisha Mitchell, for whom the East's highest mountain is named, is indicative of the high regard these botanists held for Roan Mountain. The balds are treeless areas of sedges, grasses and wildflowers covering several hundred acres along rounded KATIJAH - page 6 ridges and peaks from 5,400 feet to 6,100 feet above sea level. Wild, yet tranquil, rugged yet fragile, this place is not like any other. Great rocks, weathered and timeworn into strange and fascinating shapes, jut from knee-deep grasses. Wind-wracked, rocky crags edge the balds. Ancient many-colored lichens, centuries old, creep across the rocks at the rate of only 1/16 of an inch every 25 years. Season f>y season, almost rnom.ent f>y m.om.ent, the '.R.oti.n rnvealS i-tsd f , alwa y s d:i-spCa.yi-fl-9 · a wi-d:e sp ectrum. of mood: and: ec0Co9i.cal t r easure . For fifteen of its 2,100 miles, the Appalachian Trail traverses the Higltlands of Roan. It crosses the great balds and moves into the conifer-covered Roan High Knob-Roan High Bluff area, providing hikers with some of the most striking natural vistas along the entire Trail. lo season, wildflowers carpet the Highlands. Acres of white fringed phacelia cover the ground in May, accented with splotches of may apples with white and purple violets, trout lilies and many other early spring flowers. A month later the balds are streaked yellow and red with hawk weed and other sun-loving flowers. ·. SUMMER- 1988 �'Lt ts the most &ea.u.ti.fut and will & r epay the Ca&or of ascendi.~ i.t of est aU ou.r h.i.qh. mou.ntai.ns. 1Ji.th. the except w n. of a & oc:Cy of roe~ Coo~i.~ [ ilt,e the rui.ns of an o[c:C casUe near i.ts sou.th.western. ex.t remi.ty, the top of th.e R oan may & c:Cescri.&ec:C a.s a vast e meadow wi.th.ou.t a tree to obs t r uct a prospect, w h.ere a person may 9a.[[op fl.ts fwrse for a m ile or two wi.th. North. Caro[i.na. a t fl.ts f eet on one si.c:Ce and Tennessee on. the other and a 9rea.t ocea.n of mou.n.ta.i.ns ra.tsec:C i.n. tremendous &tllows i.mmedia.tay a.rou.nd h.f.m . 1.t t.s the eLyst.u.m of the southern &ota.nt.st, a.s a. nu.m&er of From a boianist's perspective, the Roan Mountain massif is superlative because of the outstanding diversity and the exceptional quality of plant communities found there. Over 300 species of plants a.re found on the Highlands, including the very rare Gray's lily (lilium grayi) as well as spreading avens (Geum radiatum) and Blue Ridge goldenrod (Solidago spithamaea). There arc more nationally or regionally ranked rare species on the Roan massif than any other site in the high mountains of the southern Appalachians. Roan Mountain also has varied and abundant wildlife, a fact which can be attributed to its exceptional habitat diversity-a product of latitude, altitude, geology, vegetation, and even history. At least seven of the thirty rare mammals listed in Endangered and Threarened Plants and Animals of North Carolina have been reported in the Highlands. The Ronn massif is a vast, high altitude island surrounded and isolated by low and narrow valleys and rolling hills. Because its slopes vary in steepness, soil composition, orientation, and drainage, it suppons a mosaic of vegetation types and microhabitats, and these are of sufficient total area to sustain substantial animal populations. Ice Age History Roan's dynamic Ice Age history transformed the 18-mile ridge into a fauna! melting pot of northern relics, southern invaders, and local isolates or endemics. The Roan was left a northern island in a sea of southern deciduous forests. These factors as well as the low level of human activity have created the living space for a spectacular array of animal species. Roan Mountain's major habitats arc generally described in terms of their dominant vegetation. Distinctive attitudinal plant zones, from the spruce-fir forests, grass balds, and rhododendron heaths at high elevations, through northern hardwood and oak forests to valley hardwoods and old field sites, largely simulate the Latitudinal sequence of habitats from southern Canada to southeastern US. Thus a few species, such as the New England cottontail and the bog lemming, arc at or near their southern limits and may be relics of a past ice age. Others, like the opossum and southern flying squirrel, are warm-climate species which periodically invade the upper slopes. Some species arc confined to one type of habitat on a pennanent or seasonal basis. For example, meadow mice inhabit the grass balds, a habitat used by the rare snow bunting only in winter. Other species occupy the adjacent pans of two vegetation wnes: the threatened northern flying ~----.1 pCa.n.ts a.re fou.nd 9rowt."9 t.n th.ts co[c:C and h.u.mt4 a.tmosphere wnicn a.re not seen GCJGt.n. u.n.tU we ha.ve 9one h.u.ndrecls of mUes fu.rther north." - EUsh.a. M.t.tcheU, 1839 squirrel frequents the lower spruce-fir and upper northern hardwood forests. Still other animals-shrews, jumping mice, salamanders and many invcncbrates--require ccnain micro-habitats within a zone to provide special foods or refuges. Finally, active carnivores (least weasels, spotted skunks), large species (bears, bobcats, and foxes), and fliers with special needs (owls, bats, hummingbirds) must range widely over the mountain and, in fact, would probably not survive if confined to a single area. The Roan also provides a haven for over a hundred species of birds during nesting, migration and wintering. Bird sitings include the bald eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, snow bunting, raven, alder flycatcher, and saw-whet owl. Need for Protection This whole extraordinary area is in great need of protection. Fortunately, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is working to preserve it. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1974 with two goals in mind: to ensure the means whereby the Highlands of Roan wiJl be protected in perpetuity against development and other incompatible uses and to establish a continuing program of stewardship for these lands. Efforts to protect the Highlands were begun under the auspices of the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) in 1966. Most of the initial preservation work of the Highlands was directed toward the proteetion of tracts along the Appalachian Trail in preparation for their purchase by the ForeSt Service. Conservation efforts were carried out by the Roan Mountain Preservation Committee of the ATC, with the cooperation of The Nature Conservancy. In time it became evident that the Highlands of Roan project would require a greater cffon than could be accomplished through a committee of an organization concerned with the entire Appalachian Trail. As a result, the SAHC was organized to take responsibility for fund-raising, land acquisition, and land management In the mid 1960's, the US Forest Service, cooperating with the ATC, instituted an acquisition program on Roan Mountain. So far, SAHC has assisted the US Forest Service in acquiring 4,300 acres. When combined with the Forest Service's previous holdings, a central core of 11,800 acres has now been acquired as public lands. The remainder of the protection effon is focussed around this core area. As most of the Forest Service's planned Appalachian Trail corridor acquisition work has been completed, it is now up to other organizations and individuals to complete the mountain's protection. (continued on page 2.S) pho10graphs councsy of SAHC KATUAH - page 7 SUMMER- 1988 �C 1981 John M. Morgan CELO connu.Nt'Jy: 50 YEARS ON THE LAND by Marilyn Cade While fireworks were exploding for the bicentennial anniversary of the United States Constitution, in a small valley at the feet of the Black Mountains in Yancey County, NC another anniversary slipped by quietly, almost unnoticed. 1987 was the fiftieth year of existence for the Celo Community, the oldest land stewardship community in the nation, but life flowed on as evenly as the South Toe River, which winds through the valley. Celo Community, Incorporated (CCO is an eclectic, occasionally eccentric, collection of people who all unite on the idea of saving and preserving the land. They are painters, carpenters, architects, glass blowers, poners, weavers, and farmers by trade. Some are staff at the Arthur Morgan School, an alternative junior high located in the community. The school grounds are also the location of the Celo Press, a small publishing firm. Rural Southern Voice for Peace, a newsletter published by members and non-members of Celo Community, has its offices on the campus as well. The Barrus family runs a summer camp for children with an emphasis on interlinking with handicapped children and children of different races and socio-economic backgrounds. The Celo Community land base is owned, not by individuals, but by the CCI. An individual or family cannot purchase title to any of the community land, but rather leases a "holding". The price is actually a "deposit", calculated according to the local price for a similar piece of land in the surrounding area. But community agreements govern the use of the land, and land speculation, subdividing, clear-cutting, abusive agriculcure, etc. are not available options. If a member withdraws from the community, the amount they paid as a deposit is refunded, without regard to any appreciation in land value since the original holding was taken. Any buildings or homes are treated separately, with refunds equalling the cost of replacement value including depreciation. For members, the advantages of community landholding outweigh the loss of traditional ownership. Residents are attracted by the concern shown for the present and future well-being of the land. They want to live on a protected large tract, where certain areas are kept wild. And they enjoy sharing the community life. Cooperative ownership is contrary to the notion that KATUAH-page 8 hwnans arc given dominion over lhc Earth. It is based instead on the idea that we arc given stewardship over it, that we are accountable for our actions. This principle is now being advanced in the land trust concept, a new model for land tenure currently being practiced in Lhis country. Ernest Morgan, a community member and son of Anhur Morgan, says, 'The land trust is designed to avoid the exploitive nature and abuses of individual land ownership...The land trust concept is something lhat western society urgently needs to face up 10." Celo Community advocates the establishment of more land trusts and cooperative ownership arrangements in the region and beyond. The population of the community bas stabilized and they are no longer actively seeking new members. They hope that their role at the present time could be as an inspiration and a model for lhe development of other community experiments. Depression Roots The Depression and the t 930's were years of great economic and social turmoil. ELhics in daily life seemed desirable and even practical. People, especially young people, were ready to experiment with new ways of living and working outside the failing mainstream economy. W illiam Regnery, a Chicago philanthropist, at this same time sought suggestions for new charitable causes from Arthur Morgan.Then Presidc.nt of Antioch College in Ohio, Morgan had been an engineer who built successful flood control dams, later becoming Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. He was a Quaker who had already thought a good bit about the difficulties of leading a fulfilling life in the modem world. He felt that there should be an opportunity for young people to try new approaches to making a living. Morgan told Regnery of an idea conceived in conversations during 1932 and 1933 with Clarence Pickett, the Executive Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee. They wanted to somehow provide a situation in which the young people then seeking answers from them could instead work out their own solutions to leading a fulfilling life. With the general industrial collapse of the Depression, they decided a rural piece of land suitable for families to develop into individual farms would be most practical. This whole idea appealed to Regnery, and he agreed to finance the land if a suitable spot could be found and if Morgan and Pickett would serve on the board of directors. Morgan envisioned a small community situation. He SUMMER- 1988 �wanted the land to be located in an area sufficiently isolated that the settlers could pursue new goals without the distraction of old habits reinforced by the wider world. A small community would have more influence on how its children grew up. A small community could support positive values and beliefs among the adults. If Morgan sounds utopian, that was not his intent. He denied being io any way a visionary. He stated from the beginning that there would be no religious, political, or social code binding the community together. In a memorandum for the community written in 1937, he said, "It takes more than economic need or craving for congenial society to hold men together. Set religious or political dogmas tend to be a dividing influence. Above all other reasons for living and working together, there needs to be a strong common purpose..." As to the land itself, Morgan desired a location that was arable, affordable, had wholesome neighbors, and was blessed with a natural beauty. After several months of combing the Southern Appalachian Mountain region for such a site, the search ended in the valley of the South Toe. ln 1937, 1200 acres of woods, somewhat exhausted farmland, streams, and pasture were bought in the Celo area of the valley. Land-sharing was not a clear objective when the community first began. The earliest residents were renters who were already living on the land when it was purchased by the community. One of them was appointed a manager. The goal of encouraging young families to be self-sustaining was the primary object. However, most of the first families who came had no financial resources. The struggle for simple swvival prevented them from taking a larger view of the community and its future. Managers succeeded one another in frequent succession, each one recruiting different kinds of people to pioneer the community. Tenant farmers, socialJy troubled families, bible colJegc graduates, and ex-missionaries came for short periods of time between 1937 and I 945, with largely unsatisfactory results. The community tried and then gave up farming, dairy herds, a sawmill, timbering, and a nursing home. By 1945, only five families remained in the community. Community Revival 1945 was clearly a watershed year for the Celo Community. After some early members withdrew their membership but kept title to their land, the first steps toward community ownership were taken. Conscientious objectors moved to the community after the war, bringing with them a new idealism about the community and land use, and they supported the land cooperative idea. It was also in 1945 that the land manager system was finally abandoned at Celo as well. It was replaced by a steering committee of fi vc people, one from each household. The committee met once a week, and the whole membership met once a month. The meetings have continued without interruption since that year. Members regard the meetings with varying degrees of enthusiasm. One of the ongoing problems for the community is maintaining a much higher level of group involvement than most people have previously experienced. But since all decision-making power rests with the meetings, they arc an indcspcnsable part of the Cclo Community life. There are also four standing committees: Finance, Membership, Property, and Land Use. It is evident that half the specific concerns arc about land. Sara Smith, a daughter of a Celo family, wrote in a college paper that "the single common bond for CCI members now is the land they hold in trust". During the 1950's more people came to Celo and swelled the population to 20 member households. The "back: to the land" movement and disaffection with prevailing political and social conventions in the 1960's brought still more members. Others came after being introduced to the area while resident craftspeople at the Penland School of KATIJAH - page 9 Crafts in nearby Mitchell County. As the new members came, they tended to build their houses in tucked-away comers of the woods. There was a strong sense of wanting to pioneer and to feel self-sufficient. However, the spreading population could quickly have made the forest into a suburb. Realizing the danger, the community about 17 years ago began to set aside land for a wild area. Of the community's 1,200 acre land base, at least 300 acres arc now in forest preservation. Within this wild area, overseen by the Land Use Committee, arc examples of the usual and unusual wild flora of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. There are plant communities that date back to the time of the glaciers. There are endangered species found in some of the coves and bogs. Use of the proteetcd area is limited to bikes and nature walks. Much of the community is bounded by National Forest land. At ti.mes this has been seen as an asset, as for years at a time there is no activity in these areas. However, the National Forest is managed land, and the Forest Service builds new roads and marks off timber sales for clearcuttlng. Community members sec these actions as a threat to soil stability as well as destruction of valuable forest. They lobby the government and the Forest Service co limit this manner of land use. They arc concerned 001 only with the land they hold in trust, but with all the valley and the wider mountain area. Many members of the Cclo Community are active in various organizations and strongly support local efforts to preserve the environment, such as the Friends of the Toe River. Bob Johnson, a wildlife enthusiast who is on the Land Use Committee, has observed that "this is prime condo country". AU around the county there is unprecedented growth. County political leadership has expressed little concern with curbing this development, and in fact probably encourages it. The Southern Appalchians were economically deprived for many decades, though chere has been much improvement over the last 20 years. Still, it causes leaders to sec any growth as a good thing. Arthur Morgan, 50 years ago, predicted that decades of upheaval lay ahead for the nation. Among his many concerns he included land conservation, endangered species, alcernative living opportunities, animal rights, and the need for a new cornminment. He once remarked bow much he would relish being a 25 year old starting ouc life in the Cclo Community, ready to take on the challenge. Morgan had some final thoughts on Celo when he wrote a brief history of his experience with the community: "It seems co me that Cclo Community and the surrounding neighborhood is a favorable setting for an interesting human adventure lasting through generations, which will not be a retreat from life, but an adventure in living." C 1981 John M. Morgan SUMMER- 1988 �r--~·-·-- 1 I A Conversation Ruth Ostrenga and Rio Alden have Jived in Celo Community since 1985. In February of this year they became official members of Celo, where they now run a plant and flower business called High MoUnJain Greenery. Christina Morrison of rhe Katuah Journal spoke with them one afternoon about how it feels to belong to a land stewardship community. with Ruth and Rio of Celo Community Katuah: What does living on a land cooperative mean to you? Ruth: I've lhought about it a lot lately and I've realized that its so much about relationships. It's preserving a large piece of land and looking to see what's the best use for lhe land with people who have pretty common values. And that requires working lhings out in a community fashion where you come together and have to really communicate and see more sides than just your own. I value that a great deal-growing and moving through my stuff by being in relationship-so what better place to be than in a community where I'm pressed with it a lot? K: I understand that the. Forest Service doesn't actually sell the land; they sell lumber companies the right to clear-cut And then the Forest Service builds the roads for them and reseeds the land and actually ends up losing money on the deal. And we all lose the forest Ruth: Exactly. Those are the kinds of things we really have to take a look at. And I know that lots ofus he.re don't approve of this mis-use of government land and feel we don't have the say we should have in it. Ruth: I've had a dream for a long time of growing good food for a large number of people. And now that we're here it's starting to seem feasible ...The idea is to put up several composting greenhouses that can grow food al l year round. They're self-heating and also create C0 2 for optimum growing conditions. I've already asked to lease one of the open fields so we may soon be growing enough food for the whole area. Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes in January! I know I'll need more energy than mine to make it work, but I also know there are others here who'd get excited about it too. /(: Sharing land seems to open up so many possibilities. It's surprising that lhere aren't more communal projects going on that utilize th~ land. Rilth: J ~c;e Ce!o,as )c.ind of divided iMo two spaces--there are long-time members who've.already figured out bow to make it and then there are young ones wilh families wJ\o are t;trusgling to 9uild houses and take Qare of kids...so there's not a lot of' extra energy for even things like stopping. the clear-cutting. People are still doing things they'd be doing anywhere and that is getting their acrs togeiher. K: How about your relationship wilh lhe land itself? Ruth: That's something lhat took a while to sink in... that it's my land--all of this is my land--yet it's not. A big thing is that I have a voice in deciding anything that happens in regards to it. That feels really good. I feel the importance of taking responsibility in all respects for what we're doing right now to the Earth...and if I have a band in a pretty good size chunk, then that feels good to me. Also, because we're a community, we have a wider influence than just within the land trust. We can be an example to others who want to do the same thing - preserve large pieces of land. We can also help to influence what happens to other areas around us. Most of our land backs right up to the National Forest. land that the ~Forest service has control over (that is actually ours too - only not as directly), and they're going to be selling off parcels to the lumber industry for clear-cutting not far from here. That feels really awful K: Any dreams of what you'd like to see here? Rio: T here's been a lot more cooperation lately about almost everything though .... childcare, building projects-it seems like a growing trend to give here and take there and trade. So....and this is kind of a wild idea, but I thought perhaps the community could buy rights to that land instead of the timber companies. What better use for a chunk of money? And if we bought the land they wouldn't have to build a road or any of that - so that could be subtracted from what they'd normally charge and they'd actually end up owing us money! (laughs) I can't wait to run this by the land use committee. K: So when you take care of a piece of land you realize how connected it is to the whole area.... Even though I'm not a member, it's great to live near Celo and have so much land to walk on with fewer roads and fences and no "No Trespassing" signs. It's a real feeling of freedom and welcome. Living here, you can even forget what it's like out in the "real world" where land seems so arbitrarily divided up. Rio: I think I would call this the real Ruth: We've started a small garden club of organic growe~--and there's even a local person down the road who has joined. It's a real nice thing to be connecting wilh others in the area-feels like starting to reach out and cover the whoJe planet in terms of cooperation and doing things in a good way.... Hey, there's the osprey! (points above river) They've stayed around for three weeks now--they might be raising babies. K: Are there any areas where you'd like to see change? Ruth: Some members would like 10 see more things done communally. We have workdays once a month for 4 hours and they're a great way to get things done and help each other out. They'd really been fizzling out, lately - like 2 people showing up. But the last workday was really good, Rio: I think it was partly your enthusiasm... Ruth: Yeah, I got really fired up at lhe last meeting and presented it as a wonderful opportunity for everyone. world. K: What was the job? Ruth: I bet the trees would agree. (continued on page 24) KATIJAH-page 10 SUMMER- 1988 �LAND TRUST: Tenure for Our Times Among primitive tribal societies the world over, the Earth was seen as a living being, as alive and conscious as we. There were no "resources," but the mother planet gave her children what they needed to live. The natural forces were potent elemental beings. The idea of "owning" land or "resources" never came to mind until the development and spread of European society. lo our western culture land is parcelled out and sold, and once money has changed hands, owners assume it is their right to have their way with "their" property, whether or not it is in the interests of the land, the wider human community, or the life community as a whole. In 1945 the members of the Celo Community saw that individual land ownership threatened the continued existence of their community, and put their land base into common ownership. Members of Celo now lease a "holding," which grants a holder the right to live on and the right to use the land within guidelines set up by the community's Property Committee. This arrangement was a forerunner of the land trust concept, which was developed by Roben Swann and Ralph Borsodi during the 1960's. A land trust is a corporate entity (usually incorporated as not-for-profit) which is empowered to hold land. Land trusts are set up for a variety of purposes: - in rural areas they can be used to make homes and fanning land available to community people as the Community Land Association is doing in Clairmont in nonheast Tennessee. - in cities they are a powerful t.ool for resisting gentrification and making homes available to low-and moderate-income people. The South Atlanta Land Trust, which is restoring a declining neighborhood in Atlanta, GA is an example. -Conservation land trusts put Large tracts of undeveloped land into trust to preserve them in perpetuity The Ozarlc Regional Land Trust of Canhage, MO is an umbrella organization worlcing to foster all three approaches in the Ourlc mountains, as well as initiating educational projects in ecological land use and farming practices appropriate to that bioregion. In each of these situations the essential purpose of the land trust is to remove the land from the speculative marketplace so that. for whatever reasons, it can no longer be treated as a commodity. In a conservation land trust, human access to the Land is strictly limited. In rural community Land trusts, pans or alJ of a tract are made available for human residency and appropriate use such as ecological agriculture. In an urban setting, land trust holdings are dedicated to uses most beneficial to the community, whether for residences or community service areas. The non-profit land trust corporation retains title to the land and leases rights to community people, subject to land use KATUAH-page 11 Drawing by: Laurie Pierce guidelines of varying strictness depending on the purpose of the land trust. These leases are usually long,term contracts that may be passed on to descendants. Leaseholders who wish· to terminate a lease are allowed to sell the equity they have earned (i.e., the value of buildings and other improvements). Often tbe land trust reserves first options on these equities and buys them to re-sell to the next leaseholder. Land trusts can slow down runaway developmenL Land trusts can enable farm families to gain access'to agricultural land where Land speculation (as on vacation home properties) has caused highly inflated land prices. Land trusts can also preserve wild areas far beyond the lifetime of an individual owner. It is now a widely accepted principle that we cannot own ~nother of our own species as propeny. Someday we may evolve to the point where it would be incomprehensible to own an individual of any species as propehy. And someday, someday, we may progress to a stage where we once again regain the primitive sense of a free and living Earth that cannot be cut into pieces, cannot be bought or sold. The land trust, then, is a stepping-stone to the re-sacralization of the natural world. It is a legalistic mechanism suitable to the complexities of modem society, but it offers a way forward into a new and ancient relationship with the land. RESOURCES to help in unch:rstanding and implementing land trust: BOOKS The Community Land Trust Handbook by the lnstitwefor Community Econormcs (Rodale Press; Emmaus, PA; 1982 - available for $6.00 from ICE, see address below). "Through land trusts, co171171Wiities can regain control oflocal land and Jwusing. This book tells how.for both nual and urban communities." New OrJaniutional Prospects for Community and Conservation Land Trusts by Gregg Galbraith (available for $12.50 ppdfrom the Ozark Regional land Trust, see address beww). "A legal study of the nl()tUI of a regional land trust to assist the development of other regional land trusts." PERIODICALS Communit1 Economics - quarterly newsletter with articles abow develo~nts in community land trusts, community revolving loan funds, and other community development issues. Available by donation from ICE (see address beww). ORGANIZATIONS Jnstituiefor Communil)I Economics 151 Montague City Rd. Greenfield, MA 01301 Oz.art Regional Land Trust 427 S. Main St. Carthage, MO 64836 Solllhe.asr.un Land Presuvali,on Trust 305 Buclchead Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30305 The School ofLiving (land Com11Uttee) do Common Ground Rt. 3, Box 231 Lexington, VA 24450 The Katuah Regional Land Trust is looking for charter members. This new organization is dedicated to "serving first the land, and then the life nourished by the land" by "reserving and restDring narural habitat areas; the ancient sacred sites and places of power; and a land base, whether rural or urban,for humans to conduct their lives in accord wilh the conditions of nature as found in the KatUah Province of the Appalachian bioregion." Please respond to: KatUali Regional land Trust; Rt. 2, Box 108-A; Whittier, NC 28789 ~ SUMMER- 1988 �LEARNING COMMUNITY by Judith Hallock Arthur Morgan School is a unique boarding school for 24 girls and boys in grades seven through nine. Named after an innovative American educator and activist, the school is based on the principles of Maria Montessori, Mohandas Gandhi, Arthur Morgan, and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The stated central aim of the school is to help each student grow into a confident and responsible young person. The school property is part of Celo Community, an intentional land stewardship community. The 100 acre campus consists mainly of woods and meadows and is largely surrounded by national forest. Elizabeth Morgan, Anhur Morgan's daughter-in-law and founder of the Arthur Morgan School, did not go to school until she was the age for eighth grade. She had been lightly tutored by her parents, but she had mostly played around her home, helped her mother, read books, and made music. When she finally did start school, she found it exciting and raced through high school in three and one-half years as an honor student Elizabeth oommeoted that the amount of time children spend in school is usually out of proportion to what they learn there, and that most schools are a great waste of children's time. School, she said, is mainly a gigantic baby-sitting operation designed to keep children out of circulation in a society in which children no longer have any meaningful function except to grow up. It was her experience as a public school teacher that inspired her to found the Arthur Morgan School in 1962. She felt that adolescence is a particularly crucial time in the development of the whole person. Patty Keene-Windsor, school clerk, a central administrative position at the Arthur Morgan School, defined some of the special needs of puberty-aged young people: "The years between 12 and 15 are KATUAH- page 12 crucial years for developing a sense of self, and to do some brt;alcing away from family. It's a time of questioning habits and ways of doing things, challenging the way your family does things. It's a time of change and rebelling." In meeting these special needs, the Arthur Morgan School offers a community-based response. "The main focus of the school is for staff and students to create this community together," said Patty. Through conscious commuoitybui lding, the school becomes a working/living/learning/caring place. in educating the whole person, a whole life approach is taken, and the loving, healthy oommuoity becomes the core of the learning experience. At the same time, a I :2 staff-to-student ratio suppons individual needs. Values, which have been largely separated from education in the public schools, are an integral part of the Arthur Morgan School, and are directly related to community ideals. Cooperation, respect, openness, sense of self, responsibility, and interdependence are all qualities of a healthy community, and are learned by participation in the school oommunity life. ''By creating this oommunity, we are teaching community skills. We are giving the students an experience and a model that they can carry always. If they have experienced hearing each other, working on problems, being interdependent, in a small oommunity like this, they will Temember that when they move into a bigger community, or when they start thinking about the world," said Patty. Housing at the school is in family groups, with each composed of several students and two houseparents who share housekeeping functions as well as teaching and/or other staff duties. These families live in wood-heated homes on campus. Margot, a houseparent at Arthur Morgan School, wrote of her experience, "Ideally the job of a houseparent is to create a harmonious family environment for the students dwelling under her roof. We try to offer the students a secure and supportive place to return to after their school day. Since many of our students are seventh graders leaving home for the first time, we strive to maintain a family setting. The boarding houses are not dormitories, rather individual homes with structure and rules varying with the different houseparents. "What I find unique about houseparenting these young adults is that I can give them both support and positive criticism in a more or less objective manner. Their exposure to other peers of different backgrounds expands their universe and encourages social responsibility. The houses reflect the philosophy of the school in microcosm." Breakfasts are cooked and eaten in the houses, as are weekend lunches and two dinners each week. All other meals are eaten together in the school dining hall. The diet is largely vegetarian, with an emphasis on fresh whole foods, natural sweets, and organic produce from the school's large organfo garden. Weekdays begin with a short community gathering to share songs, skits, and announcements. All students attend classes in four core subjects - English, social studies, science, and math. Though individually designated by grade levels, students are grouped in these classes only by ability and interest. Class sizes are small, so teachers can focus on individual needs. Students are encouraged to see connections between their classwork and the outside world. Academics are supplemented by an electives program. Each student can choose up to six classes a semester from such offerings as music, drama. arts and crafts, shop, languages, sports, and dance. Neither electives nor core subjects are graded. Students and parents receive instead periodic written evaluations of the student's work. Leisure activities include special Saturday night activities such as a dance, talent show, group game, or sweat lodge. In addition, weekends often include soccer games and housefamily outings. Much time, both on weekends and weekdays, is spent outdoors. The mountain forest surrounding the Arthur Morgan School provides students with a wide variety of outdoor experiences. Extended trips in the fall and spring are supplemented by periodic day hikes and overnights. Patty said, "We provide challenges in this area that we are pretty sure the students can meet: like being able to stay out in the mountains for six days, or walking or canoeing certain distances. At this age, when these kind of physical challenges are met, and the students feel they have succeeded, there is a great feeling of exhilaration." Each spring the students explore the world beyond Katuah on a three-week field trip. In recent years they have put on a travelling show, canoed the Florida Everglades, and assisted at a refugee camp on the Texas-Mexican border. (conlinucd on page 26) SUMMER-1988 �Land Use Planning in Buncombe County, NC by Carol Lawrence Whether or not it is mentioned by Asheville promoters recruiting new businesses, one of the attractions of Buncombe County - along with the clean air and water, year-round temperate climate, and stunning natural beauty - is the freedom to develop land outside the city in any way the owner sees fit. There is, in other words, no overall counry zoning plan. The last attempt at county-wide zoning was made in 1973. It was not successful. Johnny Robens, a Flat Creek resident who worked against the recent zoning proposal there, remembers that attempt. "It went down like the Titanic," he recalls. Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chairman R. Curtis Ratcliff recalls it the same way. "When commissioners held hearings on that proposed zoning plan, the further we got into the county, the more opposed everyone was." "I doubt that there is currently enough pro-zoning sentiment to revive the county-wide plan," says Jim Coman, County Zoning Administtator. "There is not a consensus among the commissioners on county-wide land use planning and regulation. Undoubtedly, some are more in favor of it than others. Among residents, there's certainly limited desire for zoning out in the rural areas. What I hear over and over is 'We don't wanr anybody telling us what to do with our land_"' As a result, land use in the regions surrounding Asheville is a matter left up to each individual township. And the recenr events in Flat Creek point up exactly how difficult it can be to develop land use planning on a local basis. Earlier this year, the Vulcan Materials Company of Birmingham, Alabama took out a long-term lease option on a 99-acre parcel of land in the Flat Creek area. Their intent: 10 quarry granite and produce crushed stone. Controlled blasting would open up a large pit, eventually going down some 200 to 400 feet. The granite in the substrata would be extracted, crushed, and hauled away in trucks. In compliance with procedures established by the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development (NRCD), Vulcan sem notice of its plans to all Flat Creek residents owning adjacent land. Upon learning of this intended development, area residents became concerned. In fact, they were so concerned that when the NRCD sponsored a public bearing in the elementary school on the hot, muggy night of August 6, the auditorium was packed with 400 area residents. Another 400, unable to fit in, remained outside. Overwhelmingly, those attending disapproved of the proposed quarry. Together, they began to investigate what they could do to prevent the coming of the quarry. Thar's how Flat Creek residents started what is called a community planning program. This option, open to any KATUAH - page 13 AT RISK Photo by: Chip Smith Buncombe County township, allows residents to establish a community planning council, which, in tum, can draft land use (zoning) ordinances. On October 17, after two months of work by a 15-member planning council and community input at the Buncombe County Planning Department, a comprehensive zoning ordinance was presented to the Flat Creek residents for approval. As evidence of the interest sparked by the zoning question, 1,560 residents - 600 more than cast ballocs in the last Presidential election turned out to vote. The proposed land use ordinance was defeated by a margin of nearly 3 to 1. Manha Claxton, an Asheville pediatrician who lives in Flat Creek, served on the community planning council and continues active volunteer work against the proposed quarry. She explains the move toward zoning this way: "We started looking at zoning because of that quarry. We were concerned about things like the effects the quarry would have on the fragile water table, whether the blasting would cause basemenr walls to crack, how safe the children would be in school buses that share roads with large rock 1:IUcks, not to mention the nuisance of noise, dust, and blasting vibration." "We knew, even in early August, that passing of the zoning ordinance would not necessarily keep Vulcan out; they started the application process before we started the zoning process. We proceeded because we hoped that strong anti-quarry sentiment combined with a zoning ordinance prohibiting quarry expansion might cause Vulcan to rethink that particular site." Johnny Roberts, a 43-year resident of the Flat Creek area and owner of a local store, agrees that local sentiment ran against the quarry. Yet he, like many others, voted against zoning. "The main thing is that people here own their land, they pay for it, and they don't want people telling them what to do with it," he says. "The County has very strict rules about building and construction and people just feel that's enough." There will be no zoning in Flat Creek. And Flat Creek residents - who by and large still oppose the proposed quarry - have not solved the problem of persuading the NRCD to refuse Vulcan's mining permit application. Further, Flat Creek citizens could find themselves in this sicuation again, should another company announce plans to build an asphalt production facility, for example, or open another tavern adjacent to the elementary school, or develop a multi-acre mobile home park. In every case in Buncombe County where there has been interest in community-based zoning, it has been in response to unwelcome development. The two communities in the county that enacted local zoning, Beaverdam to the north and Limestone to the south, did so out of concern, the former about housing development and the latter about a junkyard. IUnkVard. Currently, residents of an area on Goldview Road are investigating zoning because they do not want the new Craggy Prison located in their neighborhood. They approached the Commissioners for help in developing prohibitive zoning. The Commissioners responded by asking them to try to establish a community planning program for the whole French Broad Township, rather than just the Goldview Road area. Given strong anti-zoning sentiment present in rural Buncombe communities, it may be impossible to do that "Because of the differing opinions, zoning is a difficult question," says County Attorney Keith Snyder. "For the most part, where there's interest in zoning is in portions of townships that are highly urbanized. In the outer perimeters of the county, they are against it. "Rather than have piecemeal, partial zoning, I recommended to the Commission that they do a comprehensive analysis of the county. We know which areas are becoming urbanized. We know where the large tracts of undeveloped land are. Looking at all those things together, the Commission could then develop policy on where industry should locate and where there should be shopping centers and where there should only be residential building." In the meantime, county residents though in favor of protecting their community's water supply, clean air, and propeny values - may have little say in what happens in their neighborhoods. Reprinted from the Winter, 1988 issue of Dircovery News a publication of Asheville-Buncombe Discovery; 46 llaywood St. (Suite 336); Asheville, NC 28801. ~ SUMMER - 1988 �REST IN PERPETUAL WILDERNESS by Billy Campbell In the densely popula1ed highlands of the island of New Guinea in the lands of the once cannibalistic Fore ( pronounced "!or-AY") tribe, there are still pockets of untouched wilderness. These are the sacred groves, or pies masalai, near which the bodies of their dead are buried. The Fore regard these areas with/ear, believing that here the ghosts of the dead are waiting to possess the bodies of any who enter. Because of their fear, beamif11l, wild, untouched stands of the original forest still exist in the midst ofagricultural lands and a teeming human population. When my father died, the funeral director, a decent person and a friend from childhood, steered us toward his top-of-the-line casket It cost more than a lot of cars do. We settled instead for the only wooden model that he had. He cautioned us that it was not "watertight," but consoled us with the fact that Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright on the TV show "Bonanza") was buried in an identical casket could we not put the money that is spent on expensive burials and sterile plots into the purchase of natural settings that could also act as protected habitat areas?.....Sacred groves, certainly. The money that we invest in funerals and "perpetual care" today is considerable. The Wall Street Journal stated in May of 1985 that there is more than $4 billion invested in funeral trusts in this country. I live where the mountains drop to the piedmont in South Carolina. Land here goes for $800 per acre. Together, one thousand members of a memorial society, each contributing $1,000 (which is only one-quarter the cost of my father's burial) could purchase l,250 acres of land: a The pies masaJais of the Fore inspired me with a different idea. I would rather have laid my father's body to rest in a wild setting, full of the quiet and peace of nature...a place reached by a trail instead of a road, where trees would stand guard over my father's remains and in turn be nourished by him to stand tall in his memory. Why is this not possible? Why While some might want their remains cremated and their ashes scattered, others would want a marker designating a specific place of interment. Instead of the usual tombstones, more natural markers would be appropriate. ln keeping with the concept of creating vigneues of wilderness, living plants, or colonies of plants, might be best. A particular burial site might be graced by a colony of orchids,for example, or perhaps trilliums. Living memorials could be coordinated by a resident restoration ecologist in areas that have been heavily impacted. ln such a setting, an American chestnut tree might make a particularly good memorial. Because of the continuing blight problem, native chestnuts will probably need human help if they are to survive outside of orchards. The setting would offer a rich source for ritual. Imagine a communion ceremony using chestnut bread and muscadine wine. Limited harvesting of stunted rrees from the forest would yield materials to make heirloom baby cradles, marriage beds, or even caskets. While it is consistent with most religious beliefs, the practice of using funeral parks could be transforming, "greening" Christianity, Islam, or other spiritual practices. Next he showed us the vaults. The first was Italian scrolled, guaranteed not to leak for 100 years and able to withstand thousands of pounds per square foot of overpressure. I cold the director that it all seemed silly. First of all, who was going to check to see if it leaked, and who cared if it did? Such strength might come in handy if we were trying to protect the corpse from a direct nuclear strike. but otherwise it seemed pretty useless. I suggested that we not have a vault. The director seemed aghast at the idea. "Billy, the casket you picked is not watertight. If you don't get a vault, in a few years the ground above will.....sink. in. Family members would have to deal with the fact that din and water are.....going in .....on the loved one." Ultimately, my father's body was pumped full of toxic chemicals, placed in a casket, which was placed in a vault, buried in an over-manicured graveyard, and covered with pea gravel. The whole affair cost $4,000.00. parks are hazardous waste dumps, filled with small, sealed capsules of toxic chemicals, the grass abpve artificially maintained a perfect green with another assortment of toxic materials. significant parcel of land that would serve as a lasting (and, to my mind, a fitting) legacy for furure generations. Large undeveloped tracts near towns would be the first sites to be considered as memorial forest areas, especially those unlikely to be protected by government or other private programs. Unprotected Indian mounds, especially those in proximity to extensive woodland areas, would be prime sites. The membership in a given area might sponsor a survey and biological inventory of significant sites. Burials in this memorial forest would have to be simple. Bodies could not be preserved, and any containers would have to be built of easily degradeable materials. Formaldehyde, with which bodies are preserved in standard practice, is a poisonous material. Present-day memorial I wish my body to nourish a part of the Living forest, marked only by a colony of trilliums or a chestnut tree, in an area that would be pleasant and rejuvenating for others to visit, in which they would be reminded of life's continuing cycles of growth and death, decomposition and rebirth. This would be truly a sacred place. Any others who are interested in joining a memorial forest society may inquire (send no money, please) of: Dr. Billy Campbell P.O. Box 152 Westminster, SC 29693 or write to the: Katuah Regional Land Trust Rt. 2, Box 108-A Whittier, NC Katuah Province 28789 ~ p (see page 11) Dr. Billy Campbell practices family medicine in Westminster. He is a good Scot and true to his clan. Drawing by: Wes Wyau KATUAH - page 14 SUMMER - 1988 �r THE RIDGE There is a ridge in southern Virginia over which I enter and leave my farm. Deer leap and call on this ridge, ground hogs scurry to their holes, wild turkeys range. An almost white skunk lives in an old pile of handmade brick, which I would like to use were they not his home. I've seen a silver fox on this ridge, and thought a 'possum really dead, and sat spellbound as deer walked close and looked at me. Here the moon rises damp and close and the stars seem near touching. The unseen life of night lingers in the early dew and the sun rises with ringing echo from two ridges and a river over, where a farmer calls his cows. Unless fog has quietened the world, a blue line of distant ridges separates the sky from all the fields and tree tops that lie before it. The day's last color slips westward behind a mountain that humps large and green, protective. Breeze skips up the pass to this high place or shifts to wind that rushes in from the woods to the north. An unmaintained road cuts beyond those woods down to the house, too steep in ice or mud for my jeep. I park atop the ridge and climb a split rail fence. Pasture grass nods as I walk, and halfway down the familiar path, cool air from the spring dampens my face. Grouse flap the air as they rise. I glimpse my house in the hollow below. The ridge is more than passage to my home and place where I walk at each days beginning and end. The land itself is a friend to talk to and the animals answer. Here I learned to stand alone and discovered myself joined to all life. It is my place of beginning and entry to a larger world. © 1988 &y Nancy Bcir nharcit KATUAH - page 15 SUMMER-1988 �FARMERS AND THE FARM BILL By Chip Smith Late in 1985, the U.S. Congress passed into law the Food Security Act, or "Farm Bill." According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the administrating agency, the intent of the bill is to "reduce soil erosion, minimize the amount of wetlands and grasslands being converted to cropland, and reduce surplus commodities, which in rum will strengthen the overall farm economy.'' The impetus for this bill was the realization that the governme.nt has actually encouraged soil erosion and loss of wetlands by allowing farmers to include highly erodible lands and converted wetlands as part of their "base acreage" for a variety of farm support programs. This policy contributed to the crop surplus and falling commodity prices which have fueled the recent era of unpaid loans and farm forecloswes. To Congress, "farm" means the corporate superfarms of the west, midwest and coastal regions, but agriculture in Karuah is affected as well. Legislation passed in Washington cannot afford to be sensitive to special problems and paradoxes on the local level. But in Kanfah, implementation of the Farm Security Act is rife with paradox. While the goals of the act are necessary and valid and the principles on which it is based are admirable, the sweeping generalizations in its provisions are causing hardship and loss and may force more small farmers off their mountain landholdings. In Katuah, agriculture is a small-scale industry that is no longer the major contributor to soil erosion problems. A "Land Development Security Act" or a "Road Construction Security Act" would be more effective in controlling soil loss and stream siltation. Yet, the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill state that fields with a slope greater than nine percent are "highly erodible land" and are to blame for excessive erosion and lost productivity. Furthermore, if farmers are to receive the benefits of the various farm support programs, they must submit approved conservation farm plans by 1990 and have them implemented by 1995. The locaily governed Soil and Water Conservation Districts, with assistance from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, are in charge of plan approval. The Conservation Reserve Program has also been established for those who wish to be subsidized for retiring croplands to pasture or tree farms. At the head of Long Branch in Yancey County, North Carolina two old timers, Raines and Eugene Hughes tend burley tobacco. Their farm is an original version of small-scale mountain agriculture. They bought it as a gullied-out and overgrown depression farm in 1936. KATUAH-page 16 Today, the pastured hills, neat garden, and "baccer" patch reveal much of their independence and stewardship. Proud and outspoken, they resent what they feel is a judgment passed on their farming abilities. "Well, I tell you - I don't think too much of that Farm Bill myself," said Raines. "You don't have much freedom anymore, do ya? Somebody telling you something what to do all the time, seems like. "Anytbing's gonna get eroded, if it's not got a cover on it" And Eugene said, "We've always farmed that way, ever since we were kids. Our dad was the first man to start that in this section here. It looks like a plan to cut us small farmers out, is what it looks like." Today, the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill require the installation of erosion control practices such as terrace systems, grassed water ways, field borders, and/or alternate year crop/cover crop rotations. For mountain farmers already short on tillable land, conservation compliance means fewer crops, smaller profits and a questionable future. Tobacco has been a staple of mountain agriculture for generations, because tending burley is a labor intensive, family operation. It requires very little mechanization: a borrowed tractor and planter and the garden tiller will do. The labor needed for weeding, cutting, hanging, and grading the leaf is provided by family members. Tobacco growing is possible with resources mountain people have, and a productive season can bring a profit of at least $2000 an acre. "To fellers like us it means a lot," said Eugene. "It goes right back on the farm, what we get from tobacco. That's what we set aside to pay our taxes, buy our fertilize, and such. "People here in these mountains depended on tobacco until these factory plants came to town. We're one of the few who still live off the farm." Raines and Eugene realize the good intentions of the Farm Bill, but as Eugene put it, "Those fellers haven't been outta Washington in a while: "lf we was younger we'd kick more. We always looked forward to farming all our life. People say anymore: Well, I may farm this year and I may not next year.' Nowadays a feller will just get him a job at the plant." Raines said, "It's a haphazard way to farm. It's just turned around from the way it used to be." Realizing an too well the consequences of noncompliance, Eugene lamented, "We're gonna try to comply with the law. Take two fellers that's 75 and 77 years old - we've not got too many years to grow, have we? We're Appalachian paupers, but proud of it." In the midst of renewed interest in stewardship and small-scale mountain agriculture, many of our teachers are packing up shop. These mountains are no longer a barrier to the fast paced "outside world." An inflated land market has pushed propeny values out of the reach of local Plant jobs are pulling family people. members off the farm, and discount stores entice them away from agrarian values. Tobacco abuse kills, but an alternative crop to fill the place of burley in mountain agriculture hasn't been found. In short, while the Farm Bill may help clear the streams, in the Appalachian mountain country it is inadvenently contributing to the demise of a way of life. SUMMER- 1988 �"Relating to the Land" (These are the words of a traditional Cherokee medicine person) My grandfather told me that one day when his grandfather was sick and they knew that he was going to die, he called together some friends and the members of his family and spoke to them. My grandfather was jost a boy at the time, and he could not hear what was said, but his grandfather got up and he looked strong and healthy. The old man gathered a group of men and boys, and, though he was young, my grandfather was allowed to accompany them. They walked and camped for a month through western NQitb Carolina and parts of eastern Tennessee. They carried his grandfather some of the time, but most of the time he walked by himself. They went to places that, seen through a boy's eyes, seemed insignificant to my grandfather. They would go to a rock and his grandfather would look at it and rub all over it, and then maybe he would tell them to take him to some little creek up in a cove someplace, and he would peer around in there. He was tcliving bis history. These were places that were familiar to him, that represented part of his life, and each place was important to the old man. To him, the land was personal. These places wetc a part of himself. They were alive as the world was alive. Western culture sees the world as dead. But the Indian People know the Earth as a living organism. The screams are the Earth's blood. The soil is the flesh. The plants and the leaves are the hair. The rocks are the bones. The wind is the breath. The Earth is one living organism, and the human race is part of that organism, not something set apart. Everything has a spirit. Everything that is living seems to be an in. ividual entity, separate to itself. Each of us seems d to be an individual. bot actually, we are each made op of trillions of parts - things that can be seen and things that cannot be seen. And all those pans are dependant on one another. The planet is the same way. It is the same kind of life just larger. And the human species is just one of the pans of the Great Life. Collectively, the individual spirits of everything that lives make up the Great Spirit When you conjure, and you hook into power, that is your power. But you have to feel part of it first. We get our power from being able to move evenly with the other pans of the Great Life. There is no trick or magic to it, other than knowing yourself as a pan of this life. KATUAH-page 17 Our gifts of intelligence and creativity were given to us so we could be caretakers, so we could perpetuate the Great Life. It is our role, our pan of the plan, to be conscious. The side effect of that is ego. Some people call it lust or sin, but it's separation from God. It's true, because what we have here is God, whatever it is. At some time the human race reached a point in its developement where our ego overrode all the innate understandings we had held since we were primeval slime, or whtaever we first were. Now, our biggest conflict is to concrol our intellect that has grown by such leaps and bounds in such a short period of time. Our shortcomings are reflected in the culmination of European or western culture, which is highly individualistic: Western culture makes people believe that the Earth begins when they are born, and is over when they die. They have the most incredible notion that there is a God up in the sky that serves us alone and, the ultimate of ego, that we are created in his image. He made everything on this planet for our use, and if we can't use it, it's a weed or crash. The best story my grandfather ever told to show the difference between European and Indian ways was to say that when an Indian man bunts the bear, and be kills the bear, be gives thanks, and promises the bear to use all the parts of his body, for that is the bear's gift to us. If an Indian man goes out to hunt the bear, and the bear rips him down and eats him, there is no hostility against the bear. It wasn't the bear's idea that be was to eat meat The Creator.put this notion in him. . ., The people would mourn the man and grieve for him, but there was no anger toward the bear. It was just the creature's nature, just like it was the man's nature to be out hunting him. There was no separatiQn from the bear at all, If this were to happen to a white man, the others would go out and comb the mountains and kill any bear they saw. We arc all predators. But western man cannot tolerate another predator. Wolves, mountain lions.... white people don't want them out there as competitiou. They don't eat them. The only other predators western man eats are fish. They aren't going to eat a wolf, but they will kill him off. If a creature can be domesticated, controlled completely, and made useful to humans, then it's from God. If it can't be made useful, then they eliminate it God made a mistake there. · For European culture there. is no concept of balance, no concept that we are pan of a greater whole. It is alien; it's like they arc from another planet. Look at how they throw their crash and litter around! Would they do that at home? It all goes back to the ego that says we are made in the image of God and all this was created for us. In the body of the world, we are cancerous cells. Cancer is when a group of cells in the body goes crazy for one reason or another. There are environmental reasons for why we are acting so crazy, reasons which we created ourselves. But there are still some deeper reasons why we are susceptible to this disease of the spirit. After all, we are the product of millions and millions of years of evolution, and everything else is evolving along with us. We m responsible for ourselves. We may not be able to stop accidents, or something somebody else does to us; but the sickness and disease, we are responsible for all that. The world was not made for us alone. My grandfather's grandfather said that we are mainly observing what is happening in our own lives. We can dodge things a little bit to the left or to the right, but the major aspects of things we are just observing. Observation....tbat's what we are doing. SUMMER - 1988 �- Soil acidification could release bound aluminum in toxic amounts. - Nutrients could be leached out and lost from acidified soils. - Excess nitrogen, acidification, or released heavy metals could deplete or destroy soil microorganism populations or the mycorrhizae fungi, which Live in a beneficial relationship with the roots of the spruce and fir trees, causing nutrient deficiencies. NATURAL WORLD NEWS REPORT "IT COMES ON A MIST..... " "The bottom line is that someone at some point has to make a decision as to whether or not the evidence is strong enough to do something about acid rain ..... "We have a lot nwre informarion now than we did two to three years ago. The nwnality of trees has increased tenfold over the past five years. But we could spend another 50 years studying this issue and never gather enough proof to slww that A plus B equals C." - Roben Bruck, to the AsbeyWe Ciifilul, March 5, 1988 Since 1983 Dr. Robert Bruck has been coordinating a team of field scientists from North Carolina State University (NCSU) investigating the mysterious dieback of the spruce/fir forest that was once a grand mantle draped over the shoulders of Mount Mitchell and the other peaks of the Black Mountain range (see KatUah Journal #9). Using the most sophisticated equipment, the researchers have been testing the soil, soil microorganisms, and the trees themselves, to determine the amount of airborne pollution the mountaintops are receiving and the effects of this pollution. Their field work is supported by experiments in climate control chambers and greenhouse tests to determine the tolerances and parameters of the tree species. Another team of NCSU scientists funded by the Environmental Protection Agency doing intensive studies of the chemistry of the orographic (associated with mountains) cloud cover that shrouds Mt. Mitchell and the Blacks for 250 days of the year. The data these scientists have produced are chilling. During the year 1986-87 Ml. Mitchell received approximately 122 kilograms/hectare (roughly equal to pounds per acre) of acidified sulfates. Ouring that same period approximately 65 Kg/ha (lbs/a) of nitrates were deposited on the mountaintop. Ozone, when in the lower atmosphere, is a gaseous pollutant panicularly damaging to plants. It is formed when nitrogen oxides are combined with the hydrocarbons produced by auto exhaust in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is frequently present at concentrated levels at the top of Mt. Mitchell. Of 3,000 readings taken during 1986, one quarter approached or exceeded a level of 80 ppb (parts per billion), which was shown in greenhouse tests to be acutely toxic to young fir and spruce trees. At the same time the mountaintops are bathed in an acidic mist which registers a 2.5-3.4 pH level. Because pH is figured KATIJAH - page 18 Cm.tree logarithmically, the clouds' lowest pH levels are 1,000 times more acidic than normal atmospheric conditions. Precipitation, which is more diluted, ranges from pH 4.0-5.0. Those clouds, so gentle in appearance, are panicularly threatening to the upland forests. They are formed by moisture-laden air, which, as it rises over the mountains, cools and condenses into fog. In the process it attracts and bonds with particles of airborne, water-soluble pollutants, and this concentrated, poisonous broth settles on the tree needles, where much of the toxic payload is absorbed before the droplets fall, branch by branch, to the soil. The variety of chemicals in the mist solution could affect the trees in different ways at each stage of their journey to the eanh: - Acidification could damage or destroy foliage, as was observed after one highly acidic cloud covered the mountaintop. Forty-eight hours later the rips of exposed spruce needles were brown and dead. - Acidic oxides, alone or in combination with ozone, could leach nutrients from the foliage. -The chemical pollutants could interfere with the tree's metabolic processes. - Excess nitrogen could increase susceptibility to frost and freeze damage. Pollutants can also work through the soil. In one experiment. seedlings were planted in soil taken from the top of Mt. Mitchell to a lower elevation. 93% of the seedlings died. Examination of the soil showed that it was highly acidified and low in the nutrient elements calcium and magnesium. Toxins in the soil could damage trees by some or any of these means: To come to grips with the problem of the airborne pollutants, " ..... the scientific and policy-making communities wilJ have to find common ground in dealing wich 'imperfect knowledge,"' wrote Dr. Bruck. He is warning us that, although his team and other scientists will be keeping up the intensive investigations they have maintained for the last five years, it would be a mistake co postpone decision-making until a clear and simple cause-and-effect relationship is proven. The situation is simply too complex. That the high-altitude boreal forest is being subjected to massive doses of airborne pollutants is clear. But it is impossible to isolate a single chemical compound or a single process as being the sole culprit for the forest decline. The different chemical permutations and possibilities are endless, as would be the wait if positive proof of the reasons for the tree dieback were required. It has been clearly shown, however, that a great percentage of the sulfates being carried on the air currents are produced by coal-fired utility plants and smelcing industries. It is also known that most free nitrates are put into the air by automotive exhaust emissions. There are sophisticated scrubbers presently on the market that, if installed in the tall industrial smokestacks, could remove much of the sulfates now being spewed into the air. Catalytic converters are now being developed that could reduce the level of nitrates produced by automotive traffic by 85%, according to Bruck. Nothing is going to avert the need for a basic change in the way we live our lives, but we are not going to have the chance to effect a change, unless we take steps to alleviate the ecological catastrophe we are creating. And, meanwhile, we are sacrificing other species daily to our wantonness. Again quoted by the Ashcyil le ~Bruck said: 1: 0 300 j 200 E £ "The technology is available today, right now, to clean up the vast majority of the problems I am showing you the daJa on. Tlrat is what can be done if you decide as a society that this is a problem and that we need to do something abouz it." 100 5 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95 1~ 115 125 0.-IPl>DI SUMMER- 1988 �NATURAL WORLD NEWS REPORT Duke Power Company of Charlonc, NC, intends 10 purchase the Nantahala Power and Light Comany (NP&L) in Katuah Province. The Linc is proposed 10 carry bulk electricity from Duke installations on the piedmont to Nantahala's service area in the mountains. But scratching away the surface reveals that there is more, much more, at stake in this project than the needs of a small rural utility company. The Linc is 10 be 26 miles long, strung from hilltop to hilltop on towers that would range from 125 10 175 feet in height and 100 feet wide at the base, costing at least $30 million to construct. It will carry two 230 kilovolt (KV) high-tension lines from Duke installations in the Jocassee watershed to a point near Cashiers, NC, from which point a single 161 KV line would continue on to tie in with a sub-station planned for construction in the small community ofTuckascgee in Jackson County, NC. The Line would climb out of the Jocassee Watershed, leaving an ugly scar through the basin of the Toxaway River. Along its route The Line would march up the sides and over the top of Toxaway Mountain, marring the face of that mountain beloved by residents and summer people alike in Transylvania County, NC. It would stretch along the sides of the Pamhcnown Valley, a spectacular area that harbors sights of sheer cliffs and rare vegetation not 10 be found anywhere else in the cast. The Linc would bisect imponant wild habitat areas in the Greenland Creek drainage and the Tuckascgee River Valley, which arc large areas of uninterrupted forest that would be cut in two and laid open forever after to disruption by humans and their machines. Fanher down the valley, The Line would swallow up property and homes and heedlessly push aside families who have lived on the same farms and homesites for generations. One evening in May representatives of citizen and environmental groups and residents of the NP&L service area came together to talk about The Linc. As the conversation moved around the table, and each participant spoke of his or her own perspective or fears on the issue, the pieces of the giant jigsaw puzzle that is Duke's master plan for the Kauiah Province, fell into place. Ripped Off by Alcoa Veronica Nicholas, a county commissioner in Jackson County, told of a decade-long struggle between a group called Citizens for Low-Cost Power and the Alcoa Aluminum Company, the industrial giant that presently owns NP&L (sec Katuah Journal #3). Originally, Alcoa had set up hydroelectric generating facilities on the TV A lakes in the Tuckasegee River watershed as a public utility, which meant DUKE'S POWER PLAY that the company had certain privileges in acquiring land and setting rates that went along with the obligation to provide power to the residentS of the area. However, soon after the generating facilities were completed, Alcoa split its holdings into two companies, Tapoco Company and NP&L. Tapoco, although it was originally established as pan of a public utility, was kept to feed Alcoa's voracious energy appetite. NP&L remained a utility to provide for the area residents, but it was clearly a "neglected stepchild" of the parent corporation. When Tapoco was a utility, almost all of the area's electrical needs were met with hydroelectric power generated in th.! mountains. After the split, NP&L's generating capacity had to be supplemented by power purchased outside the region. This resulted in the ludicrous situation of Alcoa siphoning cheap electric power from the mountains, while ratepayers in the hiUs paid to have nuclear power "wheeled in" from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Not only did the nuclear power cost more, but it had to pass directly through the Alcoa plant on its way back to the mountains! NP&L ratepayers finally rebelled in 1977 and began legal motions to regain the use of Tapoco's generating power and 10 recover the money with which they had been subsidizing Alcoa. The case went through extended litigation, until the ratepayers were flatly denied by an unsympathetic conservative bench on the US Supreme Court in 1987. "II feels that (with this sale) we arc simply changing masters," said Nicholas. "It is becoming increasingly clear that we are losing our power to determine the use of our natural resources. That's what my main input will be tonight: Tapoco is not included in thjs sale to Duke Power. Alcoa is trying to relieve itself of itS public obligations, just as it did in the l950's when it tried to sell its transmission lines to Duke. If this sale goes through, Tapoco will be supplying the power Alcoa needs for smelting aluminum, and our ability to provide for ourselves will be forever gone." Biology professor Dan Pittillo, chairman of the Western North Carolina Alliance and a resident of Jackson County, added, "NP&L has never been funded properly, and it has not been able LO keep up with their maintenance as they should, so that there is S40 million in maintenance that needs to be done in the next ten years. "Duke promised us that when they purchased the company, ratCS would remain stable for five years. rm thinking, though, that after that time the rates we will have to pay will go up from the 4.5-5 cents per kilowatt/hour that we arc paying now, to 8-9 cents per kilowatt/hour, which is about what Duke's rates arc at present" Pittillo also displayed a copy of a Duke Power annual report, published in February, 1988, which boasted that, "If regulators approve the acquisiton, we expect that NP&L will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Duke Power. The company (continued on next page) KATUAH-page 19 SUMMER- 1988 �HOLD THAT LINE! WHAT'S ON THE OTHER END OF THE DUKE POWER LINE? - HABITAT & SCENIC AREAS DESTRUCTION? - NUCLEAR DEPENDENCY AND NUCLEAR WASTE? - RATE HIKES FOR EXPENSIVE IMPORTED POWER? - MORE DAMS? ENERGY EXPLOITATION OF THE MOUNTAINS? )! ~; - .. c: • ·c LET'S GET THE FACTS BEFORE DUKE BUYS OUT NANTAHALA POWER AND LIGHT S! • - Write to the public staff of the NC Utilities Commission. Support their request to postpone hearings on the Nantahala sale until, September. Address: Antoinette-Wike, Public Staff, NC Utlltltles u c • 2 S! ,, > c( .Cl Commission, P.O. Box 29520, Ralelgh, NC 27626 M ,... fOf ttf HO\.D THAT llNIJ l o• - Otll• "°" NC tUU (continued from page 19) will in turn supply bulk power to supplement NP&L's hydroelectric generating system. To deliver that power, Duke will build a transmission line to the NP&L system and gain a direct link.for the first time with the 7VA, which serves more than 3.1 million customers in seven states. That link will create the opportunity for other bulk power sales to the west." (emphasis ours) Showdown at Coley Creek Sitting near Pinillo was Bill Thomas, public lands chair for the NC state Sierra Club chapter and a co-chairman of the Jocassec Watershed Coalition. Duke has nlready damaged a pristine wilderness area in that basin with a pumped-storage project on Bad Creek. Thomas said, "The Jocassee Watershed Coalition is tied up with this transmission line in some fashion, because Duke is considering putting a second 2100 megawau pumped-storage facility on Coley Creek at a cost of $3.3 billion dollars. We thought aJI along that they were jiggering their electrical demand forecast to make it appear as if they would need a 5,000 megawatt output in their service area by the year2000. "What I'm thinking now, when I sec this NP&L move, is that there is no penalty co Duke for over-forecasting if they have this pipeline to the west. What we are seeing is the use of North Carolina resources being used for Duke's profit, as they extend their tentacles to the west. That's a matter of public policy that needs to be debated quite fiercely." Thomas continued, "Jim Hendricks, principal engineer of Duke's design division, and others have told us that the ultimate plan is to put in a 500 KV line. That means that any route that is chosen will have two sets of towers and a 1,000·1,500 foot right-of-way. "500 KV lines are up in the voltage range where possible adverse health effects are something you can't just brush off. I don't know much about electromagnetic KATIJAH - page 20 radiation fields, but it has been brought up as a possible cause for health problems in other places." "Why, western North Carolina is being set up like dominoes!" someone exclaimed. "If they can get that line in, then they can justify Coley Creek. And, while they've been saying they need it to supply NP&L, all along they've been wanting to sell power to TVA and even further west!" ''What we are seeing is the use of North Carolina resources being used for Duke's profit, as they extend their tentacles to the west. That's a matter of public policy that needs to be debated quite fiercely." "We Didn't Want to See lt" A woman resident from the Sapphire Community, located along the route of The Line as it passes through Transylvania County, said, "It would have been just above our house. We didn't want to see it, but we didn't know what effect physically living under those lines would have. So we sold our house because of it "Duke gave us a very good price. We asked them if we should price it without our furniture, but they said that they wanted co keep the furnishings, because they were going to use the house for an executive retreat. That doesn't sound like a public service company to me." Dan Pittillo said, "A main issue in this discussion is the attitude that Duke is taking. Duke is working like an aggressive business 1hat is interested in selling power and keeping people working on their projects. They are doing what is good for business. Their interest is not the people whom they are supposed to be serving. They are not interested in conserving energy. Why, if Duke were on a conservative bent, they would have no need for this whole system whatsoever!" Others in the room spoke as well. Several Jackson County residents were unalterably opposed to Duke Power's nuclear record and the company's lobbying effons to bring the Southeastern Compact's low-level radioactive waste dump to North Carolina. They wanted 1he NP&L sale stopped completely. Some of the most vigorous opposition came from members of a property-owners' group around Lake Toxaway, whose main interest was in maintaining the value of their area as a vacation spot. They complained of Duke's high·handed methods in not consulting with local people as The Line was being planned, buying the right-of-way propenies under false pretenses, and announcing the project only after the property was purchased and the company was already commi11ed to a specific route. Although Duke's publicity said alternate routes were being considered, the propeny-owners said that the company could produce no alternative plans when asked to do so. The group gathered together that evening represented different people from different points of view, but each piece added co the puzzle made the whole picture of Duke Power Company's plans for the "development" of Katuah become more frighteningly clear. David Wheeler SUMMER 1988 �Tiffi CHEROKEE MICRO-HYDROELEC1RIC DEMONSTRATION PROJECT: An Appropriate Community Energy System (Readers are referred to the article "llomemade Electricity• by Richard llotaJing in Ka11jah Journal #4 concerning the value, simplicity, importance, and •how-10• of micro-hydroelecrric power gtner01io11.) Tucked away in the shade of a cool mountain holler on the Cherokee Indian Reservation is a prototype of an advanced technology still little-known to the world. It 1s not made with circuits and capacitors, but rather with concrete, plastic pipe, and common sense. It is a micro-hydroelectric system that taps the kinetic energy of the Galamore Branch, a small creek flowing down from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into the Raven Fork in the Big Cove Community. Electricity produced at the site powers the Big Cove Head Stan Center, the Big Cove Community Center, and the Big Cove Volunteer Fire Department building. The project has been developed through the cooperation of Appalachian State University, the Energy Division of the Nonh 01rolina Depanment of Commerce, and Save the Children, lnc .. by Michael Red Fox With its abundant water supplies and steep slopes, the Katuah Province is ideally suited by climate and topography for micro-hydro power production. It is hoped that the Cherokee project will serve as a model that will help increase popular awareness that micro-hydro is a benign, narural, and renewable energy resource and will encourage the development of micro-hydroelectric sites in other areas of Kan1ah. The site on Galamore Branch was located in an early study of micro-hydroelectric si1es in Katuah. The study found 1,950 suitable micro-hydro sites in the mountains that would be capable of producing a combined potential output of 34,000 kilowaus of energy if developed. Fifty-three of these sites are on the Cherokee Indian Reservation and represent a combined potential output of970 kilowaus. The Big Cove micro-hydro system divens a design flow of 1.2 cubic feet per second through a six inch diameter PVC penstock (pipe) for a distance of 2,500 feet 10 develop a net head (drop) of 210 feet The intake structure is located at a point where the streambed is less than six feet wide and consists of a poured concrete dam, which divens water into a concrete seuling basin. The energy generated by the falling water is convened by a Pelton turbine wheel into a design power output of 12 kilowaus. The small turbo-generator is located beside the Head Start pre-school building, which is the primary load center that utilizes most of the electricity produced The maximun load for lhe pre-school is 7.4 kilowatts, which is currently being reduced somewhat through load management devices and more efficient lighting. Under federal law, small electricity producers have a right to be connected into the commercial power grid. However, the Galamore Branch project is too small for interconnection to be cost-effective. Operating on a "stand-alone" basis (not connected to the larger utility grid) requires a ballast to prevent the electrical generator from over-speeding when the load is low. Currently the ballast load is divened into two three-kilowatt resistance space heaters mounted on the basement wall of the Head Stan Center. However, plans call for an integra1ed system in which the micro-hydro plant will complement a passive solar greenhouse to be built on the side of the school building, which will include water containers for a solar algae pond aquaculture operation. The water absorbs solar heat directly and will not need backup heating in the winter. But electrical resistance coils buried in a bed of sand below the containers will act as electrical ballast for the micro-hydro system and will provide additional heat for the tanks. It is fitting that the Cherokee people are developing this energy alternative. By utilizing lhe natural products of the ever-circling environment, they are following the traditional values of their culture in a modem context. Micro-hydroelectric power is a liberating technology. lt is a technology scaled to living and working in place. It has minimal negative environmental impacts and could be a significant resource in developing the new, land-based economv of Katuah. Micro-hydroelectric power production is site specific: each unique stream site determines a different configuration for a micro-hydro system. But the principles are everywhere 1he same. The Galamore Branch project provides descriptive exhibits and workshops on micro-hydroelectric power generation. For information on visiting the project, contact: Save the Children Box33J Cherokee, NC Ka/Uah Province 287I 9 or call (704) 497-6092 Michail Red Fox Is a whitt person living on the Cherokl!e Indian Reserva1io11. fie was involved in the design a11d construction of tht micro-hydroelectric instal/Olion 011 Gal.amore Branch aN1 is now head opera/or of the project. KATIJAH- page21 SUMMER-1988 �spruce mountain song DRUMMING LETTERS TO KATUAH ~ If I could take this broken world and give it back it's trees it's gentle healing summer rain f ~ it's clear, cool, autumn breeze then I could rake the magic of the wood the magic of the mind and spread it then to ail my kin to all of humankind ~ ~ .i And yet I know even as I speak that this cannot be done J. I feel the earth through every pore my healing bas begun we start out as a candle flame we will become the sun ~~i ~ ~ ~ ::°'b::::g: ~ethe ~ l ~. - earth Mara Bradburn, 16 ~ Robert Stough Deny.PA '..t :rl· ~~ ;~ ~ ~ 4 ~ ~ ; ~.g ~.~ i· ~ ~ .... .It's funny how I picked today to read this issue of Katuab, because I took a long walk through the woods today with my neighbor (I live in the mountains of north Georgia). We walked an old road that runs by Sharp Mt. Creek I often stopped to wonder what life was like here in these woods hundreds of years ago and how peaceful it must have been to be one with nature, in this sacred land. I will be looking forward to bearing from you. Valerie Ansted Jasper, GA ~ ~ ~ kt. ~ !§ t~~~~~~~~~.\t:19~..~~~~ . Dear Kattlah, We're busy in this area trying to repel the Superconducting Supercollider the governor of this state thinks should be in Durham, Granville, and Person counties. We're talking forced relocation of (at least) 100 or so families, some who have lived here for 5-7 generations already. The SSC is an atom smasher (53-mile underground circle), that will produce particles of energy called muo.ns, that will penetrate soil, rock and groundwater tables. It will only be used for 25 years, at which time they have no idea bow they will deal with the leftovers (our children). Please help us pray for the Eanh and our children here in the flatlands. Tara Clayton Rougemont, NC KATUAH - page 22 summer morning dew, the nightclouds gone, dawnlight glowing on the old sugar maples, tree-snails stiJTing in its thick moss-fur, i take the deer-trails through soaking meadows, thoughts flowing with the yellow swallowtails over hucklebeny meadows bumming with bees, past moccasin orchids, young ferns in the sun, through flame azaleas and wind-twisted birch into deep spruce shadows, mossy and still, then down a ways along a faint grassy trail to a cool spring among ancient spruce/sages, and rested there awhile. a stone for a pillow, a feather in the hair of the wild old nx>untain, then wandered on, sailing with the ravens over jwnbled rockfields and tangles blowdowns, by flowering witch-hobble, snow-petaled comets, sparrows chatting in gnarled gray hawthorns, a lone swallow skimming the crest above the broken wing of the old wrecked plane, i a thoughtless seed drifting on the wind, each moment a cosmos sprouting, waves of gn:cn mountains rolling me home, soaring free, clear blue sky in all my mind Dear KatUa b, Thanks so much for the time and interest you are giving to help make our vision become a reality. Without such concern of kindred spirits we know that very little would ever be accomplished. As I mentioned to you, we need any useful donations of building materials, hand tools, garden tools, heavy farm equipment. livestock, and even workers to help clear and build shelters on over 18 acres, recently purchased to provide needy people with a "farming community home"! Thanks again, Cherie & Tom Lowry Rt.#5, Box 216 T Ellijay, GA 30540 (404) 838-4636 SUMMER- 1988 �APPALACHIAN SLEEP In sleep, each tree becomes the one cree, each flush of rhododendron, color for the cheek oflhedream I rub with dozing fingers, each mountain, something to climb without thinking, to soar above it effonlessly as a brash-feathered bird. I do not leave the glorious ou~lde as I slip beneath , the sheet but bring it w\tb me, to wearcomfonabJy, to wrap round the child's soft body. John Grey C RMDESIGNS Spring Equinox Dream 1988 There is a group of us out on a kind of platfonn and we are watching a performance: dancing and farting around. It feels more like a show than a performance. There are some of the kids among us participating in the performance that is going on to music. It is a kind of trapeze they are playing on that is pulling them over humps in the straps etc. They seem to be having fun playing on it, though the apparatus does not seem to be working very well. At some point we realize that !here is an authority that is about to impose a soning on us. We each have numbers and are seated on these smooth rounded pebble like soners that glide easily on the floor surface. As we are being sorted we go through openings in which we can not see the ends or where they come out. I realize that I do not have a number, and begin to also realize that I am being sorted toward the low end of the numbers. People with low numbers or no numbers are soned for extinction by the brutal authority. As I am finally sorted into this category 1 become restless and begin to search for ways to get over to the groups with higher numbers, such as 8 or 9 and find it very intimidating and difficult. There seem to be no physical police yet their presence is still felt. I have with me a metallic object that has on it a symbol like a planet or a rounded form and a there is a feather sticking out of it It becomes a spirit guide to me as 1 get a rush of energy from it and find my way to survival. This magic symbol in metallic form spoke to me with wisdom and 1 easily made it to the group that slipped past the authority. It showed me that I had my own energy with which to escape the trap that was made. Later we are walking through a passageway and I am so amaz.ed that we made it through alright. I remember the spirit guide and its assistance. Together some friends and I realize that this is all a movie of ourselves that we are watching, and we are walking out of a kind of theatre in the earth. Soon we are all together in the yard of our house around a fire. There is a friend who is burning huge sticks of incense and we are talking, and eating, and laughing. RM You know Sometimes in the quiet cool of summer dusk I sit oo the porch after a rain has washed the dark mountains and covered them with quiet mist a restless dream rising and rolling and the still hum of a million trees lulling to the milky sky like This moment as the river murmurs in its sleep a hot tongue of lightning licks a distant ridge the husky voice of far off thunder sends a shudder through the bedded earth she turns and breathes a long green sigh and in her subtle sleepy way Whispers the answer - Tony Fisher KA TUAH - page 23 SUMMER- 1988 �A Conversation with Ruth and Rio of Celo Community continued from p. 10 Ruth: It was one of the worst things! -the worst! How to deal with multiflora rose. K: lt seems that people here have very different lifestyles and interests that keep them busy and not as involved with each other as they might be. That may make support difficult. Yet diversity can also be a strength ... the dark. Someone put a flashlight in the middle of the circle and there were just shadows... and there was such a difference in the way people were sharing! That was when I talked about the next workday...and I was able to be real vibrant and alive 'cause everyone wasn't staring at me. It was like I was in the dark by myself talking to I don't know who. Ruth: Yeah- I really value the large age diversity here. You have the wisdom of people who've been here so long and have been through all the processes and then you have the young sprouts wilh new ideas and energy--it's such a nice mixture. K: Because some want to use herbicides and some don't? Ruth: Yes, and some don't even care if we get rid of it Rio: What's neat about the older members is how open they are to new ideas. And how they can even joke about themselves and the community and how crazy it is here. Rio: And some say, "We've been fighting it forever and it's getting away from us so let's have careful use of chemicals and just get rid of it "...and it's become such a touchy subject people don't even want to bring it up anymore. Ruth: I remember hearing an older member talk about the process in the meetings being just like in a family--how you're certainly going to have disagreements so you just go ahead and have them and move on. And you still love each other because you're a family. Ruth: So it took some new people to say, "Let's go folks ... those who wanna do it, come on out - we'll have a great time!" K: So what'd you do? Rio: And knowing that the difficulties not only pass but that they're useful. And that new energy is coming in and things are moving constantly. Rio: We cut and grubbed... and got rid of a Jot! .~ Ruth : Life would be like that E anywhere, only there are more rewards and Ruth: And the same day a big group also cleaned up the river. People were really enthusiastic and had a fun time together. I'd like to see that trend continue. ~ more possibilities here than I can imagine :i d Ruth: People not being open with how they feel. Rio: I tend to say very little in the meetings because I'm often intimidated. Ruth: But you're loosening up. Rio: I have to-I'm secretary of the Property Committee so I have to read my minutes and if people think I didn't do it right I have to go through that. K: It's great you're doing it. Rio: It is. I do see it as a good process for me. Ruth: One of the best meetings we've had recently was last month's. There was a thunderstorm and the lights went out and three-fourths of the meeting took place in KATUAH-page24 K : Making a commitment to land is .9 Rio: Some of the complaints now are about how group process in the meetings is so difficult. .. K: Because of communication problems? having anyplace else. seems to give a blessing to whatever happens there. It almost assures success because the land is so giving in return. 1i' such an important thing to do these days .. .it ! K: Sounds like you should hold all of them that way! You mentioned relationships before and how important they are in communities ... yet some people probably came here panly to avoid deali.ng with others as much ...aod suddenly find they're as close as ever! Rio: That reminds me - Billy Bernstein wrote a hilarious song after he'd been here awhile -·it goes something like "I thought I was dropping out but it looks like rm dropping in"! Ruth: Celo is also getting fairly large and that makes group process all the more difficult Rio: And there arc so many opinions and the aim is to reach consensus on everything. It also seems that with groups in general it's hard to make commitments and follow through on what you say you'll do. It really takes supporting each other. Ruth: That makes me think about owning land. We owned some land in Minnesota and I never even felt like I owned it even though it was in my name. Holding land as a community feels much closer to true ownership. I want to call it stewardship. It's about taking care of land the way it needs to be taken care of and not about saying, "I can do whatever I want with it!" That doesn't even make sense to me. I'm really grateful to Arthur Morgan and the others who started this place - and all the work that's gone into it over the years. And the longer fm here, the more I appreciate it. It's such a healing place... there's healing going on, and you can't even put your finger on it - it's just happening. SUMMER - 1988 �The "'i4Jhtan4s of Roan continued from p. 7 The SAHC is leading the way in securing this much-needed protection. Examination of a broad range of alternatives has led SAHC to conclude that protection can best be accomplished through a blend of federal, state and private ownership. SAHC encourages governmental protection where appropriate, receives gifts of land and buys land from willing sellers using donated funds. To date, SAHC has protected approximately 900 acres through private means and has partially funded a 693-acre acquisition by the state of Tennessee. Approximately 9,500 acres still remain to be protected. SAHC's protection strategy Involves four approaches: I. Receive gifts of land, including conservation easements and other partial interests. 2. Encourage additional acquisition by Federal and State agencies. 3. Purchase lands or interests in lands with donated funds; own and manage such lands. The bulk of the protection will be accomplished by this means. 4. Register lands under the respective Stare Namral Area Registry programs; since registry is nm binding upon the registrant, it may be considered only temporary protection. Cooperating with SAHC in saving the Highlands are state agencies in North Carolina and Tennessee as well as the US Forest Service. Endorsing the program are the National Audubon Society, the Garden Club of America, the Appalachian Trail Conference, and numerous state 8Jld local organizations. Without an active plan for preservation, it is likely that much of the area now unprotected would eventually be purchased by developers. In the early days of the preservation effort, a part of the area was purchased by developers. Fortunately these tracts were since acquired by the US Forest Service. To date there have been two kinds of development pressures: 1) second homes and 2) high density recreation. Development activity bas been particularly strong o.n the North Carolina side of the mountain. The largest stngle development is on Beech Mountain, about 10 miles to the aonheas1 of the Highlands of Roan. A particularly controversial development is that on top of Sugar Mountain where a concrete ten-story condominium is visible from many points. Public outcry against this intrusion was so great that the NC Legislature passed a "ridge law" restricting construction on mountain tops; however, there is no equivalent law for the slopes. Numerous smaller developments are in the vicinity. Throughout the Newland-Linville-Boone area, second homes are appearing on many ridges and in rural areas. The high density recreation developments have so far been primarily oriented toward skiing. One large tract within the preservation project boundaries was earlier surveyed as a possible ski resort and determined to be among the top ten sites in the southeast. (The same tract was considered as a site for a Tennessee Regional State Prison.) There are large ski developments on nearby Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Big Bald, and at Seven Devils. If skiing business increases, development pressures will escalate. The adverse consequences of developments within a unique natural area are worth recounting: First, developments limit accessibility by the general public. The owners of second homes want privacy. Other facilities may be limited to club members or pacrons. Second, it is clear that the health of the animal populations within the Roan massif depends upon an adequate range over which they can roam and feed. The entire massif provides protection for certain species that individual tracts a lone cannot provide. Rare plant and animal species are more likely to survive in a large area of protected tracts. Third, the views from the higher summits depend absolutely on the absence of incompatible development on the massif itself, particularly within the project boundaries adopted by SAHC. High density recreation facilities, public or private, could be so heavily used that the present naturalness-would disappear. KATUAH- page 25 'lt is cCea.r that the health of the ani.mat poputati.ons wi.thi.n the .Roan massi.f depends u.pon an adequate ran9e over which they can rnam and feed. The enti.rn massi.f prnvi.des prntecti.on for certai.n. speci.es that i.ndi.vi.du.a[ tracts a!on.e cannot provi.de. SAHC realizes that the task of land protection cannot be accomplished simply by acquiring lands and conferring on them a certain conservation status. A continuing stewardship program must be exercised to prevent damage from ever-present threats to existing natural values. SAHC's plan is to keep the Highlands of Roan the way they are: to maintain the balds, to leave the forests undisturbed. to encourage retention of fanning and other rural activities on the lower slopes, and generally to let the lands be available to the visitor on foot. The overall goal of SAHC's stewardship program is to accommodate nondestructive scientific, educational, and recreational uses of the Highlands of Roan while protecting their biological and physical features. To assure survival of the rich fauna and flora of Roan Mountain, SAHC is keenly aware that management plans and preserve boundaries must consider both habitat diversity and t he total size of the a rea to be protected. Boundary and acquisition decisions based on the narrow distributions and requirements of individual plant species and a few special plant communities will not suffice. A broad view of the protection zone-·one which considers wildlife habitat, animal mobility, and critical population size--is more likely to ass ure preservation of both the flora and the vast wildlife legacy. Vital to the success of SAHC's plan to preserve the Highlands of Roan is a strong and successful fund-raising program. SAHC has launched a major effon to raise the approximately $10 million needed to complete the private share of the protection plan. Nearly $1,000,000 has been raised so far mainly from individuals. Individual memberships in SAHC are available from a $10 minimum Subscribing Membership to $1,000 or more as a Life Member. Currently SAHC bas approximately 1800 members in 40 states. SAHC also receives donations. The project is an excellent vehicle for individual tax-deductible giving. Appreciated land, securities and other property may be donated without payment of capital gains tax; donors may take a tax deduction on the market value of the gift as well. The donation goes into the land fund and is used for the acquisition of tracts within the project. SAHC also maintains a perpetual register of memorial gifts. Also a number of members have named SAHC as beneficiary in their wills; no estate taxes are payable on bequests to tax-exempt organizations. Another common form of giving is to take out a life insurance policy and make SAHC the beneficiary and owner of the policy. Such donations are tax-deductible as well as the premium payments. Becoming a member of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and volunteering time and skills is an excellent way to participate in the protection of this excraoidinary treasure-the Highlands of Roan. ~ Southern Appalachian Highlands Conser vancy P.O. Box 3356, Kingsport, TN 37664 (615) 323-3677 This ar1icle was compiled by Marnie Muller of Katuah Journal Crom SAHC materials, panicularly the SAHC Case Statement. Special thanlcs to Stan Murcay of SAHC. SUMMER-1988 �LEARNING COMMUNITY -Arth ur Morgan Schoolcontinucd from p. 12 'The reason we have such a variety of experiences and such an openness about giving the students choices is because we know that there arc things that each student can do well. We make an effon to help find out what they are, and we let them know in a sincere way that they arc good enough," said Patty. ttEvery situation is approached slightly differently. We try to give everybody involved a chance to talk about their perspective. We try to clarify all the specifics of any problem. We might use the chalkboard for writing 'this is his problem with the issue, and this is what he would like to see happen' and 'this is her problem and what she would like to see happen' to get everything clearly out 'This can be done in a small group, or in the all-school meetings which happen weekly. It is a consensus process and deals with the issue in a way that can satisfy everybody. Discipline often comes in the form of a proposal that is carried on during a trial period, such as from one all-school meeting to the next. and then re-evaluated." In this way students have the opponunity to participate significantly in making decisions that affect them. Cooperation is another quality needed in a healthy community. This means sharing the work as well as the play. Students arc involved in all phases of community responsibility - cooking, cleaning, wood gathering and spli11ing, and gardening. Wor k teaches responsibility and interdependence as well as practical skills. Patty said. "If a student doesn't want to do their chore at lunch, and their job is to wash dishes, then that throws everything off. It means that whoever is drying and potting dishes away can't do it, or has to wait In practical ways like that we try to poi.n t out that each student's personal actions affect everyone dse. "This isn't the right school for everybody. We want to be clear about what the school is. We're flexible in trying to meet each student's needs to an extent, but if a student has a problem with stealing things, for example, we're not willing to lock everything up so that ccnain student can remain here. If a student can't cope with the 'freedom within a structure' that we offer here, we're not going to change our whole philosophy." Elizabeth Morgan in her notes referred to a quote from Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi that summed up that philosophy: "A school should be built by the children, should seek to be self-supporting, and should never be finished!" , DE.SIGNS by Rob Messick 1 1tus1ra1lon & Design in Pen & Ink and Colored Pencil P.O. Box 2801 • Boone. NC 28007 • (704)7~; 111.TMVIOLET l'UWICATIOtl AHO fllTBllMO IYITfMI GM PlflODUCTI • WATSI AHAL\'Ill .HWY. 107 RAN~ C. LANIER ~2 RT. II IOX 125 CUL.1..0WHEE, NC am T-SHIRTS, SWEATSHIRTS For ADULTS and CHILDREN 15 ORIGINAL HANO-PRINTED NATURE DESIGNS EACH COWRFUL DESIGN IS PRlN'IED ON QUALITi T' s AND SWEATS Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic M. C. Majebe Licensed Acupuncturist 78 East Chestnut St. Ashevllle, NC 28801 (704) 258-901 6 KATIJAH - page 26 S~R-1988 �. ........ NABC ill From Aug 21-26, 1988, Lhe Third North A meric an Biorcgio na l Con gress (NABC III) will draw Turtle Islanders from all over the continent to Vancouver, British Columbia, for a five-day celebration of their varied cultural forms and their commitment to the restoration of ecological harmony on this pan of the planet NABC Ill will adopt a cultural focus, encouraging panicipants to express their bioregional identities by telling their stories, presenting displays and mapping projects, exhibiting their arts and craflS, and sharing their cerebral and ceremonial activities. For more information, write NABC III, Box 99, Lillooet, BC, Canada VOK !VO. Individuals or groups wishing to contact other NABC participants from Katliab may phone (704) 683-1414. For a copy of NABC ll Proceedings, a 112-page report on the 1986 Congress, send $11. 50 (p & h included) to Ha.rt Publishing, Box 1010, Forestville, CA 95436. Cry, Sacred G round: Big Mountai n U.S.A. (© 1988) by Anita Parlow js a compelling oral testimony of Navaho sheepherders who describe the religious beliefs that underlie the impressive resistance to stop a disinheritance from their sacred ground. The Navahos who share l11eir stories do so to make certain that what is happening will not be forgotten - and that it be stopped. As one Medicine Man told the author, "our children will know that we knew how to live.as' Navahos and we knew, too, how to die as Navahos. Cry, Sacred G ro und, produced by the Sacred Lands Project of the Christie Institute, includes 50 photographs and artwork by award-winning artist William Franklin. , . The Sacred Lands Project of th.e Christie lnstiuae, 1324 North Capitol Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20002 Who Owns North Carolina is a 420-page guide to the largest landowners in the state's 100 counties, tile result of the most exhaustive land ownership investigation ever undertaken for a state or region in the U.S. Maps, charts, data analysis, and interpretative essays offer statistical details and comparative ranlcings of each county's largest landowners, data on forestry and farming in each county, rankings of the counties by 25 different social, economic, and political characteristics, and discussion by the project's investigators of the cultural significance of their findings. The book is available for $30 for Katuah readers (mention our name). Write: lnstitme for Sowhern Studies, P.O. Box 531, Durham, NC 27702 The International 4th World Assembly will hold its seventh assembly this summer, July 31-August 4, 1988 at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. The 4th World is an informal group of people from all over the world who affirm the right of urban neighborhoods and rural villages to make their own decisions abopt their own Jives. The theme this year is "Community Economics As If the Earth Mattered". Registration is open to all. Full conference fee including meals, lod ging and proceedings is $150. For more info: School of Living, 7th assembly; 3030 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042. Economics as If the Earth Really Matte r e d is the first in a new series of books from New Society Publishers exploring the possibilities for creating an accountable economy. The book by Susan Meeker-Lowry offers hundreds of suggestions of how average people can invest their money and/or their time in building a new economy in harmony with life-affirming values. Subjects covered include boycotts, shareholder action, socially responsible investment funds, small-scale investing, projects i n local economic control and worker-ownership, new community economics, tools for reinvestment and.revitalization, alternative exchange systems, and seeds for the future. Dozens of names and addresses and resource lists round out this unique and exciting book. Meeker-Lowry, publisher of Cara/yst-a quarterly newsletter for those interested in small-scale socially responsible investing, offers us new glimpses of ways in which people are using their participation in the economic system as a vehicle for the expression of consciously chosen values: living in harmony with the earth, fighting poverty and injustice, combatting feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and building lives which combine diversity and synthesis, integration and balance. New Society Publishers, P.O. Box 582, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-0582 The Ca r olina Associa tion fo r t he Ad va ncement of Midwifery (CAAM) is a grassroolS organization whose goal is to remove the current legal restrictions that prevent direct-entry midwives from practicing in North Carolina. CAAM's goal is to promote competent and legal midwives to serve the women and families of North Carolina. CAAM wants members from all over North Carolina. Membership ($10/yr) entitles one to receive future issues of Midwifery News as well as contribute to the effort to make North Carolina a state where parents have real choices about giving birlll. CAAM, Rt.1, Box 201 M, Durham, NC 27705 A unique summer comp uduenture Natural Food Store & Deli 160 Broadway Asheville, NC 28801 {704)683-1414 68:M795 Where &oadWay rMets Merrlmon Ave & 1-240 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday-Saturday: 9am·8pm Sunday: 1pm-5pm ror young people 6 - 18 years old Woods, water, trail experiences, horses, crafts, Indian lore free brochure available Pepperland Farm Camp Star Rout e Fiimer, TN 37333 {704) 253-7656 KATUAH - page 27 SUMMER - 1988 �€V€0t'S 7-10 LINVILLE, NC The Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain. Caber toss, sheepdog trinls, Highland dancing, bagpipes. $8.00/day. For more info, call (704) 733-2013. 9 HELEN, GA ·Appalachian Mountain Music Festival" at Unicoi State Park; Helen, GA 30545. Call (404) 878-2201. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS "Big Game Observation." S4S. Smoky Mountain Field School Sec 6/},5-26. 9-10 JUNE 19-2S BRASSTOWN, NC "June Music and Dance Week" at John C. Campbell Folk School; Brasstown, NC 28902. SUMMER 20 CELEBRATION SOLSTICE 22-26 HIGHLANDS, NC "The Art of Landscape Photography" workshop with Gil Leebrick and John Scarlata. $2SO incl. accommodations. Appalachian Environmental Ans Center; P.O. Box 580; Highlands, NC 28741 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS "Wild Mammals of the Great Smokies" field instruction with Dr. Michael Pelton. $45. Smoley Mountain Field School; 2016 Lake Ave.; Knoxville, TN 37996. 25-26 29 Full Moon 29 RABUN GAP, GA "Wild Fems" expedition with Marie Mellinger. $8 incl. lunch. The Hambidge Center; P.O. Box 339; Rabun Gap, GA 30568 or ca1J (404) 746-5718. 13 New Moon 13 RABUN GAP, GA "Materializing the Shadows." Investigating stream life with Dr. William Mcl.arney. The Hambidge Center, SQC 6(29. 17-23 m G HLANDS, NC "Transcendentalism on the Mountain" seminar at The Mountain; 841 Highway 106; Highlands, NC 28741 29-31 CELO, NC "Midw i fery in the Mountains" conference. Workshops on "Herbs in Pregnancy and Binh," "Medical Questions," "Body Work," "Tricks of the Trade," more. With Lucinda Flodin; Barbara King, MD; Lisa Goldstein; Pat Roy; others. $55 incl. meals. Lisa Goldstein; 823-C Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714. (704) 675-5316. 30.31 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS "Mushroom ldcntific.ation," for beginners. $45. Smoky Mountain Field School, sec 6/2S-26. 22-24 HOT SPRINGS, NC "Rhinoceros Glances at the Moon: The Art of Movement as Meditation.• Tai Chi weekend with Jay Dunbar. $75. Southern Dharma, see7/l-4. 22-24 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS Family Weekend at Great Smoley Mountains Institute at Tremont. Hiking, siorytelling, music, more. AdultS:· $4S. Children: $35. Write at Townsend, TN 37882 or call (615) 448-6709. RALEIGH, NC Fourth World Conference ("break down all the big powers into their ethnic or bioregional areas") - bioregional sp~ers, including Jim Berry, Peter Berg, Susan Meeker-Lowry, and Mamie Muller. At Meredith College. $150. For more info, write School of Living; 3030 Sleepy Hollow Rd.; Falls Church, VA 22042..or call (703) 237-7507. 24-29 JULY 1-31 ASHEVILLE, NC "Mountain Sweet Talk," a two-act play with The Folktellers, Barbara Freeman and Connie Regan-Blake, at the Folk An Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Advance LickctS: S8.00. Call (704) 258-11 13. GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Teacher and Naturalist Week" (and anyone interested in learning more about the natural world). Joseph Cornell (Sharing Nature with Children), guest instructor. "Learn about the natural history of the Smokies and ways of effectively motivating people toward a deeper appreciation of the natural world." $145. Great Smoky Mpuntains Institute at Tremont. See7/22-24 31-8/4 24-30 1-4 HOT SPRINGS, NC "Writing Down the Bones." Writing, meditation and yoga retreat with Natalie Goldberg and Frances Kean. SJ20. Southern Dhnrma Retreat Center; Rt 1, Box 34- H; Hot Springs, NC 28743. ROANOKE, VA "Celebrate Love• conrerence sponsored by Visions or Tomorrow at Hollins College. Cllls.<:es, events, conccrtS. Program: S165; w/ food, acc. $290. Contact: Jan Settle; Rt. I, Box 310-A; Goode, VA 24556 28 AUG.UST l LAMMAS FESTIVAL 1-28 ASHEVILLE, NC "Mountain Swee1 Talk," sec 7/1 -31. 1-31 C HEROKEE, NC "The Art of Cherokee Fingerwcaving" cxhibil at the Cherokee Heritage Museum and Gallery; Box 477; Cherokee. NC 28719. 5-7 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS Naiuro Siudy Workshop fOI' adults. $45. Grct1t Smoley Mountains Institute al Tremont, see 7/22-24 Full Moon 12 KATUAH- page 28 DAY ( Mid s ummer ) New Moon SUMMER- 1988 �27 ELKrNS, WV August.a Fcs1ival - 11adilional music and dance wilh all the 11immings. Write August.a Hcriiage Ccn1cr, Davis and Elkins College; Elkins. WV 26241. Full Moon 12-14 22-28 WILLIS, VA "Women's Wellness Week" with Libby Outlaw (massage therapist); Carolyn Moore, MD; Katherine Chantal (herbalist); Christine Byrd (nutirtional counselor); much more. Pre-register: $295 incl. food and acc. Indian Valley Holistic Center; Rt. 2, Box 58; Willis, VA 24380 26-28 LOUISA, VA · women: Cclcbra1ing Our Divcrsily - A Multiculiural Galhcring• wi1h workshops, performance, dance, culwml sharing. S35·75 sliding rec. Wrile Women; Twin Oaks Communi1y; Louisa VA 23093 (703) 894-5126. 10 New Moon 1-30 CHEROKEE, NC "Ayun'ini (Swimmer): Cherokee Shaman" exhibi1 al Cherokee Hcrit.age Museum and Gallery. SceS/1-31. 2-5 BRASSTOWN, NC "Labor Day Music and Dance Weekend" wilh Pelc Sulhcrland, Karen Billings, Marlha Owen, olhcrs. John C. Campbell Folk School, sec 6/19-25. 3-5 HIGHL ANDS, NC "Pinhole in lhe Landscape," pinhole camera workshop wilh Eric Renner. "/ use no viewfinder or exposure meter; I rely upon the passion and the timing within myself and the belief that it will worlc." Environmcnllll Aris Ccn1cr, sec 6{22-26. 17-18 HARRISONB UR G, VA "Restoring Wilderness in the East: A Deep Ecology Perspective" conference featuring Dave Foreman (Eanh First!), Gary Lawless (Gulf of Maine Bioregion), Jamie Sayen (PAW), Barbara Dugelby (Earth First!), David Wheeler (Kataah). Sponsored by Virginia Earth First! and Virginians for Wilderness; co-sponsored by Karuah. At James Madison University in Harrisonburg. Registration: $10 advance, $15 at door. For more info: write VA EF!; Route 1, Box 250; S1aunton, VA 2440 I or call (703) 885 6983. 17-18 HE LEN, CA "Native Americans of lhc Soulheast• a1 Unicoi St.ate Park, see 7/9. 4 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS "Wild Mammals or lhc Grcal Smokies," see 6125-26. /' TU~ f~LL GATME~NG RND THROE FRIR SEPTEMBER 30 • OCTOBER 2 , 1988 in Floyd County, VA Actiuitie s, Music, Dancing, Workshop s Bring: camping equipment, musical instruments, trade goods For more information, contact: Katherine Delauney Will Ashe Bason Travianna Farm Rt. 1, Box 217 Check, VA 24072 (703) 745-2708 (703) 651-3492 Need a ride? Share a ride? Call your local Katuah contact person or: Eastern slope (NC, GA, SC): David Wheeler (705) 586-3146 Tom Hendricks (704) 689-5382 Western slope (TN): Sariah Loveday (615) 688-7408 KATUAH - page 29 SUMMER- 1988 �STARSPAN ASTROLOGICAL PROFILES: Relationships, life chans, forccastS. ChartS and proCcssional taped readings also available. P.O. Boll 10413; Raleigh. NC 27605 WANTED: LAND in western NC. Flllllily seeks 5 or more acres, preferably near Cullowhee, to preserve and evenwally inhabit U you have or know or affordable land, contaeL Bob and Mary Davis; 213 Wesunorcland Ct; Georgetown, KY 40324 (502) 863-4267. MOON DANCE PARM HERBALS - herbal salves, tinctures, & oils for birthing & family health. For brochure, please write: Moon Dance Farm: Rt 1, Box 726; Hampton, TN 37658 FUTONS by Simple Pleasures - affordably priced. Send SASE for info 10: Simple Pleasures; RL. l, Box 1426: Clayton, GA 30525 (404) 782-3920 FREE CATALOG - Our books cover solar energy, natural foods, mCUlphysics, fiction, and poetry. The latest project is Black Mountain Rtvitw, with !hemes on lhe individual vs. society. Write: Lorien House; P.O. Box I 112; Black Mountain, NC 28711 EUSTACE CONWAY- Guide and 1eaeher of primitive Earth Skills with emphasis on fire building, hide tanning., shell.er, and foraging. He teaches at public schools, parks, environmenlal cen1ers, and classes of au kinds. For more information contact him at: 602 Deerwood Drive, Gastonia, NC 28084 or call Allein Stanley al (704) 872-7972 POLE STAR RETREAT CENTER available for rental. Days. weekends, or weeks. Conferences, workshops, CIC. in privalC, rural setting. 30 ft yurt, camping, swimming. Localed near Boone, NC. Contact: Rt 2, Box 59: Zionville. NC 28698 (904) 385-2071. GARDENERS are encouraged to visi1 our Paradise Garden for instruction and inspiralion (free) and/or perennial plan1 sale (cheap). ArtistS are inviied. IO come and crealC in lhe garden - painting, drawing, and photography are encouraged. We also have a cabin available in exchange for working in lhe garden. Mountain Gardens; 3020 While Ouk Crock; Burnsville, NC 28714 (704) 675-5664. M. TREE DESIGNS: Illustrations and Design Beyond the pages of lhis journal, I work in pencil, colored pencil, ink, cul paper, and batik. Fine and graphic an to express and enhance our lives. Logos, brochures, books, portrailure, window and wall hangings. Contae1 Martha Tree (704) 754-6097. DAYSTAR ASTROLOGICAL SERVICE - natal, transit, comparison chartS. Very accurate. Only S3.00 each. Chris and Will Bason: RI. 2, Box 217; Check, VA 24072 (703) 651-3492 ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY in the Smoky Mt'ns. of east TN. 10 acres with creek, springs, views. good neighbors. Be a part for $8500. Call Leslie (615) 453-1538. STIL-LIGHT TREOSOPHJCAL RETREAT CENTER - a quiet space for personal meditation, group inLCraction lhrough s1udy, and community work, and spiritual seminars. Contact Leon Frankel; Rt l, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 28786 WOMANSONG - ongoing choral group forming. Songs of bcau1y, meaning spiril, fun, peace. cooperation, sisterhood. Come and sing! Mon. evenings, 7:30-9, Asheville, NC. (704) 254-7068. CRAFTSPEOPLE - send price listings 10 Gifted /lands of NC, 331 Blake S1; Raleigh, NC 27601 (Au'n: Bern Grey Owl) - unique shop presenting 35-40 craflers' works in Raleigh's City Market All crafts considered. HAND-CARVED WOODSPIRITS. mys1i:al hiking staffs, and wall hangings by Steve Duncan. For brochure, please wri1e Whippoorwill S1udio; Rt 4, Box 981: Marion, NC 28752. ASTROLOGICAL CHARTS - natal. progressed, or solar re1um. 4-page prin1ou1 includes wheel wilh planetS and houses, aspecLS, midpoin1s, and keywords. Specify name, binh time, date, place, and chart type. StO 10 Phoenix Productions; Rt 2, Box 59; Zionville, NC 28698. RM DESIGNS - I use the media of pencils, colored pencils, gouache, pen and ink, and photography in creating unique fine and graphic art I can make diagrams, logos, finished prints, and designs for brochures, calenders, cards, books, CIC. Mandalas and symbols are my 1cndency among other styles. Contact Rob Messick (704) 754-6097, LAND TRUST in lhe forming on 57 acres near Boone, NC seeking families wilh slrOng visions and resources to manifest a peaceful place for our children to grow in love and to survive lhe coming of lhe new age. Paul and Susan Del Rios; RL 2, Box 314; Vilas, NC 28692 (704) 297-4937 LETTERS OF FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT would be appreciated by incarcerated brothc.r. Write 10: Rick Whitaker #85670; Box 2000; Wartburg, TN 37887 DRUMS - Custom handcrafted ceramic dumbccks & wooden medicine drums. Call Joe Roberts at (704) 258-1038 or write LO: 738 Town Mountain Rd.; Asheville, NC 28804. ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY now forming in the mountains of norlh GA. Join olhers seeking greater cooperation and self-sufficiency. Based on spiritual and ecological values. Properly is now available. (404) 778-8754. BLIGHT RESISTANT CHESTNUT - hybrid American/Chinese Dunstan chestnu1 trees - blight resistant, timber growlh form, productive orchard crop with large, swee1 easily-peeled nutS. Chestnu1 Alli Nursery; RI. J, Box 341-K; Alachua, FL 32615 (904) 462-2820 BLOW YOUR MIND wilh "Medicine Wind." Finc-1uned bamboo nu1es and soothing musical recordings masterfully 1rancemit1ed 1hrough "Medicine Wind"/Gcorge Tortorelli; 86 NW 55 SL; Gainesville, FL 32607 (904) 373-1837. ORGANIC FERTILIZERS, herbs, and organically-grown, local produce at the WNC Farmcss' Markell Look for the Fairglcn Farms stall, unitS F and G in lhe wholesale area of lhe Farmers' Markel; 570 Brevard Rd.: Asheville, NC (704) 252-4414 "ESSENCE" - the all-one skin/dress/ jumper/pantaloons wilh nursing pockCIS. Earlhwcar; ROI, Box 75-CI; Carl1on, PA 16311 SMALL HOUSE on land trust in rural NC mountains in exchange for pan-time farm chores and occasional companionship to creative, joyful, mentally handicapped adul1 (or olher labor, such as carpentry). Quaker Camily. Meeting nearby. Write: Bob and Dot Barrus; Cll!llp Celo: 1349 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714 ARCHITECTURAL ADVICE AND DESIGN: Adam Cohen; Rt. 2, Boll 217; Check, VA 24072 "TREASURES lN THE STREAM" - a casset1e tape of songs by Bob Avery-Grubel. SIO to Rt. I, Box 735; Floyd, VA 24091. WEBWORKJNG is free. Send submissions to: KatUah Journal P.O. Box 638 Leices1er, NC Kauiah Province 28748 ORM DESIGNS KATUAH - page 30 SUMMER - 1988 �Mtdlcln,.. The KatUah J ournal wants to communicate your thoughts and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them to us as letters, poems, stories, articles, drawings, or photographs, etc. Please send your contributions to us at: Kat:Uali Journal, P. 0. Box 638, Leicester, NC, Katuah Province 28748. .?tllfts In the fall, Katuah will look at Castanea dentata, the American chestnut tree, and its importance in restoring Appalachian habitat. Any information about this great tree's past and future will be welcome. "Hand Made," exploring the benefits of living simply and creatively, will be the focus for the winter issue of the Katuah Jo um al. ·BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH AVAILABLE ISSUE THREE - SPRING 1984 Sustainable Agriculture - Sunfl~wers - Humm Impact on the Forest - Children.s' Eduution Veronica Nicbolu:Woman in Politics - Little People - Medicine Allies full C'olor ISSUE FOUR - SUMMER 1984 Waler Drum - Waw Quality - Kudzu - Solu Eclipse - Clearcutting - Trout - Going to Waicr Ram Pwnps - Microhydro - Poems: Bennie Sinclair, Jim W ayne Miller T-sfilrts w In the traditional Cherokee Indian belief, the creatures in the world today are only diminuitive forms of the mythic beings who once inhabited the world, but who now reside In Galuna'ti, the spirit world, the highest heaven. But a few of the original powers broke through the spiritual barrier and exist yet in the world as we know it. These beings are called with reverence •grandfathers·. And of them, the strongest are Kanati, the lightning, the power of the sky; Utsa'nati, the rattlesnake, who personifies the power of the earth plane; and Yunwi Usdi. "the little man•, as ginseng is called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws up power from the underworld. Each is the strongest power in its own domain. Together they are allies: their energies complement each other to form an even greater power. As medicine allies, they represent the healing powers of the APPalachian Mountains. The medicine powers of KattJah 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 KatUah Joumal. "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 balance here in the mountains of Katuah." To order, use the form below. ISSUE AVE - FALL 1984 H:irvcsl - Old Ways in Cherokee - Ginseng Nuclear W ute - Our CeIlic Heri111ge Biorcgionallsm: Put. Present. and Future John Wilnoty - Healing Dlllkncss - Politics of Participation ISSUE SIX - WINTER 1984-85 Winier Solstice Earth Cct'cmony - Horscpasturc River - Coming of the Light - Log Cabin Roota - Mountain Agricul1ure: The Righi Crop - William Taylor - The Fururc of the Forest ISSUE SEVEN - SPRINO 1985 Sustainable Economics - Hot Springs - Worker Ownership - The Great Economy - Self Help Credit Union - Wild Turkey - Responsible Investing - Working in the Web of Life ISSUE EIOHT - SUMMER 1985 Celebration: A Way of Life - Katuah 18,000 Years Ago - Sacred Sites - Folk Ans in the Schools - Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hilda Downer - Cherokee Heritage Ccnicr - Who Owns Appalachia? ISSUE NINE - FALL 1985 The \Va.Idec Forest - The Trees Speak Migrating Forests - Horse Logging - Starting• Tree Crop - Urban Trees - Acom Bre.od - Myth rune ISSUE TEN- WINTER 1985-86 Kate Rogers - Circles of Stone - lnicmal Mythmalting - Holistic Healieg on Trial Poems: Steve Knauth - Mythic Ploces - Tbe Uktcna's Tale - CryJtal Magic - I'" ISSUE ELEVEN - SPRINO 1986 Community Planning - Cities and the Bioregional Vision - Recycling - Community Ocdcning- Floyd County, VA - GllSOhol Two BioregioMI Views - Nuclear Supplement Foxfire Oames - Good Medicine: V'tSion.s ISSUE THIRTEEN - Fall 1986 Cenicr For Awalccning - Elizabeth Calllri - A Gentle Death - Hospice - Ernest Morgan . Dealing Creatively with Death - Home Burial Boit - The Wake - The Raven Mocker Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom - Good Medicine: The Swea! Lodge ISSUE FOURTEEN - Winier 1986-87 Uoyd Carl Owlc - Boogen and Mummers - All Species Day - Cabin Fever University Homeless in Katuah - Homemade Hot Wau:r Stovema kcr's Narrative - Good Medicine: Interspecies Communication ISSUE FIFTEEN - Spring 1987 Coverleis - Woman Forester - Susie McMahan Midwife - Alterna tive Contraception Bioscxuallty - Bioregionalism and Women Good Medicine! Maniaclwial Culwie - ~ ISSUE SIXTEEN - Swnmcr 1987 Helen Waite - Poem: Visions in a Garden Vision Quest - First Flow - Initiatjon Leaming ie the Wilderness - Cherokee Challenge - "Valuing Trees" ISSUE EIGHTEEN - Winier 1987-88 Vernacular Architecture - Drums in Wood and Stone - Mountain Home - Earth Enc.-gics Earth-Shch•m'<I Living - Membrane Houses . Brush Shelter - Poems: Oc1obq Dusk - Good Medicine: "Shelter" ISSUENINETEEN-Spring 1988 Per!eandra Garden - Spring Tonics -Blueben:ies WildDower Gardens - Granny Herbalist Flower Essences - "The Origin of the Animals: Story - Good Medicine: "Power" - Be A Tnoc "Dreamspcaking" ~~' ~UA~URNAL For more info: call (704) 683-1414 P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28723 Back Issues Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 = $_ _ Complete Set (3-11, 13-16, 18-19) Regular Membership........ $10/yr. Name Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. Address Enclosed is$ to give this ejfon an extra boost City State @ $25.00 = $_ _ T-Shirts: specify quantity color: tan S_ _ M _ _ L_ _ XL_ _ @ $9.50 each............$_ _ Zip I can be a local contact person for my area Area Code KATUAH - page 31 Phone Number TOTAL PRICE= $_ _ postage paid SUMMER-1988 � 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 20, Summer 1988 Description An account of the resource The twentieth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on preserving wilderness in Appalachia with a look at land trusts, the Preserving Appalachian Wilderness (PAW) proposal, and Cherokee perspective on relating to land. Authors and artists in this issue include: David Wheeler, Gil Leebrick, Marilyn Cade, Christina Morrison, Laurie Pierce, Judith Hallock, Carol Lawrence, Billy Campbell, Nancy Barnhardt, Chip Smith, Martha Tree, Michael Red Fox, John Grey, Rob Messick, and Tony Fisher. 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 1988 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. The Tracks of the Panther.......1 Highlands of Roan.......6 Celo Community: 50 Years on the Land.......8 Celo: Interview.......10 Land Trust: Tenure for Our Time.......11 Learning Community.......12 Mountain Landscapes at Risk.......13 Rest in Perpetual Wilderness.......14 "The Ridge"........15 Farmers and the Farm Bill.......16 Good Medicine: "Relating to the Land".......17 "It Comes in a Mist".......18 Duke's Power Play.......19 Cherokee Microhydro Project.......21 Drumming: Letters to Katúah.......22 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 Human ecology Wilderness areas--Appalachian Region, Southern Celo Community--History Land use, Rural--Appalachian Region, Southern Land trusts 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 Acid Deposition Agriculture Alternative Energy Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Congress Community Economic Alternatives Education Electric Power Companies Geography Good Medicine Habitat Katúah Katúah Organization Poems Reading Resources South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness) Turtle Island Wilderness Women's Issues https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/cbf32695fba405c0cff45e3e9c54db62.pdf 616631b2f61e4f3060a633a13326ea4d PDF Text Text $1.50 ISSUE 25 FALL 1989 . for all things wild I ,.. �October 27, 1989 "Restoring Biodiversity in the Southern Appalachians: A Strategy for Survival" Owen Conference Center, University of ~orth Carolina Asheville A major conference bringing together scientists, educators, government land managers, and conservationists to speak about the condition of the Southern Appalachian habitat and the necessity to initiate new programs for habitat preservation and restoration to maintain the the southern diversity of life in mountains. For more information call (704) 251-6441 Registration: $20.00. October 28 October 28 "Wild in the Streets: The Feral Ball " "For All Things Wild" Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC Issues and strategy discussion among activists directed to arrive at means of restoring biological diversity in the Southern Appalachian region. Speakers: Reed Noss, Laura Jackson, Robert Zahner, Peter Kirby, Jamie Sayen, David Wheeler. Open discussion period. Registration: $5.00. For more info:, call (704) 298-3325 (Ext. 250). rock to the music of Grandmother and One Straw We call upon the spirits of the wild! Come costumed as one of our native mountain species - or to express your own wildest self! 8:00 pm. Location to be announced. Postage Paid Bulk Mail Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �The Great Forcst ........................... 3 by Sam Gray Restoring the Old-Growth Forest........5 by Robert 'Zahner Regional Planning for Habitat Intcgrity................... 8 by Laura Jackson A Question o f Value ...................... 10 hy Dm·id Wheeler Closing the Gate on Forest Devastation ................ 12 by Anna Muir Poem: "Sparrow Hawk" ................. 13 by Julia NUlllllJJ/y Duncan A Place for Bears ......................... 15 An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton Poem: "There Fell the Rain Healing" .. 16 by Annelinde Metzner Eastern Panther, Where Are You?...... 17 by Patrick Clarlr. Oak Decline ................................ 19 by Hetllher Blair People and Habitat ........................ 2 1 by Chip Smith and Lee Kinnaird Fawart Perpetual Wild Sanctuaries ..............23 Natural World News..................... 24 Drumming ................................. 26 Living Green .............................. 29 Baner Fair................................. 30 (Natural) Resources ...................... 31 Events Calendar........................... 32 Webworking ............................... 34 1'"iirt. t 989 To sense what ls happening In the mountains, we begin by perceiving the Southern Appalachian region as an ongoing. functioning. organic euent. ..within the greater biosphere. We can then tdenUfy ourselves and our species In relation to It and sense our place within Its evolutionary history and cycles of renewal. From the perspective of the whole we are one species among many each \vith its own contribullon to make. each wilh its own demands for habitat. When there is a disturbance in the pattern of the whole. the effects even tu ally reach every inhabitant. Human beings have been here for very few of the millions of years the forest has been patiently growing within a dynamic balance. In recent times. our perception of these forests has often lacked wisdom and humility. resulting In actions destructive to our home. We can sense our relationship to the whole, but we will never be able to encompass It with our Intellect alone. We are in it and of it. This Is the Great Mystery of existence. Intuitively we can perceive this Mystery. We can revere It and celebrate lt. And by acting tn concert with the Life cycles, we can come to know It more fully. This knowing then leads us to respond. In thls issue of Katuah. we look at biodiversity and habitat ln the Southern Appalachian region and how they are being disrupted. Finding out about the current situation In Katuah prompts us to acuon--to speak out. protect. restore. Throughout the articles. it becomes apparent that to truly understand this region. we need to experience. acknowledge, and serve the region as a whole. -The Editors Biodiversity is defined by ecologist Recd Noss llS "a full complement of the native plant and animal species in their natural or normal patterns of abundance." Biodiversity is the foundation of evolution in any biorcgion. Habi tat is defined as an interdependent community of life that supports the various species that live within iL Habitat is the foundation of biodiversity. �STAFF THIS ISSUE: R.ichacd Lowenthal Christina Morrison James Rhea Manha Tree Rob Messick Mamie Muller Chip Smith David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Scott Bird Jack Chaney David Red Kim Sandland Heather Blair Sam Gray Marsha Ring Morgan Swann Thanks as well to Joe and Rhea and the Mountain Garden. We offer special thanks for the influence of Grandfather Mountain. COVER by James Rhea PUBLISHED BY; Ka11"1h Journal PRINTED BY; The Waynesville Mountaineer Press EDITORIAL OFFICE IBJS ISSUE: Globe Valley W&ITEUS AT: TELEPHONE; (704) 683-1414 Katt1ah Journal Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 Diversity is an imponant clement of bioregional ecology, both nmwaJ and social. In line with this principle. the KatU/Jh Journal lrics to serve as a forum for the discussion of regional issues. Signed articles express only the opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of lhe Ka1Uah Journal editors or staff. The Internal Revenue Service has declared KatU/Jh a non-profit organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions to KatU/Jh arc deductible from personal income tax. 'LNVOCA.TWN Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? I do not believe it can be done. The universe is sacred. You cannot improve it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it. -from imsage 29. Tao Te Ching attributed to Lao Tzu ™E SOUTHERN APPALACillAN BIOREGION AND MAJOR EASTERN RIVER SYSTEMS STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Here in the southern-most heartland of the Appalachian mountains, the oldest mountain range on our continent, Turrie Island; a small bur growing group has begun to take on a sense of responsibility for the implications of rhar geographical and cultural heritage. This sense of responsibility centers on the concept of living within the natural scale and balance of 1miversal systems and principles. Within this circle we begin by invoking the Cherokee name "Kaufoh" as the old/new name for this area of the mountains and for its journal as well. The province is indicated by its natural boundaries: the Roanoke River Valley to the nonh; thefoorhills of the piedmont area to the east; Yona Mountain and the Georgia hills to the south; and the Tennessee River Valley ro the west. The editorial priorities for us are to co/leer and disseminate information and energy which pertains specifically to this region, and to foster the awareness rhar the land is a living being deserving of our love and respect. Living in this manner is a way ro insure the sustainability of the biosphere and a lasting place for ourselves in its continuing evolutionary process. We seem to have reached the fulcrum point of a " do or die " situation in terms ofa quality standard of life/or all living beings on this planet. As a voice/or the caretakers ofthis sacred land, Kac-Uah, we advocate a centered approach to rhe concept ofdecentralization. It is our hope to become a support system/or those accepting the challenge of sustainability and the creation ofharmony and balance in a total sense, here in this place. We welcome all correspondence, criticism, pertinent information, articles, artwork, etc. with hopes that Kac-Uah will grow to serve the best interests of this region and all its living, breathing members. -The Editors f"~U.. 1989 �It may be that s.ome little rcx:::>t of the sacred tree still lives. "-lou-ish it then, that it may leof and bloom and fill with singing birds. - Q,lock Elk Until recent time a great inland forest overlay the eastern ponion of Nonh America-a continuous biologic fabric extending from Nova Scotia to Alabama, west along the tributaries of the Mississippi, and boundaried in the east by the pine barrens and lowland marshes of the coastal plain. This forest had its origins in an ancient circumpolar forest system that dominated the temperate zones of Asia, Europe and Nonh America in the Eocene epoch of the Teniary Period (50 million years B.P. [Before Present]) when the continents were closer together. In spite of the intervening continental drift, successive ice ages and vast chasms of time, there remain, to this day, striking botanical linkages in the existing forest remnants of these continents. This is panicularly evident in genera such as Acer (maples), Panax (ginseng), Cory/us (hazels}, Populus (poplars), Cornus (dogwoods), and Rhododendron. (continued on ncxl page) f'ca!t. t 989 Ji:.ati&ah Jo\lrnQL p1i9e 3 �(continued &om page 3) The vast inland forest of Eastern America was geophysically dominated by the long spine of the Appalachian Mountains which determined the Forest's biological stTucture and diversity. Contemporary references to what remains of this forest employ terms such as "mixed mesophytic", "eastern hardwood" or "temperate deciduous" to describe it. For purposes of this essay, acknowledging its extent, its ancient origins, its astounding diversity and resilience, its immense productive capacity, and its profound effect on various human populations over the past 10,000 years, it will be telllled "The Great Forest". When ecologists first began attempting to describe temperate forest ecosystems, they developed the model of succession and climax growth. This model, describes a developing forest that is undergoing a series of stages in which pioneer plant communities and their associated fauna colonize the area and are then replaced by successor communities of larger trees until a forest of dominant trees, known as the "climax forest" establishes a stable equilibrium. This climax old gTOwth would cominue until some "disturbance" such as fire, disease, climate change or human impact takes out the climax community and the succession cycle begins again. The succession-climax model is a useful one for understanding the ecology of the Great Forest. It helps us to recognize the importance and relative stability of old growth forests and it describes how biotic communities in a forest maintain and transform themselves over time as they respond to discontinuities and disturbances, panicularly those caused by humans. The first humans in the Great Forest were nomadic gatherer/hunter groups who arrived after the last glaciation some 10,000 years B.P. These groups ranged over many thousands of acres of oak-chestnut climax growth as well as other forest biomes and while their impact on the forest was small by contemporary standards, it was nonetheless important. Fire was the principal instrument of ecologic change and was to remain so even into recent rimes. By 1900, the only remaining large boundary of the original Great Forest lay in Katuah - the Southern Appalachian highlands. Within two decades that too was gone. Seventeenth century Europeans observed and commented on the burnings. "The savages," wrote Thomas Morton, "are accustomed to set fire of the country in all places where they come and to burne it twize a year, viz: at the spring and the fall of the leafe." The purpose of the burnings was no less than ecosystem management: facilitation of travel, augmentation of browse area for game, encouragement of desirable herbage such as blackberry. raspberry, and cenain grasses. the increase of mast-producing trees Uke oak and chesmut on the drier, warmer soils of a burn area, and the destruction of vermin and pests such as fleas. Selective burning by the lndfans promoted a mosaic quality in the forest ecosystem and created areas in many different stages of succession wilh extensive boundary areas and a greater variety of game and plant habitats - a phenornonen ecologists refer to as the "edge effect". Thus the Indians practiced their own subtle kind of forest management and husbandry. So subtle in fact, as to be undetected in early European descriptions of the Great Forest. When 17th and l 8rh century promoters of North American real estate extolled the "natural" abundance of the land, they were unaware that they were describing an ecosystem that the natives had been shaping for thousands of years. Other imponant aspects of the complex relationship between the Great Forest and its native inhabitants escaped the notice of the Europeans. As William Cronon points out in his masterful ecological history of New England, Changes in the Land, a central fact of temperate forest ecosystems is their periodicity. The overlapping cycles of light, dark, long days, short days, waxing/waning of the moon, the flow of sap, the rurting of deer, spawning of fish, the matings of turkey, bear and frog, the fruiting of plants and the migration of birds... these and myriad other contrapuntal rhythms of the Great Forest's energy cycles were understood and celebrated by the natives. Their own life rhythms of seasonal nomadism, work, ritual and play were evolved from the greater cycles of the forest . The European immigrants' experience of natural cycles, on the other hand, had been filtered for over a millenium through a culture offixed abodes and a social hierarchy that discouraged nomadism as well as wilderness. It is in the context of the periodic cycles of the forest that Native American spirituality can best be understood. The Indians did not attempt to manipulate, through magic and ritual, these cycles to their own ends and were often confounded or amused by the imprecatory prayers of the whites seeking the blessings of good harvest and fortune from an awesome and distant god. Rather, their own spiritual practices were designed to attune and inform themselves to the subtleties of the forest's cycles. The anthropologist Bronislow Malinowski recognized this when he wrote in Myth and Primitive Psychology, "Magic never originated; it never was created or invented. All magic simply was from the beginning, as an essential adjunct to all those things and processes which virally interested man (sic)." The natives inhabited an animated forest world that was alive unto its fanhest recesses with seen and unseen powers. Their task - the task of mind - was to so organize themselves as to develop understanding of and consonance with these powers. When Europeans began to arrive at the Great Forest of North America in sufficient numbers by the mid-17th century, they were not disposed to recognize the animated universe that sustained the natives. They could not or would not see the forest that the natives knew, nor could they recognize the subtlety and intelligence behind the Indians usage of the forest as habitat, susraining process, and sacred ground. The European immigrants faced the Great Forest with a conflicting array of perceptions and attitudes. The forest was at once a threat and an opportunity. The dominant sentiment in regard to the forest was that it was an enormous commodity. Coming from lands long divested of forests held in common, the right to extract and expon timber almost at will was an overwhelming prospect 10 early entrepreneurs. Wood was the main raw material for residential and commercial building on both sides of the Atlantic, but it was even more in demand as an energy source. Seventeenth and eighteenth century industries in metallurgy, glass making and ceramics required enormous amounts of wood for firing furnaces and for charcoal. Individual household consumption was also extraordinary by european standards. Peter Kalm, a Swedish naturalist visiting colonial eastern America in 1749 wrote," an incredible amount of wood is really squandered in this country for fuel..." As early as 1640, Boston was experiencing wood fuel shortages and most major New England and mid-Atlantic settlements were soon to follow. foll, 1989 �The principal commodity that the Great Forest represented to the E.uropeans was the land itself. Their original concepts of real propeny were derived from the manorial system of feudal Europe and can be ascenained by reviewing the terms or the Royal Charter to the Massachusetts Bay Company: "To have to houlde possess and enjoy the aforesaid continent, lands, territories, islands, hereditaments and precincts, seas, waters, fishings, with all and all manner their commodities, royalties, libenies, prehemynences, and profitts that should thenceforth arise from chcncc, with all and singular their appunances and every pane and parccll thereof unto the said councell and their successors and assigns for ever." The comprehensive, medieval, abstract quality of these early claims underwent an evolution as they passed through the lexicon of 17th and 18th century New World institutions, but the focus on "commodities, royalties, liberues and profitts" never changed. What also wen1 unchanged, leading to countless misunderstandings and much bloodshed, was the European assumption of the sovereignty of propeny rights granted through 'legal' title 10 Land. To the natives, the notion that parcels of land could be considered commodities, bought and sold like cattle, boundaried, possessed, 'improved', divided and sold again or transferred to heirs was absurd. For them, land tenure was a function of usage and usage was linked 10 the mobility that was a central part of the strategy of resource management based on periodicity. The Indian villages moved from habitat to habitat to find maximum abundance with minimal work and reduced impact on the land while the Europeans, in fixed abodes on their titled propeny, worked long hard days 10 intensively farm or 'improve' land with the eventual result being ecological degradation. It was the concept of 'improvements' - replacing forest with fields and pasture and the building of sheds, barns and homes - that soon became the colonial justification for dispossessing the natives. A people who moved around on the land and worked it so lillle could have no justifiable claim to possess it. There were plenty of references in the bible and in Calvinist theology to back up such a sentimenL The unimproved forest with its native inhabitants was eventually seen as an affront to progress, and Christian community. r"u, t 989 With God's backing the righteous began to exterminate or conven the savages and 'improve' the Great Forest out of existence. The decimation of the Great Forest proceeded in two fairly distinct historical phases - the first, occurring in the colonial period and lasting until about 1850, can be termed pre-capitalist. It was characterized by the deforestation patterns of an agricultural economy. The best land was cleared for field crops and pasture. Commercial extrnction of timber for energy or wood products was confined to terrain accessible by human/animaJ power. The second phase was indusoial/capitalist and it continues to the present day. Utilizing machinery, organized capital, and cheap local labor, the forest was harvested to satisfy national and international timber demands. As habitat for the incredible diversity of wild plants and creawres was impoverished, fonunes were amassed by men far away who were never required to look upon the devastation. By 1900, the only remaining large boundary of the original Great Forest lay in Katuah - 1he Southern Appalachian highlands. Within two decades 1ha1 too was gone. As humans, we have known the forest in many ways - as home, as sustenance, as sacred ground, as repose, as commodity, as teacher, as refuge. Our species is only now realizing the extent of its power 10 diminish the radiance of the Great Forest. We are beginning to understand a glimmer of what was... for we were once forest-dwellers. Today there is an archetype becoming known in the human spirit ...of regeneration. There is an embryonic recognition of what we have lost and of what we must restore. We cannot continue as we have done. The forest calls 10 us to come back, for our own sake and for the sake of all our relations dwelling therein. The quotation from Black Elk that begins this essay captures this hope for us when he speaks of the roots of the Sacred Tree the Tree of Life. The Sacred Tree, a universal symbol of regeneration of both the human spirit and of the Earth, nourishes our memory to recall that though the Great Forest has been felled, it cannot and will not ever leave us. wriuen by Sam Gray plU>co ofJoyce Kilmer Memorial Forest on page 3 by larry Tucker x.at.Uah JounuiL p!UJ• s �Restoring the Old-Growth Forest by Robert Zahner A thing is right when it rends to preserve the inregriry, stabi/iry, and beauty of rlze biotic community. Ir is wrong when it tends otherwise. - AldD Leopold (I 949) We stand at the threshold of a great decision. We are on the verge of re-defining the importance of our mountain landscape, its natural habitats, and the Life forms they support. Science has shown tha1 such habitats are vi1al to planetary life support systems where natural communities of interdependent plants and animals can maintain reservoirs of biological diversity. When extensive logging destroyed the primeval fores1s of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, a critical factor for biodiversity, habitat continuity over large areas, was eradicated. During the century between 1830 and 1930 forest clearing and burning ravaged native bio1ic communities and terminated unknown numbers of plant and animal species. Habitats were fragmented, and many surviving endemic species were left in smaU, isolated communities. ln the first quaner of the twentieth century the Southern Appalachian National Forests were established as watershed preserves. Federal conservation policies permined many forest habitats to begin the natural process of restoring themselves. This regrowth ecosystem, or second generation forest, was similar to the original primeval forest only in that it still contained most of the original plant and animal species. Today, after 60 to 80 years of recovery, the new forest is still maturing, still unfolding its species composition as new niches are created in the complex progression toward what modem ecologists term an "old-growth forest." But it still has a long way to go to reach biological maturity. There is now the potential to restore a diversity of species that would resemble the old primeval forest. There is also the danger, because of present National Forest management plans, of losing much of the restoration already gained. The United States Forest Service (USFS), administered by foresters who are highly competent timber managers, interprets the Congressional Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act of 1960 with a strong bias toward harvesting commercially mature timber. The Act states implicitly, however, that al/ resources of the Notional Forests ore to be managed for sustained yield. Other acts of Congress go on to define natural diversity as a vital resource of 1he public lands, and mandate that this resource shall be maintained through habitat preservation. This paper is written with the intent of furthering public knowledge of this important environmental issue. Three Levels of Diversity lo the despoilment and fragmentation of the original forest, three levels of diversity were either destroyed or placed in jeopardy: ( l) genetic diversity within species, (2) species diversity within habitats, and (3) habitat Xatium Jo~rrmt P"9e 6 diversity within landscapes. We have no record of how many species were irretrievably lost, but 1oday we are beginning co count the numbers that are presently endangered and threatened with extinction. Let us consider how lhese three types of diversity are essential for a healthy bioregion, and how all three can be restored as the new forest grows toward biological maturity. Genetic Diversity: A great many species counted as rare today could again become more abundant if we allow natural biotic processes to evolve unmolested. For example, in the forest of today the mountain gentian plant (Gentiana decora Pollard)_grows singly or in small colonies in damp, rich wooded habitats, generally isolated from other members of the species by unsuitable habitats. Gentians are pollinated by several rypes of inseclS who are able to cross-fertilize separate colonies of the plant. Thus, if undisturbed by human activity, pollen exchange will increase genetic diversity within the gentian species over an ever-increasing area of 1he mountain landscape. This renewed generic vitality is critical to the future well-being of the species, as human-caused environmental changes continue to force all forms of life to adapt to such stresses as aunospheric pollution and accelerated climatic warming. The same situation is true for literally thousands of species of plants and animals throughout the mountains. Each example f"~U.. t989 �requires its own special sening, but the common theme is natural balance. An endemic terresual mole salamander, Ple1ho<k>n1ordani, is a highly significant insectivore in the world beneath the leaf litter of a mature hardwood forest. This salamander requires large areas of ~ontinuous forest cover to afford geneuc n11gra11on among populations. Thus. when the cwopy overhead is fragmented or removed. breeding populat!ons of this animal disappear to reco.,,er only w11h the re-establishment or the mature hardwood fores t. Many species of reptiles. amphibians, and anhropods w11h limited mobi:ity have similar requirements for genetic exchange. Conditions that promote generic diversity arc essential so each species can adapt and evolve, panicularly in light of the accelerating environmental changes expected in the next century. Species Diversity: The next scale of diversity is that of species within habitats. This is often misinterpreted by federal land managers to mean "the greatest number of differe nt species for each given unit of land." It is well kno wn that the na tural succe ssio n of weed y species occupying disturbed sites provides a wealth of diversity in te rms of to tal numbe rs. The Southern Appalachian Mountains today abound w ith disturbed sites, the result of Jar.d clearings, road bui lding, comme rc ial and reside ntial development, forest c learcuuing, agricultural activity, and wildfires. Therefore. the weedy plants and small animal species that characterize early succession habitats are most commo n throughout lhe region. But what about species diversity in other habitats once prevalent in the primeval forest? Two hundred years ago a north-facing site at 3,SOO feet elevation in the Blue Ridge Mountains would likely have supported a mature oversrory of 20 or more tree species, with many large trees over 200 years old. The midstory would have been composed of perhaps 20 or more species of smaller trees of all ages, from reproduction saplings fillin1 canopy pps to very old species adapted to live out their lives in the shade. Many tree species, such as basswood (TUia ~rerophylla VcnL), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.), buncmut (J1111lans cinera L.), mountain maple (Acer spicatum Lam.), mountain winterbcny (Ila mofllana T . and G.), ycllowwood (Cladrastis kentulcea Rudd), and, of course, American chestnut (Castanea delllQta Borich.). were more common in this ancient foresr lhan they are today. Shrub spec ies were numerous, and carpeting !he ground in many places were large colonies of painted trillium (Trillum undulatum Willd.), baneberry (Actaea pachypoda Ell.), do g-tooth violet (Eryrhronium americum Ker.), um brella-leaf (Diphylleia cymosa Michaux). jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisema triphyllum Schott.), and many fem species. Rotting logs provided substrate and micro-habitats for many S1>ecies of fungi. mosses. splecnwons. and all the attendant invertebrate and small vertebrate animals that were essential to the health of the entire larger community. The large trees. living and dead. provided food, shelter, and breeding situations for many birds and other venebrate animals that require a biologically mature. undisturbed. mixed hardwood forest habitat. The mature forest was a dynamic biotic community that f'Q{L, t989 supported a large array of interdependent species. !'\one of the plants or animals mentioned above is exceptionally rare today. although a number of today's threatened or endangered species. such as the small whorled pogonia (lsotria medeoloides Rafinesque), could well have been present in such a habitat. The particular corn/Jination of these species. however, taken together as a functionmg ecosystem. is today a rare occurrence. What species m ight be present on such a site today'! Following the indiscriminate logging and burning at the the tum of the century, conditions were so severely altered that the second-grow t h forest now consists typically of a mixture of 60 to 80 year o ld oaks and hickones, with perhaps fewer than 10 other tree species. More prominent today are the m1d-successional species: yellow poplar (liriendendron tulip/era L.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobw L .), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L .). sourwood (Oxydendron a rboreum L.), sassafras (Sassafras albidum Nee s.), and stump sprouts o f Americ an chestnut. Scauercd individuals of most of the original species are also present, but the species composition is so drastically altered that the highland forest is typically c lassified as ~oalc-hiclcory" ralher than "mixed hardwoods." Large cavity trees arc rare. The large decomposing logs that typify biologically mature habitat are largely absent from today's regrowth forests.The number of undcrstory and ground cover species are now reduced, retaining those that thrive on disturbance, such as species of berries (Vaccinium and Gaylussacia) and rhododendron. Early succession habitat caused by human disturbance is the only habitat type that is well-represented on the second level of biodiversity, the diversity of species within habitats. But the forest communities are slowly maturing, and species enric hment is occurring gradually in those habitat s that arc left undisturbed. Biologically mature habitats, or old-growth mixed hardwood forests, are again a possibility within the next century. Just as genetic diversity within a species is e ssential for adaptation for survival in a changing enviro nme nt, so spec ies d iversity with in a habitat is essent ial for the whole community of interdependent plants and animals to meet the demands of evolution. The future of those species combinations best adapted to old, mature hardwood forest communities depends on the integrity of the entire habitat. Habitat Divers ity: Differentiation on the third level of biological d iversity, that of habitat diversity in the regional landscape, has also been gradually emerging in the Southern Appalachian Mountains throughout the second half of this century. The national forest-; provide large, contiguous blocks of forest area. which, if they continue to be left und1stur_bed. ha~e the potential to mature into a mosaic of diverse forest habitats, each accommodating its own composition of species, and all together making provision for the genetic diversity essential for species evolution. The key requirement for this regional diversity lies in maintaining a continuity of undisturbed habitats across the landscape. Disconnected habitats that are left to mature as isolated fragments cannot serve as more than small rcfugia for generic material. Such limitation confines ecnetic variation within the boundaries of each of these tiny habi1a1 areas and restricts the potential for evolution to respond to future changes in the cnvironmenL The current policy of national forest management is to accommodate landscape diversity by pwcscrving fragments of old growth stands dispersed throughout a landscape that is predominantly even-aged st~nds .of commercially valuable tree species wnh provisions for a few important species of game animals. This concept of diversity is analogous to the preservation of species in arboretu ms. bota nical gardens, and zoos. Cen ainl y a bead-lily (Clinronia borealis Raf.) in a cultivated garden has lost most of its wild "lily-ness," because a wildflower removed from its natural habitat is no longer serving its role as a strand in the web of life. In like manner, a fragment of old-growth forest preserved in a landscape of managed young forests has lost its essential nature, as it is no longer a pan of the web of biological e volution in the region its generic material serves. At the level of habitat diversity. just as at the two lower levels. the ability or an entire bioregion to adapt and survive environmental change depends on the diversity of its natural habitats. The greater the number of mature �REGIONAL PLANNING FOR HABITAT INTEGRITY by Laura E. Jackson Laura Jackson is the author of the study Mountain Treasures at Risk: The Future of the Southern Appalachian National Forests, a comprehensive overview and critique of the US Forest Service's Land and Resource Managemem Plans for the six national forest areas of the Southern Appalachians. Laura is completing graduate work at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Duke University. She wrote the sllldy in cooperation with Peter Kirby, regional director, and other staff members of the Southeast Regional Office of the Wilderness Society under a Stanley Fellowship grant The book is published and made available by the Wilderness Society. Mountain Treasures at Risk is an excellent resource for anyone who is concerned about habitat i11 the Sowhem Appalachians. The text is clear a11d to the point. The graphs and tables are pleasing to the eye and revealing in their content. Forest issues are de-mystified in a way that only someone with a clear comprehension of the dynamics involved could articula1e. 8111, most of all, Laura Jackso11's suuiy is invaluable because it is wriuen by someone with no ves1ed economic or poli1ical in1eres1 in 1he Appalachian public lands b111 rather by someone with 011ly the interests of 1hefores1 01 liean. The book talks in a straigluforward way about tlie effects 011 the forest of below-cost timber sales, over-roading, and the i11equities i11 budget and emphasis show11 i11 Forest Service management programs. The swdy co11clt1des with guidelines/or managing the Sowhern Appalachian 11a1ional fores ts 10 protect wild la11ds a11d the biological diversity they harbor, meet recreatio11al and aesthetic demands, and restore the forest 1wilo1. 011 page one of Mountain Treasures at Risk the report states that the two major flaws i11 the Forest Service ma11ageme111 approach is the agency's emphasis 011 commodity ex1ractio11from the mow11ai11forests Olld their failure to recog11ize the Somhern Appalachia11s as a regional habitat system (in other words, a bioregio11). /1 says, 'This report is the only ctunulative analysis to dote to examine the Forest Service's plaru for thil unique nwumuin environment." This is true. Many t/1a11ks. In the following article Laura Jackso11 explains further the differences in understanding that result from viewing the Ka11'iah provi11ce a11d its disti11ctive habitats as a whole, rather than breaking it into administrative pieces.... ·DW Mountain Treasures at Risk is available at M charge by writing to tht Wilderness Society Southeast Regional Office at 1819 Peachtru St. NE; Atlanta, GA 30309. (Jlowevtr, consider making a volU11tary donation. Tht reference is wt// worth It.) >C.at i'.&ah Journat paqe 8 T he fragmentation of Souther n Appalachian habitat is the familiar result of a utilitarian value system that prizes goods production and consumption over a healthy relationship with our land. Forest managers ask how their stands can fulfill national timber quotas. State governments ask if thei r wilderness fragments arc sufficient to satisfy recreational demand. But their questions are framed within self-imposed limits of vision that reach only to the orderly edges of administrative boundaries. Consequently, they are too narrow in scope to address what arc now the most critical issues. In this age of dwindling native populations, dying mountaintops, and other large-scale ecological catastrophes, we must adopt a broad regional perspective in order to evaluate and implement essential environmental solutions. The regional framework provides a logical context by which to approach land management decisions. The natural expanse of an ecosystem (like a prairie, desert, or mountain range) with its local resources, indigenous populations. and traditional activities, can suggest environmentally appropriate patterns of growth and development. Requiring collaboration among public agencies and private owners, the regional perspective is gaining support around the world as the solution to maintain ecological systems and the integrity of the human/environment relationship. As the dominant land manager in the Southern Appalachians, the US Forest Service is in a position to best exemplify the philosophy of regional stewardship. Currently, however, the agency is under extensive criticism for its unimaginative, homocentric planning and management techniques. The Forest Service conuols approx:imatcly three million acres in six Southern Appalachian national forests. Despite the contiguity of these lands, each national forest is administered as a separate unit. Staff vision and authority stop at the legal boundaries. As a result, individual forest planners have set inconsistent standards for managing shared animal populations, lost opportunities to protect roadlcss areas that straddle state lines, and purposefully altered rare habitat in order to incroduce elements already common on adjacent private lands. In the Katuah province, towns and private inholdings comprise about half of the acreage within official national forest boundaries. These lands support agriculture, industrial forests, developed and roaded recreation, and other human-altered environments. Consequently they have attracted hardy, invasive wildlife that thrives in modified senings and displaces native mountain species. A crucial role of federal stewardship, therefore, is to promote natural habitat continuity as a public investment in biological diversity, clean air and water, and the Southern Appalachian wild native heritage. A satellite's-eye view of the Southern Appalachian Mountains shows the Appalachian public lands as a green island standing alone above lowlands crowded with human beings and the products of their ac1ivi1ies. This mountainous ecosystem of tremendous natural beauty and scientific importance is also in increasing demand as a source for consumptive supplies. A closer look would show public forests fragmented by private inholdings, development spreading across newly-cleared hillsides, and wildlands straining under increased resource use. Yet, to date, the core of the Southern Appalachian habitat survives relatively intact. Invisible from overhead, yet just as real in its effects on the highland forests, is the administrative fragmentation that further stresses the region's habitats. Southern Appalachian forests fall under the jurisdictions of five state governments, as many federal agencies, and dozens of counties with differing objectives for the use of their mountain commodities. Countless private corporations also make decisions based on their own perceived interests in the resources of the Ka1uah province. The accumulated effects of numerous land-use decisions made in the isolation of corporate boardrooms, federal office buildings, and the offices of county or state agencies threaten 10 mortally fragment Katuah's natural systems and desuoy their ecologi.cal functions. If the administering agencies could view the mountain region from the viewpoint of our imaginary satellite hovering above, their perspective and consequently their management priorities might be changed: • From overhead, it is clear that the Southern Appalachians are a biological island, the last remaining large block of forest habitat in the southeast. Many areas can contribute to the regional and national timber supply, most of them better than these steep mountain forests. But where better can we look for wilderness, and the shady, moist storehouses of undiscovered ecological value? • The region's remote ridgelines and pristine streams constitute rare wildland linkage opponunities for migration, genetic exchange, and the daily roamiogs of wide-ranging mammals. These travelways could also extend to wildlands in the Central Appalachians to the north, and perhaps south into the Florida peninsula as well, to ensure strong, adaptable populations of black bear, mountain lion, and other large predators. Broad corridors connecting natural habitat areas along the length of 1hc Appalachian range would serve as ecological escape routes in cases of severe environmental stress, whether of human or natural origin. rau. 19e9 �•The Appalachians are the headwaters of all the great rivers east of the Mississippi. If streams and rivers are not pure at their origins, they can never be clean anywhere along their length. The expanses of forest that cover the green mountains are also a fountainhead of valuable oxygen in an increasingly polluted armospherc. • A regional perspective would correct the misconception that each national forest should provide the public with equivalent proportions of all resources. The southeast supports an abundance of cleared fields, thickets or young "pioneer" trees, and the understory plants and animals associated with early successional habitats. However, areas of contiguous, remote forest and old-growth comrrunities are precious and rare. Species plentiful in one nationaJ forest might be uncommon everywhere else; therefore these should be preserved at the expense of more ordinary forest uses. • Research priorities and resource inventories also attain broader significance when framed in a regional perspective. State wildlife officials and federal land managers currently repon environmental characteristics in terms of acres, head counts, and dollars. Such data arc easily tabulated and readily available by state and ownership category. Yet these quantitative measures fail to capture the more comprehensive information that is critical 10 effective habitat management Ta!L, 1989 • To ensure that resource u1ili7.ation docs not deplete an ecosystem's natural variety, managers must monitor across the landscape. They must mitigate the encroachment or common edge habitat into the diminishing forest interior. They must delineate and protect multi-state blocks of continuous forest and migration pathways. Responsible stewardship also requires improved biodiversity measurements, the promotion of ecologically rich old-growth stands, and the restoration of degraded lands. These and other research objectives necessitate inter-agency cooperation. working relationships with private landowners, and a more holistic view of the natural environment and our relationship to it. The responsibility for regional planning docs not lie solely with public agencies. Farmers, industrial foresters. university administrators, even individual homeowners must ask how their lands contribute to the environmental landscape. Particularly those who profit financially from Katuah's natural features - the outfitters, resort managers. and members of the entertainment and service sectors that surround public lands - should suive to maintain the integrity of the regional environment both as a business investment and as a means to compensate the land for its free use. Private landowners can do a great deal to strengthen the vitality of the region by managing their land to help reconnect the broken pieces. The time has come for landowners and managers to acknowledge their shared responsibility for environmental stewardship. We can no longer afford to view properties as discrete units unto themselves. to be modified, unadvised, by their current legal authorities. Businesses, families, and public agencies arc but temporary guardians of many tiny pieces of the Eanh. Yet the natural processes that permit our physical survival, as well as foster creative imagery and inspiration, besr operate unconstrained by anificaJ divisions. In order to maintain for the future the fundamental life-support systems of humans and other species, we must begin to counter the legacy of fragmentation with a commitment to environmental unity. We must explore land uses that do not deplete the Eanh's suitability for the other life forms with whom we exist. We must instill a deep appreciation for nature and natural processes in our schoolchildren. We must not insist on using. viewing, or populating every available surface, so that truly wild expanses may sustain the large animals who suffer in our presence. Much to their credit, federal agencies in the Southern Appalachians arc now experimenting with cooperative management programs. These require our encouragment and participation. Ccnainly sacrifices of power, pride, and privacy will be necessary to restore our suffering environment Yet their significance wanes beside the tangible and spiritual rewards of a cooperative survival mission never before attempted and never more important. x.atfulh Journm pCUJe 9 �A Question of Value by David Wheeler The decades between 1880 and 1920 were the years of the timber barons in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. This was the great "logging boom," in which virtually all the first-growth, "virgin" forest was cut off the Appalachian slopes. Fortunes were made during those years, but the money did not stay in the mountains. The wealth went to the corporate magnates and investors in the eastern cities and in Europe. When the ravishing of the Appalachian forests was completed, the big companies headed for greener forests to the west, and the local people were left with a strong dependency on the wage-earning system and without the means to support it. Today the old-growth forest, the first forest, is gone, but the view that the forest is a collection of resources, there for the use and benefit of human beings still underpins our basic attitudes and policies toward the Appalachian woodlands. The US Forest Service exemplifies that attitude. Their policies and priorities suue plainly that they consider the growing of hardwood timber to be the fir.a purpose of the Southern Appalachian national forest land. In the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia, two-thirds of the Forest Service budget goes into timber-cutting and road-building, which is directly tied to logging operations. In the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest, 40% of the budget is allocated to timber and roads. Beyond that, a good portion of the adminis1rative budget (which comprises 25% of the overall budget and is tallied separately) also goes to overseeing timbering and road-building operations. Only 3.4% of the NantahalaPisgah's annual budget goes to monitoring and providing for the needs of wildlife. The road-building that logging operations demand is the most expensive and damaging of all the activities carried on by the Forest Service. This is particularly true in the southern mountains where the slopes are steep and highly erosive (see page 12). The justification for this continued environmental destruction and human intrusion into remote habitat areas is the familiar "jobs and money" refrain. Much ado is made of the timber shortage that would result if unconstrained logging in the national forests were to be stopped. Timber industry lobbyists declare 1ha1 old-growth forest is wasteful, that there is already more than enough land set aside for habitat, and argue against evidence that shows a forest diminishing in native diversity and threatened in its ability to provide the clean water and air that help to nourish life on the planet. Unhappy over the timber quotas set in the Forest Service's Land and Resource Management Plans for the National Forests in the Southern Appalachians, the timber interests demanded, and won, an agreement from the Forest Service to sponsor a timber demand study, thinking that would give them leverage to XQt\mh Journc:i! pa9e 10 Phoro by Roo Musick/Profea Ligltthawt further increase the Forest Service's emphasis on timber cutting. The result was the "Southern Appalachian Timber St udy" prepared by a team of researchers headed by J. Edward de Steiguer of the Forest Service's Southeastern Experiment Station. The repon exploded like a bombshell onto the environmental scene. First, rather than verifying a strong demand for hardwood lumber from the National Forests, che repon found that the prices offered had actually been decreasing over the last decade! . And, rather 1han showing that the Nauonal Forests were making an important contributi?n co the region's timber output, che report pointed out that che National Forests contribute only 10 percem of the regional timber supply. And this 10 percent is largely wood of poor quality, used mostly for making pallets and boxes, but also for railroad ties, mine props plywood, chipboard, and finally paper pulp. A portion of the better-quality hardwoods are used as veneer woods and in the manufacturing of furniture, decorative trim, and hardwood floorin~, but the study mentioned in passing that a growing percentage of best hardwoods were being exported out of che country 10 buyers overseas! The Forest Supervisor's office in Asheville, NC stated that only 700 jobs throughout the North Carolina mountains were directly relating to timber harvesting in the national forests. In rhe Ka111ah province only rwo counties, Graham and Swain, are dependent on logging in the national forest as an important pan of their overal I economies. But the forest, like anything that lives, is much greater than the sum of its parts. The cash price of the standing timber is a paltry amount compared to the true worth of the forest. How could one appraise the rich diversity of life in Karuah, unequalled in the temperate zones of the world? We can on.ly be grateful for the priceless blessings of dark soil, pure water, and clean air. We cannot calculate the inestimable value of the fragile quality of wholeness. There has been much controversy lately about clearcutting and the methods by which timber is cut in the National Forests. However, as biologist Glenda Zahner has said, in the face of the perceived dangers to the survival of the whole Appalachian habitat it appears that the question is not how timber is taken, but whether timber should be cut at all in the Southern Appalachian narional forests. Well-known are the infamous national forest "below-cost timber sales" that have come to light in the past few years. These are sales in which the expense of the wood, site access and preparation, and the administrative management of rhe sale are not covered by the price received in the sale con1rac1. Thus, the Forest Service has actually lost money selling timber in many pans of the country, including the Southern Appalachians. Figures collected for 1987 from the six National Forests in the Southern Appalachians (including the Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest in South Carolina) show that the Forest Service lost $5.5 million dollars in that one year alone from their disastrous timber policies. Below-cost timber sales constitute an unauthorized hand-out 10 the lumber interests from the agency • and thus from the US taxpayers. The $5.5 million deficit from one year of clearcutting the forest could pay 275 of those 800 working timber-related jobs in the North Carolina national forests one year's salary of $20,000 to leave the forests uncut and to protect them as viable and living habicats. The succeeding generation of trees that replaced those carried away during the great Appalachian lumber rush are now reaching 60 to 80 years of age. The trees are approaching sawlog girth and soon their growth rate will begin to slow. This is the age of economic maturity (not to be confused with biological YaU.1989 �• maturity, which is anywhere between 200 and 500 years of age). This is a critical decision point in our policy-making: is the forest to be set back to the staning point again, or is it to be allowed to continue on toward the old-~wth stage to provide optimal habitat for the native foresr species? The Forest Service has made its position clear. On page 33, de Steiguer's "Southern Appalachian Timber Study" said, "From 1977 to 1986, the National Forests progressively increased the harvest volume of all stumpage products except softwood pulpwood. Real prices fell during the same period. In fact, the price lines are pracrically a mirror image of the volw11e lines." The report showed that the rate of timber cutting in the Southern Appalachian National Forests doubled from 63 million board feet in 1977 to 126 million board feet in 1986, even as prices were declining. Wise business practice would suggest witholding supplies when t.he price is low. The Forest Service has done e1tactly the opposite during the last decade, selling more and more timber for less and less money. Because timber quotas have been determined on the basis of political considerations rather than a response to the real market, taxpayers have been paying for the privilege of having the National Forests clearcut by the timber industry. At the time of this writing, the Forest Service is planning to again double timber cutting levels in the Southern Appalachians between 1986 and 1996. If timber sales continue 10 lose money at the same rate that they are now, then the money lost on below-cost timber sales wiU also double during that time. Under the current versions of the Forest Service's Land and Resource Management Plans for the Southern Appalachian national forests, almost 2/3 of the national forests are deemed suitable for logging, and all of that area is scheduled 10 be cut within the next 50 years. The narural cycle of succession leading to an old-growth, climax forest habitat will be cut short throughout two million acres of the national forest lands. Oak trees, many of which will be just beginning to produce the acorn mast so important to black bears and many other forest inhabitants, will be toppled in clearcuts, and a portion of the cut-over areas will be burned or sprayed with poisonous herbicides and planted in straight lines of white pine trees, which create inferior habitat for most forest species. The large, open clearcut areas left to regenerate naturaUy wiU invite yellow poplar trees to invade and take over land that may have been dominated by oaks and other tree species that prefer some degree of shade. Clearcuts do encourage diversity - a diversity of weedy plant and animal species at the expense of increasingly rare old-growth habitats. Today the old pattern of lumber extraction is being renewed as "the international timber commodities market." Once again, Appalachia is being relegated to the position of a t:olonized economy from which raw materials leave the region for processing elsewhere, along with the power and the profits. The United States is vinually the only country in the world with the capability to produce temperate hardwoods for expon. Most of the American hardwoods, particularly the oak lumber that is most in demand, come from the ratt. 1989 Appalachian Range. Canada is supplied almost enurely from the nearby Nonhem Appalachians. Because they are of higher quality, the northern hardwoods are also preferred in the discriminating European market. Buyers in the Far East, however, are more price-conscious, and increasing amounts of Southern Appalachian wood has been sold in Asia. It is difficult to determine how dependent on foreign sales the mountain timber industry has become, because lumber to be shipped overseas is shunted from logger to wholesaler and perhaps to several brokers before it finally reaches its port of embarkation. The US Depanmenr of Commerce conveniently requires no records of the point of origin of exported lumber. Industry representatives and Forest Service analysts say that of the total amount of hardwood cut each year, only 40-50% is large enough and of a quality that could be considered for export. They estimate that approximately 20-25% of that export-grade wood is sent overseas. However, because this is the highest-quality material of the wood species that are most in demand, the economic value of the exponed hardwoods is much greater than their percentage in volume and is very important to the hardwood market as a whole. Distribution of Annual Timber Removals in the Southern Appalachians. 1980-1986 Fnrms 25.5% Miscclb ncous Owner.> l1riV"J tC 52.8% Nauona I Forests 10.0% Oz hcr l'uhlic Aboencics 1.9% S~ Moun1ain Treasun.sOI Rislc Much of the expon trade in hardwood is in kiln-dried, rough-sawn lumber. which is processed in foreign plants and used for cabinetry and furniture manufacturing. The country of Taiwan is among the largest buyers today. UnHke Japan and West Germany, which produce furniture largely for their own internal consumer markets, Taiwan manufactures furniture for export, mostly to the United States. The Taiwanese furniture industry is modern and efficient, and labor in that coumry is so cheap that they can pay to import lumber from the United States and then ship finished products back 10 sell at competitive prices in this country. John Syme, forest economist at Clemson University says, "Quite a lot of the furniture manufacmrers, panicularly in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, are buying fumimre or components produced in Taiwan and other Pacific Rim countries and then selling them along with what they manufacture domestically. This is typical of chairs in particular, and other items that have a high labor content." It is possible that consumers in the town of Sylva, Nonh Carolina could buy furniture that was made in Taiwan of wood that was cut within 25 miles of their own home. While they might notice that a piece is stamped "Made in Taiwan," they probably would not notice that the price tag includes fees for shipping the materials halfway around the world and then shipping the finished product aU the way back again. To stimulate a market that is not fast-paced enough for their liking, timber industry profiteers are supplying materials to keep alive wood-based industries in countries that, due to misuse and overpopulation, have already displaced their native forests. On paper, the hardwood timber industry generates great profits at the export game, but little of the money made ever returns to the region where the wood was originally grown. The materials are sold from the mountains with a minimum of processing - jobs are being shipped away along with the wood. II is the brokers and traders in the large eastern cities who benefit from timber exporting. They are few, bur they benefit greatly. Sending raw materials to have value added elsewhere is not advantageous for the regional economy, but ultimately it is the forest that pays the greatest price. Ir is the Southern Appalachian lwbicat that is being cut and shipped away overseas. It is the black bear's food supply, the shady canopy protecting the ginseng plant and the delicate ladyslipper. It is the cover that hides the thrush, rhe tall guardians who draw down and measure out the pure running water. It is the integrity of the biological system, that subtle sense of balance that is intangible, yet so important. Here again is that persistent question of value: for what we are losing, what do we gain? The approach that sees the forest trees as materials for human use requires chat the trees be cut down and carried away - extracted - before they are of value. But the other approach that sees value in the wholeness of living communities requires that humans keep their hands (feet, and wheels) off large areas of the foresL The Southern Appalachian national forests are a significant land area in the Southeast. They could be a magnificent habitat area. Timber cutting, which supposedly is providing the greatest economic benefits, is proving to be a public liability instead. The national forests in the Kan1ah province are providing very litcle timber, very few jobs, and very litlle money to the local people. Yet for those scanty benefits the mountain forestlands are suffering inestimable damage to the natural habitat chat will take centuries to repair where it is reparable at all. It is time 10 bring our forest policies back into balance with the forest. The "Southern Appalachian Timber Study" by de Steiguer. ct al., is available from tlze USDA Forest Service; Box 2750: Asheville, NC: Katuah Province 28802. This anicle also drew heavily on the excellent resource Moumain Treasures at Risk by Laura E. Jackson (see page 8). �Let's Close The Gate To Forest Devastation by Anna Muir "Our forests are national rreasures nor national rreefanns." - St1u11or Wye/le Fowler, Jr. (D-GA) As far as land use is concerned, the key to protecting the Southern Appalachian forest habitat is to deny human access. Access means roads. "In 1985, narionalforesrs in the sowliern Appalachians contained 4 ,95 J miles of permanent Forest Service roads. The agency plans ro add 3,263 miles of new road ro this transportation sysrem by the year 2030 in order to meet increased timber sale levels. The resulting 8,2 14 miles will surpass rlie distance from Denver, Colorado, to New Zealand. In less than 50 years, these national forests will support alrrwsr two miles of road per square mile of land, nor including state, county, or private roads." budgeted $13,600 per mile c road gentle slopes o and $22,700 per mile/or sreep slopes." - Laura E. Jackson, Mountain Treasures at Risk Timber sales add up to a net liability for the Forest Service and thus for the US taxpayers. In the Southern Appalachians alone logging cost taxpayers $5.5 million in 1987. It is a vicious paradox, because preliminary road building doom;; any chance that a timber sale might clear a profit before cu1ting even starts. Present policy states that the only viable method of timber cutting is clearcutting. Under repeated clcarcuning the original forest is never given a chance to grow back, thus clearcuuing represents forest fragmentation and species discontinuity on the grossest scale. But loggmg depends on the expensive permanent roads installed at the taXpaycr's expense. No roads, no clearcuts. - Laura£. Jackson. Moumain T~ at Risk R oad const ruc ti on c reates severe disruption throughou t many square miles of national forest habitat. The soil erosion and stream siltation associated with logging operattons arc predominately the result of the roading necessary to remove the timber. Great amounts of topsoil, D"CCS, and native herbaceous plants arc displaced all along the many miles of roads pushed into the forest habitat. Roading in steep areas undercuts soil and rock structures, maximizing erosion, often res ultin g in rockslides and soil slumping. "Access is rhe demise of bear habirar, and anybody with comrrwn sense will tell you that. The bear in the Piedmont has been wiped out and replaced wirh people. For every mile of road you punch imo these rrwuntains and leave open, you're jusr pulling anorher nail in the bear's coffin." - John Collins, wildlife blologw and big gamt program coordinawr, NC Wildlife Resources Commission. quoted 111 Wildlife in Nonh Carolina rrrJg<UIJIL In an inter-depanmental memo released to the public, US ForeSt Service Regional Forester Jnck Alcock stated that, "Approximately 98 percent of all recreation (in the national forests) takes place within three-fourths mile of a road." Oisregardfog the obvious question of where is one to find a patch of national forest that 1s nor three-fourths mile from a road, the regional forester's statement gives some idea of the tremendous negative impact of forest roads on the natural habitat and how tremendously helpful closing roads would be to the rejuvenation of that habitat. 'This is a wasteful program that continues a Jcind offar red calf existence even in these days of tremendous budget dejicirs ....ln the last si.:c [!Seal years alone the Forest Service constructed 3,725 more miles of road than needed, by its own projec1ions, for rimber harves1ing. Such unnecessary roadbuilding was1es the taxpayers' money, while valuable fish and wildlife habirar is destroyed." - Sen. Wyche Fowler. Jr (D-CA) on the floor of the US Stnate. July 29. 1989 The primary purpose of the forest roads in the Southern Appalachian national forests is to bring in logging trucks. The Forest Service has claimed that the mosaic of roads interlacing the national forests is necessary to support the jobs and money generated by timber cutting. However, this claim has been proven false. Timber sales on the national forests have actually been losing money in recent years (sec p. 10 ), and a primary reason is the cost of road building in the steep mountain terrain. "Across rhe nation, approximately one-half of all Forest service rimber expenses are artribwable to road costs. Road construction is expensive, particularly in mountainous regions where many national fores rs are located. Planners for 1Jie Jefferson (Na1ional Foresr) Jc:.citUah Journm p ~ 12 197S 11l6S 19115 2030 T OTAL REGION. • Past, Current, and Projected Forest Service Permanent Road Milage on the Southern Appalachian National Forests, 1974-2030. Soun:.. flfowitam Trtasuru ill Risk "The excessive logging scheduled for remore and sreep terrain requires a degree of roading that will severely degrade rhe moumain environment. Within 50 years. 3,263 miles of new, permanent roads are pro;ecred for rhe Sowhern Appalachian national foreslS. Road consrrucrion is rhe most damaging activity conducted in norional fores1 management. Even miligalion ml!asures cannor prevent erosion, soil compaction, and habiratfragmentarion - ongoing results of road consrruction and subsequent use." - Laura E. Jackson. Mounu11n Treasures at Risk The greatest damage by forest roads 1s to habitat values as they occur in remote areas of the national forests. And the most damaging aspects of the forest roads are those caused by "cumulative cffectS" - those incremental changes that considered together add up to debilitating qualitative changes in the overall environment. Here is an example of "cumulat ive effects:' A road was bulldozed to a clearcut site. The logging trucks and heavy equipment went in, did their job and, after some months, came out, leaving a treeless forest area compacted and criss-crossed by caterpillar tracks. Some of the loggers were bear hu nters, and they noticed bear sign while they were doing their work. So, that fall, trucks with kennel boxes mounted on the back raised dust up and dow n the road, until the bear s were hunted out, and the hunters moved elsewhere to finish off the season. Now familiar with the area, some of the hunters brought a picnicking party to a pleasant pool they found in the creek flowing beyond the logged-over area. The following year some of the families rerurned to the clearcut to pick blackberries. And o ne of the teenagers remembered the picnicking party when he and his friends needed an isolated place to park and drink beer, so four-wheel-drive vehicles careened up into the forest several weekends in succession. The Forest Service, noticing all the use their small, rough forest road was attracting, upgraded the road to "meet the traffic demand" with the result that tourists in their large cars could ride all the way to the top of the ridge to enjoy the view .... And so it goes. Each of these uses is not significant in itself. Each is legitimate in its own way. But. compounded together, the overall effect is devastating to the natural habitat that once existed on that ridgetop, protected by several square miles of impenetrable forest. Cumulative effects all too often add up to a habitat destroyed. f"l:ltt, t 989 �"Anyone who can't see that open roads hurt bear habitat has got to be blind."- John Collins, wildlife biologist and big game program coordilliltor, NC Wildlife ReS(Jurces Commission Besides the direct monality due to road kills and increased hunter ingress, roads are a primary cause of the forest fragmentation that is one of the greatest threats to habitat in the Karuah Province. Roads mean people, and black bears and other large forest-dwelling animals shy away from traffic-bearing roads, so that large areas of previously umouched habitat, far wider than the actual area of the roadbed itself, are eliminated with the construction and subsequent use of new roads. Thus, the creatures native to the old forest are pushed into smaller and smaller range areas that are less and less desirable as living spaces as roads are constructed in areas that were once prime habitat. New roads also mean wide strips of cleared land and carry "edge effects,'' one of which is rapid invasion by early-succession ("weed") species of plants and animals, deep into the once-unbroken foresL Multiple Use M o dule (MUM) Rud NDM ill NaJural Areas JoMrnol "Mr. President, we already have an excess of Forest Service roads through our national forests ...." - Sen. Wyche Fowler. Jr. (D-GA) on the floor of the US Senate.July 29, 1989 In the interest of habitat preservation, not only should the US Forest Service halt its road-building program in Katuah completely, but in key habitat areas existing roads should be closed, erased, and planted with fast-growing, hardwood, pioneer tree species to restore the natural character of the once-roaded areas as quickly as possible. Closing forest roads completely and permanently would open large expanses of forest in which the black bear and other old-growth dependent species could roam freely, strengthening the gene pool, and rejuvenating and expanding the present populations. Closing roads is a necessary prerequisite for any programs to reintroduce large carnivorous animals, such as the mountain lion, to restore proper predator/prey balances in the forest. Closing roads is a key pan of any program to restore old-growth habitat in the , Southern Appalachian Mountains. SparrowHawk The sparrow hawk became his friend, though distrusting him at first, not seeing that when the man found it entangled in fishing line at the junkyard, he meant anything but harm. But it softened as he sat in the dark room beside it silent, his eyes averted, letting it discover that he held it captive only because he cared and would offer freedom when the May hills were green and the air sweetened and warm. Trust came when he fed it chicken and trained it to fly from his fist at field mice and grasshoppers, nurturing its strength and confidence to face the world again. Yet he was reluctant to give it back to the endless sky and distant Blue Ridge, saddened not to hear its chirp or feel the light talons as it lit on his head or see the solemn brown gaze; but his time with the hawk was borrowed, and as it flew beyond the pines vanished with the stirring breeze he was glad to have known 1t at all. - Julia Nunnally Duncan T11Ct, 1989 D1awU1g by RobM~sick. �TA by Heather Blair fg[(, 1989 �A PLACE FOR BEARS An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton (This 1nttr11itw 1s a continuation of a conlll!rsation btg"" ill issut 17 of the Ka!Uah Journal.) Katuah Journal: What are the basic clements for good bear habitat? Pt/ton: In 1970 we questioned southeastern state fish and wildlife agencies about bear habitat Respondents indicated across the board that black bears need good food sources (acorns and berries) and thick understory cover of some type There seemed to be common agrccmcnt that these were necessary clements for good bear habitat. 1bc third element is privacy - some degree of seclusion and remoteness. Of these three clements there is no doubt that the privacy/protection element is the most irnponant. Black bears are omnivores and have a broad food habit. Throughout their range in North America nuts and berries are always present. Where these arc present the species will survive, but only if there is some degree of privacy. Kattlah Journal: Then how about the effect of roads? Ptll()n: Road density and rramc volume arc the two factors that interact to determine the degree to which a bear will avoid crossing or even coming close to a road. The animals can be affected in two major ways. First, the road may make the habitat less desirable. Therefore they shift their home range, usually to a less desirable habitation. Thus they would be more vulnerable to monality, as they would have to move around more to find adequate food, denning sites, or cover. Secondly, a road may result in direct monality. Besides obvious factors like road kills, the mere presence of a rood invites people to use ii. The more it is used, the greater the possibility that hunting will be one of those uses. Katuah Journal: Are there other cumulative effects of roads? Pelton: Certainly. Once a road is in place and opened, it attracts all kinds of human intrusion, whether it's logging or hunting. The Twelve Mile Strip (an area between the east border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Parle and the Pisgah 1"ational Forest) is an imponant dispersal area from the Park. It is also a major hunting area. However, the Twelve Mile Strip is essentially devoid of a resident bear population. There is a high degree of road access, which means heavy hunting pressure, and the 1-40 freeway separates the Twelve Mile Strip from the national forest, which is ccnainly a barrier to bear migration. A recent ttaffic surve)' we did on l-40 found that during the daytime a vehicle passed the counting point every three seconds. At night the traffic slowed to one vehicle every seven seconds. The only real land bridge is the steep ridge that runs over one tunnel. We also know that there arc 13 or 14 culvcrtS in that area which could be used to cross under 1-40, but we don't f'11U, t 989 ~ "11-Rltea know if they arc being used. From road kills we've found, we do know that bears do occasionally tty to cross the highway. When traveling the coastal area of Europe last year, l found it very interesting to see their road construction techniques. At locations where we would "cut and fill" in this mountainous countty, they "bridge and tunnel." It struck me immediately that the "bridge and tunnel" concept, for whatever reason they used it, is ideal for animals in that it leaves large corridors for dispersal movements, in contrast to the "cut and fill" method that we use at present The availability of acorns drives the dynamics of the black bear population in the Southern Appalachians. Katuah Journal: That's interesting, especially since another major freeway is being proposed up the 1-26 corridor into Tennessee. It seems like it would be time to bring up something like that. You have also talked about acorns and their imponance to the black bear population. Pelton: The availability of acorns drives the dynamics of the black bear population in the Southern Appalachians. Black bears react to this concentrated energy source in amazing ways. Ecologically, physiologically, and behaviorally they go through a ttemendous change each fall. Bears tty to incorporate prime acorn sites into their home ranges. But acorns produce sporadically, and in any given year black bears will leave their traditional home range areas and travel for miles to congregate at oak stands that have abundant acorns. During this "feeding frenzy," as we call it, they sometimes seem to ignore a human presence in situations in which at any other time they would have jumped into the bushes and run away. They also show much more tolerance for one another at these focal eating areas. There seems to be larger numbers of animals in smaller areas than at any other rime of the year. It also appears that bears can shift their ability to digest various foods, particularly to assimilate the fall mast more efficiently. Acorns account for their ttemcndous fall weight gains, which arc all put on as fat Considered together, all these changes point to the importance of acorns as a source of food for the black bear. During the fall months they put on their most significant weight gains. This fat accumulation must carry them through the winter denning and into the cub-bearing season. We have been able to correlate the availability of white oak mast and the percentage of females lactating, and we found a direct and significant relation to acorn production. More dramatically, in the event of a failure of the acorn crop, there is an almost complete faillll'C of black bear reproduction. If alternative mast c rops fail as well, it could mean w inter starvation for the animal The size of the acorn crop also directly affects black bear mortality. A scarcity of mast necessitates greater movements on the part of the bear population. This makes them much more vulnerable to all the factors of monality. It affects them coming and going: natality (reproduction) and mortality. For example, in Tennessee this year the state fish and wildlife agency is having to deal with a lot of three year old male bears moving out of the Great Smoky Mountains Narional Park and ending up in Gatlinburg and Sevierville. There is a dominance hierarchy among black bears, and the subadult males of two or three years of age tend to be the ones who get kicked out and have to disperse to new ranges. This example fits in with events that happened in 1984 when there was a tremendous mast faillll'C. No cubs were born that year in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That meant that all the females were available to be bred in 1985. Therefore, they all had cubs in 1986. These are the young bears that are now (conlinuod on peg~ 16) XAtUAh Journot Pll98 t 5 �bein& forced to look for new homes. It's interesting how this situation today was precipitated by the events of five years ago. Katllah Journal: How docs clcarcuuing affect black bears? Pelton: My main concern is that clearcutting may be subtracting from the "principal," 10 put it in economic terms, of mast producuon. There is a trade-off between the summer mast that is produced for a few years and the years of hard mast production that are lost when oaks arc cut down. But my main concern is that it appears that foresters still don't have a full understanding of how 10 carry out a clearcut and have predictable results in terms of good, strong oak regeneration. We have made numerous observations on the Pisgah National Forest. In those instances it seemed that they were not getting the regeneration they should have. Thus this becomes a major concern. Once a srand is cut, it may be lost to acorn production for many, many years. Another concern is denning. Bears do sometimes den in the areas of thick undergrowth created by a clearcut, and that's fine, but where dogs are used for hunting, there is greatly increased hunting pressure. The bears seem to sense their vulnerability. The more exposed they are, the more apt they arc 10 leave and abandon their cubs. Female bears in particular need secwe sites, such as large cavities in old, hollow trees or rock crevices, in which to den. The more secure the denning site, the more likely they are to stay put. Twenty-five or 30 years ago clearcuts were hundreds of acres in size. Over the years they have been shrunken in size until now they are down to less than 40 acres in the Southern Appalachians. These are beuer for most forest species. It means more unbroken. contiguous areas. Smaller cuts spaced apart seem 10 be a more logical cuuing regime. Adjacent stands should be allowed 10 mature to mast-producing age. Katllah Journal· What specifically could we do to help improve habi1a1 for 1he black bears? Pelton: I think we need longer timber rotations. I still contend that we need 10 examine rotation times in light of the importance of acorns 10 bears and other species. I have a feeling that the rotation times need 10 be lengthened to give the forest as a whole a chance to be as it productive as it can be 10 produce the food that is necessary. That production time varies a lot from one variety of oak 10 another, but I think that the rotations are probably still too short The other need is, as I mentioned before, that foresters pay a 101 more attention to oak regeneration when they cut. They need 10 make ha1 sure that regeneration is advanced enough, 1 there are enough young oak seedlings and saplings on the ground, so that maple or tulip poplar or any other species don't overwhelm the oaks and take over the site. Clcarcuts should also be spaced so that acorn-producing stands are adjacent. roads. We have had a history of roads being opened and closed, opened and closed, re-opened and closed again in response 10 various political pressures.There needs 10 be a consistent and Slandard policy throughout lhe region regarding roads. Without it, there's no doubt that roads are going to be quite detrimental to black bears. Even gated roads arc being used for illegal hunting. Total closwe may have to be undenakcn. The state agencies in North Carolina and Tennessee are bolh putting a lot of thought into their bear sanctuaries. It migh1 be timely 10 examine the sanctuary boundaries in relation to where timber management activities and roads will or won't be, so that lhe efficiency of the system can be enhanced. They could make sure I.hat the boundaries of a sanctuary take advantage of a cenain prime white oak stand, for instance. I think we need to learn more about designing sanctuaries, but with a liule bit of thought and planning, perhaps the system could be improved considerably. Dr. Michael Pelton has studied the black bears in the Sowhern Appalachians/or the last twenty years. He is recognized world-wide for his knowledge and experience with bears and has advised bear research and restoration projectS in Norrh America and Europe. Rtcortkd by David Whukr Transcribtd by Marsha R111g Edictd by Kim Sandland and Dovid \Vhttltr About roads .. .ln a report I presented in 1985, I said that under present conditions black bears needed 10 have wilderness or quasi-wilderness, because of the indeterminate policies of the Forest Service about closing 'Jfu:rc fell tl1e min liealin9 forty rlays am! w e were fwatl ng, we w ere spfushi"'J am! Caugfi£119 boos wUh our rwses in f wwers aml throu9h tlui trus, nug9ets of s unlU)ht and •v•rywhcr• 9run reachL"'] to fwld us bark to touch am! 9run sprou ts, forgotten in corners wfu:r• 9run had com. rw more. C£u 7Mr• /eJ1. tlu& rain fu:ali"'], mil£"'] am! f a!l£119, remLmli"'J us of paths. rivulet.s /or9otten, paths unilwtujit of, ways too new to Lrn<UJi.ne, the joy of clesctmt unforesun, abandoned to tlu& twists of mud am! stone, un.ltwwn, new, quid.Ly. abrupt, steep. rai,n remlndL"'J to fall w'tlwui ceasi"'], fall 9Uully, /all gratefully, fafl, lo119Cr and try f or tlu& bottom, Ln mud, Ln stornJ, Ln green, Ln greetJ$St magnif£ceru;e of rain, the rain that falls ~lL119. f"aCL, 1989 �ArlWOl'.I: l¥y JamM Rhea If you ever talk to an old-timer, and you mention the word "panther," be prepared for some emotion-laden and perhaps superstitious stories. Human fear of the unknown has influenced and shaped the Eastern panther's destiny. Because of this fear the Eastern panther has been almost completely wiped out in eastern Nonh America. This article is an.anempt to decipher myth from reality and to present evidence for or against the existence of the Eastern panther today. TI1e following is an example of the typical panther story told to an old-timer of today by his or her parents: 'The night was dark and still. Daddy put a log in the fireplace and then tricked us liule'uns in bed. The only sounds were the hoot of a screech owl and inseccs serenading. And then, all of a sudden - a clt1unp, on the roof! Wha1's that, daddy?'we asked in fright. They got us children down and we gathered around the fire. We could hear the creature pacing back andforch above our heads. It was rryinR ro claw up some shinRles! 'Don't be afraid,' Mommy cold us, 'it'll be alright.' Daddy grabbed his gun from the wall. We knew it wasn't a/rig Ju. Then there was a loud, piercing scream! We knew it was the call of the painter." Is this scenario accurate - or is it just exaggerated mountain folklore? Was the Eastern cougar, or "painter," as it was called by the mountaineers, so bold as to come up to a human home and threaten to attack and kill humans? Do panthers still exist in the Southern Appalachians? What were, or are, they really like? Cougars were almost completely eliminated in eastern Nonh America soon after it was seuled by European immigrants. The attitude toward the great cat was the same auitude which caused the "taming" and destrucrion of the wilderness. The settlers anacked the animal, fearing it would prey on livestock and humans. Also, the destruction of the deer population through over-hunting and land-clearing, and direct hunting of the Eastern cougar saw this subspecies to its demise. 1"aCC.. l989 According to Robert Downing, former Forest Service officer in Clemson, South Carolina, the Eastern cougar (a subspecies which differs from the Florida panther, western panther, and twenty-seven other subspecies of Nonh American panthers), is as elusive as the answer to the questions asked about it. Many factors complicate the picture. First we must understand the habits and peculiarities of the panther. A cougar (Fe/is concolor) will live almost anywhere there are deer, or enough of the other animals of its prey base, such as racoon, opossum, rabbit, skunk, and fox. Deer, however, are by far the preferred prey of the cougar. All predators are best adapted for a specific prey animal. The deer is the right size and speed for the cougar and has come to be almost the cougar's only food source. ln Mexico where deer are few or non-existent, panthers prey on smaller rodents solely. This means that the panthers must spend more time and energy to kill more animals, but also shows their exrreme adapuibility. Unlike bears. panthers will not eat the meat of an animal they have not killed themselves. Occasionally an individual panther will acquire the habit of preying on livestock, although that occurrence is rare. Cougar are not and have never been a real threat to livestock. Wild boar, however, are definitely a possible prey animal for the cougar (which has implications for restoring balanced ecosystems in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Panthers feed only once every week or two. They kill only when hungry, usually eating pan of the deer and caching or hiding the rest to finish later. Robert Downing is called at least once, and sometimes several times, a month to investigate reponed sightings of the Eastern panther. He is presently rraining other Fish and Wildlife officials how to identify and verify rracks and scats. Only a rrained expen can tell the difference between a panther track and that of a large dog. Cats walk with their nails retracted (to keep them sharp). except on rare occasions when they are in a hurry. Panther scats average one and onequaner inches in diameter, and are smooth like those of a bobcaL Another panther habit is to kick up a pile of din and leaves on the edge of its territory and urinate on it. This habit is also shared by bobcats and foxes, so it takes a trained eye to determine the difference. Tracks are difficult 10 find in the mountains because the ground is either hard clay or the (continued on p:ige t8) JC.at ®h Jo1mmC. pa9e t 7 �FRONT COUGAR "'"~ (continued from page 17) constant rain washes the tracks away. Snowfall helps to locate tracks, but high mountain winds, subsequent snow storms, and melting make tracking in winter as challenging as any of the seasons. With so many sightings reported, Robert Downing finds it hard to believe they can all be wrong. But it is also hard to understand why there has never been an Eastern panther hit on the highways, when 5-15% of the Florida panthers (another subspecies) arc killed each year on the road. Perhaps the Florida panthers find roads more desirable to navigate than low, rugged wetlands. a problem the Eastern cougar would not have. Cougars were formerly common throughout North and South America. where they existed mostly on deer, bison, and elk. Today only small pocket populations survive, mostly in the western United States. Panthers are loners, rarely traveling in groups or packs. An individual cougar in the west occupies a 10-20 square mile territory. In Florida each panther uses 50-60 square miles because the population pressure 1s not as great There is no regular mating season for panthers. They will breed any time of the year once they come to maturity at three years of age. However, breeding for any one panther occurs only once every two tO three years. The two or three kittens in each litter are raised by the female. After weaning at two to three months of age, they accompany the mother on hunts. The panther ranges in length from five to eight feet, including the tail, and weighs from eighty to two hundred pounds. Their call varies. It can be soft like the cooing of a dove, a rattling growl, or an eerie shriek -- sometimes described as resembling the scream of an old woman. The panther does not scream when it is about to attack, as myth would lead us to believe. The bark of the grey fox is sometimes mistaken for a cougar call, although there is no resemblance. Some owl calls have even been mistaken for panther howls. In Florida, and many eastern states, panthers are protected as an endangered species. In western states cougar are managed by state fish and wildlife departments as a game animal. In Texas, there i s no protective legislation for the cougar whatsoever. A known population of panthers exists in Manitoba which has spread west into Ontario, and south into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota Maine is an ideal habitat for the panther, as there are large areas with no public roads and large deer populations. But so far no panthers have been officially sighted there. Before there can be any action taken to protect the Eastern cougar and its habitat, the presence of the Eastern cougar must be confirmed. Roben Downing has written a report fol' the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service entitled: "The Current Starus of the Cougar in the Southern Appalachians." In it he describes recent reports, historical aspects, searches for sign, and research needs. The Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service pooled their resources and sponsored Roben Downing's study when the controversy came to a head in 1977. At that time several groups threatened to bring suit against the Forest Service unless it hailed timber harvests in an area where several cougars had reportedly been seen. If you think you have seen a cougar or its sign, this repon may help you to determine a true sighting. The conclusion of Robert Downing's study is basically that there is yet no conclusion as to the status of the Eastern cougar. Although it seems fitting and right for panthers to be inhabiting the southern mountains, not one official sighting has been made. Until then, panther advocates have no basis for demandfog protection for cougar habitat The best thing one can do at this point is to get a copy of "The Current Status of the Cougar in the Southern Appalachians," learn all one can about tracks and panther habits, and keep one's eyes and ears open when roaming the hills. The true spirit of native Appalachia will shine forth when species such as the panther (along with the American chestnut, gray wolf, and black bear) are existing together in stable and self-sustaining populations. Roberr Downing's reporr, "The Current Sratus of the Cougar in the Southern Appalachians," is available from rhe Denver Wildlife Research Center; Department of Forestry; Clemson Universiry; Clemson, SC 29631. The Earth First! Biodiversity Project is collecting data for an Eastern Cougar Study. Your help is needed to document cougar sightings and habitat use in the eastern states. If you see a cougar, remember as accurately as possible the location; a description of the animal including height, length, approximate weight, length of the tail, and distinguishing marks; a description of the terrain; and an account of the event Send information to: Eanh First! Biodiversity Project 2365 Willard Road Parkersburg, WV 26101 Cougar tracks have four toe pad marks in a semi-circle ahead of the larger metacarpal pad. There are usually three lobes on the back of the metacarpal pad. The tracks of adult cougars measure 2 3/4 inches or more in width. Cougars have a central lead toe on each foot, and the two middle toes are not symmetrical, but one is normally farther forward than the other. Dog tracks appear similar to cougar tracks, but the toes arc almost directly opposite each other, and claw marks arc always visible ahead of the toe marks. Bobcat tracks are similar in appearance to cougar tracks, but smaller. The tracks of a young cougar will appear the same as those of a bobcat. If you see a cougar track, make a plaster cast. Here is how: I) Prepare the ground surrounding the track by removing any debris. Carefully remove any loose objects in the track itself. 2) Take a strip of light cardboard or plastic long enough to surround the track, fold it into a circle and fasten lhe ends togelher. Set it around lhe track. 3) Mix Plaster of Paris according to directions on package. Once mixed, plaster sets quickly, so be prepared to pour immediately. 4) Pour the plaster slowly over the track, taking care to fill all the recesses, especially the toe marks, to avoid air bubbles. Pouring too quickly will disturb the track. Pour plaster one inch over the track. 5) Allow the plaster to harden. Then lift the cast and carefully wipe away excess din and debris. / raet,1989 �Last fall, when the mornings turned c turned to gathering firewood, we didn't hav south-facing slope behind rhe cabin was doned oaks. We discovered enough snags just along the wood stove stoked all winter, and without I summer I've found enough dead and dying oak house next wioter, too. Oaks are treasured trees -- valuabl~ fo~~r. !f!l~per provide, valuable for their shady canopy and wood and their sturdy beauty. But something is oak forests of sourbcrn Appalachia. Since the ll980's, we've seen an increase in the mortality of oaks la ~land h3nlwood fcxests throughout the eastern United ~ This phenomenon, called• decline, has been o b s e r v e - y since the early 1900's, bat foresucs~.ud 1 are just beginning to tmensi.v~ it! Ciiiil'di k is having on the forest ecosystem. Oak decline is not caused by a single discaa odDlilllPa. bot a series of interactions between environmenw strelles, diseases, and insectS. A healthy oak ~ will begin to dec:Uae when it is subjected to unusual stress, such u drought; fiosl iniury or spring defoliation by insects. This causes physiological changes in the tree and its root n~omes vllJn~ IO lltlCk by the annillaria root'l'Offungus (Ari1tiJJaria metled), wllil:b aormally lives on roOlS of dead trees. This runaus killS put oflhe mot sySl!Cm, further weakening the tree and making it sa~ above ground auaclc by other diseases and iosects. The two-lined chestnut borer (Argilus bilineatus) is often fond in uees at this stage, its larvae making meandering galleries dna&b the inner bark and eventually girdling the tree. As the aee declines, ns growth slows down and the crown dies bact. Tbe dead branches exposed as the leaves die are the most obvious signs that a tree is being seriously stressed. If good condieiom return, a young, vigorous tree may be able 10 recover, bat an older tree will continue to decline and eveniually die, UiUll1y iwo to five years after the stress first occured. The U.S. Forest Service has been conducting surveys throughout Karuah to determine how widespread oak decline ~ and which areas arc affected most severely. By combining aerial surveys and data collec1ed on 1hc ground, resarchcn have de1crmincd that oaks are declining in all southern upland hardwood forests, but the damage varies greatly in different areas. Oak species in the red oak group (including bhd. scarlet and nonhcrn red oaks) are much more likely to decline lhan !hose in the white oak group (white and chestnut oaks). Oak decline 1ends 10 be grca1cs1 in areas where trees naturally grow most slowly -- on ridgc1ops, on shallow, rocky soils and on southand wes1-facing slopes. Age is a fac1or, too. "Declines arc, by and large, diseases of ma1ure trees." according to Sieve Oak, forest pathologist with the Forest Service. "However, chronological age may not f>e the best measure of tree maturity. On a high quali1y site, an 80-year-old black oak might be considered middle-aged, but on a poor site the same ttcc would be a senior citizen, and probably more prone to decline". Oak seedlings arc relatively intolerant of shade so they ••id br '° have a hard time establishing themselves under a forest caoopy. Once a dominant tree dies and more fight reaches the g10lllld. 1hey tend 10 be out-competed by fas1cr growing seedling -yellow poplar, maple, sourwood, black locust In order 10 be sure !hat oaks will be present in the next stand, it's generally agreed tha1 there must be a substantial number of oak seedlings and saplings already growing in tbc undcrstory before lhe dominant trees die. "If it doesn't maucr what kind of trees replace declined oaks, then decline is of no consequence because some regeneration will happen", Sieve Oak says. "But given the problems of oak regeneration, it's not at all clear !hat oaks wilt replace themselves after decline". Understanding the biological causes of oak decline and where it tends to occur gives some clues as to why we are seeing ao increasing number of dead oaks in the green mountains of our bioregion. Kan1ah forests were almost decimated by the "cut ou1 and get otlt" logging practices which prevailed around the tum of !he century. As a result, the majority of these next-generation forats are now in the 60 10 90 year range -- the age al which oaks become more vulnerable to the stresses that cause decline. 1llc long-1erm drough1 we arc experiencing is surely a contributing fac1or. Overall, the raie of global wanning since 1970 is higher than a1 any earlier recorded rime. If our heedless consumption of fossil fuels continues to blanket the earth with increasingly heavier layers of carbon dioxide, the drought stress caused by higher tcmpcra1ures will have dire consequences for the whole ccosys1em, and oaks may be among the firs! obvious casualties. Oak decline is also predicted 10 increase with the steady advent of the leaf-hungry gypsy moth as It chews its way south into these foresis. The gypsy moth, an insect pcs1 introduced 10 Nonh America in the ninc1eenth cen1ury, is expected 10 cause significant amounts of defoliation in the near future. One of the major current concerns about oak decline is the impact it has on wildlife. As their crowns die back, declining oaks produce less hard mast (acorns) and the nutritional value of the mast may not be as high. In one declining stand surveyed, the acorn yield was predicted to be 58% lower over five years than would be cxpcacd in a hcahhy stand. "Acorns arc very high in fa1 and carbohydrates", explains Lauren Hi1hmn. Forest Service wildlife biologist. "They arc one of 1he highest energy foods in !he forest". This shortage creates a grave situation for all animals which depend on acorns for fall and winter food -- black bear, deer, eastern wild turkey, racoon, squirrel and other small mammals. The populations of preda1ors such as bobca1, cougar and raptors a.re also adversely affec1cd by decline, since much of their prey consists of small mammals dependant on acorns. According 10 Hillman, decline also decreases the diversity of acorn species. Having a variety of mast in the forest, she says, "cushions failure in one crop which may have a poor production year. Given periodic hard mas(shonages, this could be a critical fac1or for wildlife survival". And !he impact of oak decline on wildJife wilJ be even grca1er in the future because many dying oaks will be replaced by (continued oo page 20) foU, 1989 JC.atimn Journa! p1i9e 19 �olher species of trees which won't produce any hard mast. "Black bear reproduction is directly dependent on. hard mast availability", continues Hillman, and she asscns that 1f oa1c decline continues to jcapardizc this food source, "the black bear . . might not stnive". If we consider long term trends m climate, the s1e~dy advance of the gypsy moth and the current age of our .f?"=sts, 1.t is reasonably safe to predict that oak decline is.a cond1uon wh~ch will not be disappearing in the near future. Is 11 a problem which needs to be addressed by forest management practices. or should oa1c decline be viewed as one factor among many in the evolution of a continuously changing ccosyst~m 7 . The oak-dominated forests m the mountains of southern Appalachia arc a result of land use history ov~r the last 200 years. Past agricultural use of the land, woods _grazing, fire control and the chestnut blight have all contributed to the present predominance of oaks. But given ~hat we know a.bout ~ak regeneration, it's a fair bet that there will fewer oaks an K~u3!1 forests in the future if some oak decline management 1s!11 undenaken. If the resultant changes in wildlife habitat, species diversity, wood supply and aesthetic valu~s are acceptable, t~en there isn't any reason to try 10 reduce the impact of oak decline. In areas where there is liule or no interference by humans, such as in designated wilderness areas, oak decline and other n~tural events are allowed 10 run their course. Then the ?Utc.ome 1s not influenced by the imposition of management ObJecuves which determine which resources to promote, oflen a1 the expense of other resources. However oak decline is increasingly being perceived as a problem of fo~st health in forests which are being managed to maximize one or more of these resources. The recently released Draft Environmental Impact Statement co".ering the Grassy Gap and Wesser timber sales in Nantahala Nauonal Forest. is one of 1he first public documents to address oak decline as a consideration in the action alternatives. The environmental and topographic factors which inc~ the incidence of decline cannot be altered by forestry pracuccs. However there arc silvicultural treatments which can reduce the effects of decline if the objective is to maintain a vigorous oalc forest. be One such treatment is thinning. Reducing the density of trees by thinning, especially when the trees arc ~l~tivcly young, should help alleviate water stress. However, 1h1~mg can cause an increase in armillaria root rot fungus, and u may actually increase moisture stress if decline is already in progress by exposing more of the soil surface to the drying effects of the sun. Another management strategy involves encouraging oa1c seedlings and saplings to grow in the understory of o~ stands which arc declining, or which arc at high risk for dechne. As noted earlier, oa1c seedlings under the shade of mature trees tend to be out-competed by more shade tolerant species. If the growth of these competing seedlings, saplings and shrubs is controlled, the young oalcs will be in a position to talce advantage of increased light when the mature trees arc gone. The method chosen to control competing understory vegetation is likely to cause some. controversy, si.nce .using herbicides appears 10 be more effecuve and economical m the shon tenn than cutting down the competing plants by hand. Hopefully, this decision will be carefully considered in view of its potential long term costs.. Much more needs t~ be ~nown about the complex interacuons of these che1D1cals rn the ecosystem before herbicides arc given a seal of appi:oval. . Some silviculturists advocate a second phase m the crcanon of a vigorous stand: cuning down the declining mature trees. From a silvicullural point of view, harvesting the big trees allows enough strong light to reach the ground for the oak seedlings to begin growing rapidly. Forest manag~rs "!BY .also .choose to harvest declining trees based on economic obJCCUves, 1f the trees can be sold as timber. Harvest methods have been at the center of a great deal of debate recently, with clearcutting generating most of the opposition. And the controversy is likel>: to become eycn ~ore intense with this issue, because clearcutung has been identified by many silviculturalists as the most effective way to manage.oalc decline. They affirm that if ~equate numbers of oak Sec<!lmgs and saplings arc present rn the understory, clearcumng a declining oalc stand is the most reliable way to ensure that ~e following stand will be less susceptible to the stresses which initiate decline. The major harvest alternative to clcarcutting is managing an uneven-aged forest by selectively cutting small groups of trees. This harvesting is done periodically, usually every 10-20 .Y~· and the trees arc selected in such a way that at least three d1sunc1 age classes will remain in the forest Uneven-aged stands are valued for containing a diversity of ages and species of trees and for their basically intact forest canopy. However, oak decline is more likely to increase in stands which arc managed this way than they arc in clearcut stands, because uneven-aged harvest requires more logging road construction, as well as more entries into the stand. This means there is increased potcmial for soil compaction, i:oot system damage and mechanical damage to the trees which arc not harvested. These injuries decrease a tree 's resistance to the stresses which cause decHne. Skillful horse logging would subs1amially decrease lh~se risks and would make uneven-aged management a beuer option for declining stands. Unfonunatcly, neither the timber industry nor the Forest Service consider logging with horses an economically viable practice. Small woodland owners, without the market pressures of big business, may find that using horses to log decline-prone areas, thereby creating space_ for youn.g vigorous trtts 10 grow, is a good way 10 m:in11ge de.chn .. on 1he1r land and encourage biodiversity. . Oak decline is a biological fact in the forests of Katuah. Watching robust, bountiful oak trees slowly lo.se th~1r stren~th and die is an emotional experience. Oak decline is an issue which gives us a chance 10 discuss what we value most about our . forests, and how we want 10 influence future forests by the decisions we make now. Photo abow, armillaria root rot fungus, courtrsy c{Strp~tt W. Oak f"llU,1989 �PEOPLE & HABITAT While many view the pastoral scenes and remote majesty of the Southern Appalachians as all-enduring, trends in human population l migration and unrelenting resource extraction have had monumental effects upon wildlife and the diverse flora of their native habitat. Today litlle remains unaltered by the effects of human activity. The landscape we view today is a threatened glimmer of what was once, but it still exists as one of the most diverse ecosystems on the North American continent. A universal tenet that holds true for every form of life is the ecological principle of carrying capacity: a given habitat can only suppon so many individuals of any given species. Beyond that threshold the numbers of the given species begin to decline or that species begins to impinge on the ability of the habitat to function and support other forms of life. The principle of carrying capacity holds as true for human beings as for any other life form. The difference is that we are so insulated from the greater environment by the barriers of civilization, that we often do not realize the impact we are having on local, to say nothing of distant, habitats. In the case of homo sapiens the situation is funher complicated by the effects of a highly-developed technology, which adds an additional element to the equation by magnifying the impact of a given number of individual humans. Bioregional awareness leads us to become as regionally self-sufficient as possible, so that we restrict the impact of our presence to our own bioregion. We also realize our responsibility to accurately determine the region's carrying capacity for human beings and to limit our numbers accordingly. A historical perspective of human manipulation of the Katt.lab province will help raise the question of the proper carrying capacity for human beings in our bioregion - the level that allows for the preservation of wild habitat. land already subject to conditions of dire overpopulation. The Old World represented a virtually inexhaustible well of humanity that flooded over the new frontier. After the mountain highlands were first penetrated by DeSoto in 1540, the question of access was of paramoum importance in the development of the Southern Appalachians. The Indian culture tied to the land and her offerings was rapidly overrun by the streams of white-skinned settlers that moved in along the major Indian trails 'through the Shenandoah Valley and from the Atlantic Tidewater area, widening the trails into roads as they went so that others could more easily follow. The first small communities sprang up along the river valleys and larger coves of the Watauga, French Broad, Little Tennessee, and Hiwassee watersheds. Although few and far between, their presence was marked by the agrarian need for cleared land. The bottomlands and wellands were cleared or drained firs1, and !hen trees were felled on the side slopes to make room for more fields and pastures. As the first sertlemen1s became towns, the clearings spread deeper into the mountains following small and muddy roads that wound along the river and stream tributaries. Early In habitants and First Immigrants The Cherokee Indians and the indigenous people before lived in balance with their world, utilizing the offerings of their Eden. Sources estimate the native population co be about 22,000 individuals throughout the entire region in the early 17th century. This number is somewhat lower than pre-Columbian levels because of war and disease brought by white settlers. (Today, that number would be considered only mediocre actendance at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta.) The native people manipulated their environment with a technology based on fire and scone tools. Even though they had developed a sophisticated system of agriculture before the arrival of the first white people, it is clear they never exceeded the ability of the region to support them. They did not interfere with the capability of the habitat to provide for other forms of life; quite to the contrary, the native people relied on that capability for their continued existence. The arrival of the first Europeans, however, changed conditions drastically. The first immigrants represented the overflow from a 1'a!L, 1989 Plwlo by Rob MusidJProject Ug/llhawlc These first settlers lived largely off the land, much in the manner of their native predecessors. Like the Indians before them, the white settlers annually burned off the forest floor. However, because of their greater numbers, this had a much greater effect on the forest than it ever had before. Even so, until the end of the 19th century most of the mountain highlands remained an impenetrable wilderness. Daunted by the richness of the New by CHIP SMITH and LEEK. FAWCETT World, the Europeans regarded the productive capacity of the land as limilless, leading them to farm and hunt carelessly and without regard for the future. Because they were completely ignorant of ecological balances, they exterminated game species of animals and birds and slaughtered the native predators so that their domestic livestock could free-range in the woodlands. Hogs and turkeys were particularly well-adapted to the forest environment and thrived on 1he fall mas1 provided each year. Once fattened, these were gathered into large "droves" and walked along the "drovers' roads" to markets in the piedmont Mountaineers also traditionally foraged for medicinal roots in the forest. As commercial demand for these natural remedies began to grow, medicinal roots became a prime baner item in town and at the crossroad country stores. As wagonloads of ginseng and other potent roots and herbs began to roll down the twisting mountain roads to the eastern cities, the rate of trade began to threaten the survival of ginseng and other herbaceous forest plants. The Industrial Era Grinding mills and small saw mills were the height of industrial production in the highlands until the mid-I 800's. The barter system was the usual means of exchange. The US Census estimated the population in the 18 western counties of North Carolina ac 200,000 in 1890. The lifestyle was still based primarily o n subsistence agriculture, hunting, and foraging. However, in 1880. the first train into the mountains pulled inco Asheville, and the Southern Appalachians were changed forever. The railroads represented a new degree of access, and they brought exponential population growth, absentee land ownership, and industrial commerce. The population of the city of Asheville (which today is only somewhat greater than 65,000 people) mushroomed from 2,000 in 1880 to more than 10,000 by 1890. Tourism also arrived on the rails, and sanitariums and luxury hotels offered all the comfons a tired and ailing flatlander could desire. Commerce was the primary reason for pushing through the railroads, and in the Southern Appalachian region, commerce meant timber. Large traces of land, often 30,000-200,000 acres in size, were opened up to exploitation and soon surrendered their bounty. Temporary company towns were built at the base of major watersheds and railroad lines extended into the highest coves. The early timber barons were industrialists, not foresters, and they neither knew nor cared about the ideals of sustained timber )'ields and forest regeneration. Their mastery of the new steam technology gave them access to the most remote reaches of the mountain forest, and the destruction they wrought there was unprecedented. The damage to the species composition of the forest was irrevocable, as was the damage to the soil. By the early 1930's 80 percent of the mountain (continued on page 22) JC.awc:ih Jo'4rnat plMJe 21 �(continued from pqc 2 1) landscape had been burned over. Little was left to shield the soil from the area's high levels of rainfall , and severe flooding occurred in 1896, 1901, and 1909, and periodically into the 1940's. A mountain native, the Reverend A.E. Brown provided first-hand insight in an interview in the Manufacturer's Record ip 1910: " ... these mountains were full of sparkling brooks and creeks which required a two or three week rain to make them muddy; today a few hours of rain will muddy them .... Many of the mountain streams are dry throughout the summer and fall, while in winter, the waters descend in torrents and do vast damage rendering wonhless the bouom lands... The sides of mountains have been denuded of their topsoil and bouom lands have been overflowed and swept away... " Shortly after the end of World War I most of the timber barons had tom up their tracks and moved on to the Pacific Northwest. By 1930 only a few companies, such as Champion Corporation, were left In the wake of the timber rush, and at the onset of the nation's worst drought and the chestnut blight, little was left for human or beast. The Present-day Forest (or Wha t You See Is What Is Lefi) Between the I 940's and the I 960's the population of the Ka1uah province remained static or even dropped The mountai n binhrate remained high, as it had in the past, but many young folks left the mountains to find wage work in the cities of the east and the midwes1. The bumpy roads offered a way out of the mountains tO seek the American Dream. During the 1960's and the I 970's, however, a change took place. The isolation of the "backward" Appalachians began 10 look appealing to flatlanders sick of noise, crowds, and pollution, and perhaps sick at heart at the manner in which they earned their wealth. The very isolation that had protected the mountains from industrialization for so long now proved their strongest attraccion. City-dwellers realized that they could "have" that isolation - all they lacked was a way 10 get there. Thus began the era of the four-lane. The Appalachian Regional Council brought in federal money 10 help state governments upgrade old roads and build modem expressways. During this same period agriculture declined sharply in the mountains - and with it declined the traditionally high binhrate that had always characterized Appalachia in the minds of outsiders. With the construction of new roads, in-migration became the driving force in the population growth of the Ka1uah province. Today the rate of biological growth (che ratio of the binh rate 10 the death rate) remains at flat zero or in fractions of a percentage point (0.07 percent in 1984), while the rate of in-migration continues 10 rise dramatically, putting the overall population growth of the Southern Appalachians well above the national average. The number of retirees translcx:ating to the mountains raises the percentage of monality, but a look at the figures shows the dominant influence of migration on the regional population. Lack of access has always been the limiting factor on growth • the growth of human populations, economic development, and Xat®h Journal pa9e 22 industrialization - in Appalachia. Lack of access protected the wild nature o f the mountain habitat. Now the cork is out of the bottle. The sporadic stream of in-migration has turned into a flood. As over-populated Europe once offered an inexhaustible supply of humanity to fill up the New World, the large eastern cities now do the same for the mountains, as the in1ersu1te highway system offers an easy means of travel. Along with the increaSe in new residents, there has been a tremendous increase in demand for recreational opponunities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the national forests. Today, human management and human use penetrates 10 the deepest reaches of the forest on 4,900 miles of forest roads and touches every aspect of life on virtually every acre of the mountain forest habitat. Meanwhile, wildlife has been pushed back to the most remote areas of the forest in search of food and safety due 10 the clearing necessary for roads and development and the associated noise. Environment Committee assures us that al l this developmen t can proceed with no impact whatsoever on the "beautiful mountain scenery that is so imponant to all of us" - in fact, it'll be even beuer, because there will be more people here to enjoy it wilh us. Typical of this approach is the l-26 Corridor Association, a coalition of Western Nonh Carolina industrialists, developers, and their followers, who believe it is imperative 10 immediately upgrade the present Route 23 to interstate proportions through Madison County 10 the Tennessee state line providing a d1rec1 connection between Asheville, Johnson City, TN, and the large industrial cities of the mid west. Jerry Grant, the biggest developer in the Katuah mountains, provides the following insight via the /-26 Corridor Association Newsletter: "We would be on the way to somewhere - not the end of the line. We think Asheville and this region are extremely fortunate 10 have an excellent liveability factor. We are able to attract the right kinds of industry." Those who still espouse this approach have not yet realized that whenever we perceive something as a resource, then it is automatically for sale. And once sold, it is no longer ours. It is gone. In another public relations publication of the l-26 Association, WNC at the Crossroads: Crisis or Opportunity?, this theme of development continues: "Improving the US 23 gateway to interstate standards opens the entire Ohio Valley and Nonheastem US to the WNC mountain expenence....Imagine how many more travelers would discover WN~ if traffic now using I-77 and 1-75 could re-route via 1-26 through the scenic Southern Highlands.... An interstate would produce many business opportunities away from its interchanges. Well-designed and The North Carolina Highway Bill (or Come One, Come All!) This summer in Nonh Carolina the state legislature passed a $9.1 billion Highway Bill. Governor Ji m Manin's plan is 10 place "every resident in the state within 10 miles o f a four-lane road," build by-passes around seven urban centers (includi ng Asheville), pave 10,000 miles of secondary gravel roads by 1999, and the remaining gravel roads in the state by 2006 (see page 25). To hear the road boosters talk, the new roads are going 10 bring in all the good aspects of industrial culture and none of the bad. There's big bucks in it for everyone, we are told, and, because we live in the mountains, things will be as nice as they always were. The ; N PR(S(NT 4 LA~ES -- fV\Ul'l.E CONNfClORS - - - W / 'll:/~E v"' . r •~ I I \I \ I '\ \ I \I \ \ '\ f'aU:, 1989 �perpetual wild sanctuaries It ts both a form of reverence and a human need that we learn at this time to intentionally leave some wild places alone forever. At this lime In Earth history. our human species Is severely and Irreversibly tmpacttng the ecosystems of the planet. As an acknowledgement of our reverence for Life and for the sake of our planet's biological heritage. ll Is Important that we lntenllonally leave perpetual wild sanctuaries where humans do not enter....places where the non· human life fonns tnd1genous to a pan.tcular area arc able lo proceed lndeflnltely. undisturbed by human presence. judgement. or Intentions. This Idea Is not wtlhout precrdrnt. In New Guinea there arc small areas of natural vegetation left amid lands that have been ovcr·grazed and ovcr·cut for cooking fuel. These small fragments of natural diversity are the burial grounds. rabu areas. sacred to the spirits of the ancestors. where It Is blaspht>my to tread. In old English estates. amid the Impeccably kept lawns and gardens. there Is one comer kept wild "for the fairies • that Is never entered These are probably areas that would difficult lo matntaln anyway. and these days the tradition Is most likely kept with tongue tn cheek. but ll Is slill kept, as ll has been for generations. In the small country of Costa Rica the newly-established tropical dryland forest national park Is divided Into three pans: one pan ts open to appropriate commercial use. one pan Is only open to tradltlonal native use. and the remainder Is not open to human use at all. Here In Katuah. there have always been energy centers and sacred sites endowed with spiritual power that were never entered except by lndlvlduals or small groups of people who felt compelled to venture there to fulfill a specific spiritual mission. ThJs idea could be easily translated lnlo our own lime. lf people took ll to heart. Small areas could be set aside on small tracts of land. but setting aside a mountain range or large areas of the forest to be forever undisturbed by human presence would make a significant difference tn the conditions of habitat and. no less Importantly. would transform our relationship to the land. It Is both a form of reverence and a human need that we learn at this lime to Intentionally leave some wild places alone forever. All who feel so tncllned are Invited to set off an area of land - however large an area for whJch the tndlvldual or group feels ll can accept responsibility - as a perpetual wild sanctuary. This could be done by purchase. decree. or by personal witness. The areas could be regarded as sacred shrines. devlc dwclllng-places. burial grounds. or liberated 1.ones. In whatever manner It Is undertaken. this commitment tnvolvcs a responstbtllty lo respect the boundaries and lo urge others who might come tn contact with the area to do the same. It also Involves educallfllt the young about the nature of this area and the purpose for selllfllt ll aside. that they might be willing to continue the practice. ll Is time lhts Is brought forward as a serious suggestion. May all beings live wUd and free! Plca.\C !lend any commcnis expressing your rcacuons, dreams, or visions about a perpetual wild sanctuary lO KatiUih Journal: Box 638: Leicester, NC 28748. (conlJnUOd from Pl&C 22) developed interchanges therefore not only enhance the corridor's immediate environs, but also seive as gateways which entice additional development into surrounding counties. "Regionally, the 1-26 gateway will increase traffic throughout WNC. Thus, thousands of businesses - both established and yet-to-be stand to benefit...The US Chamber of Commerce has determined that each additional 100 manufacturing jobs have the following positive (sic) benefits on a given locale: Non-manufacturing jobs .. ...............&! Population increase...................... 202 Family units .............................. I 02 Increased school enrollments............ 61 (t ndguote) The effects would certainly be positive for the developers and real estate speculators who stand to make a lot of money selling off the mountain habitat. For current residents, however, land booms do not necessarily mean more jobs. They do mean higher taxes as the local people absorb the costs of expanded water supply and waste disposal services to provide an infrastructure for the new industries. They do without fail mean over-crowded schools, higher crime rates, increased noise. congestion, sedimentation. air and water pollution. Richard Stiles. an economist for the Western Nonh Carolina Tomorrow group, a primary motivator behind the push for an 1-26 corridor, actually maintains that an interstate- level highway would be less ecologically damaging than expansion of the present Rt. 23. He says that this is because an interstate would have only limited access, rather than being lined with development. Such an analysis shows a complete ignorance or disregard for the idea that there is any limit to the regional canying capacity for human beings. T11U, 1989 Ptn:cmage Change in !>()pulation Size. Ra1c of Na1ural lncrcase. and Net Mignuion Rate for lhc Average of !he Eighteen Wt"stcm Counlle• of We.tern Nonh Carolina, 1940-1980 LEGEND: - - Rate of PopulallOD Change -""" ··· · Net Migrabon Rate: · • • - - Ra1e of Natural ln~ase 25 20 - 15 10 5- 0-5 ·IO· . :?Q - 1940-50 1950-60 1960-70 1970-80 (1971 l'"'JOC- ) Source: S«io-£c()namlc OverviLW of W~s1u11 Vorrli. Carol1NJ fo r ti!, Vtu11aMla PusaJi VaiwNd Fou compilttl by the .•t Sou1hnn Appalachian Ccnlef, Man Hall College, Mars Halt, NC Direct displacement by the interstate construction and resulting commercial development will remove thousands of acres of relatively undeveloped habitat. Migration routes and range areas of different animals will be disrupted by the cut-out, paved-over, and fenced-in interstate route. A new interstate route will greatly increase fragmentation of habitaL The forest north of Asheville will be severed by a route comparable in size and volume to the 1-40 interstate. Instead of one habitat area • however patchy and ragged it is at present - there will be 1wo smaller areas. The local gene pool, already in disucss, will be divided in half once again. However. the most damaging effect will be the ucmcndously increased volume of traffic that will pass over the new highway. A new superhighway will mean more use. more commerce, more in-migration, more human demands on the already over-stressed habitat. We long ago overshot the capacity of this region to suppon the weight of our population. As access opened the mountains to the ravages of unrestrained technology at the turn of the century, so now is it bringing in unrestrained numbers of human beings. We arc the greatest threat to habitat in the Southern Appalachians. Rather than manage the forest to meet our unending demands, we need to manage ourselves. our numbers and our way of life. that the forest may continue. In the long run, this would be the best for all the inhabitants of the mountain forestlands. ourselves included. This process requires values that are at once new and at the same time very, very old. These values arc the substance of the biorcgional vision. We need to learn/remember them and pass them on. Only then will we be able to approach a reasonable carrying capacity of human beings in the Katuah province of the Appalachian biorcgion. ~ Xot.Uah Journot p119e 23 �J CAPTIVE BEARS FREED! "ROAD MANIA" SLOWED NabJral World News Service Senator Wyche Fowler, Jr. (D-GA) led the US Senate lo adopt an amendment to the interior appropriations bill that cut the road-building budget of the US Forest Service by $65 million. Vowing lO curb "road-building mania" in the Forest Service, Fowler called on his Senate colleagues to pass the amendmenL They responded 55-44 in favor of the measure. Twenty-rive million of the recovered money would be returned to the federal treasury. The balance would be used for stewardship programs, habitat improvement, and land acquisition. In calling for support of the amendment, Fowler cited a Congressional Research Service study that found that road construction was the most environmentally damaging aspect of the Forest Service timber program. OTTERS MAKE A COMEBACK ... AND A GETAWAY Natunil World News Service CARNIVOROUS PLANT LISTED Norural Wbrld News Service NllUnl) World News Service Recent events in Cherokee drew attention to the plight of caged and exploited black bears. One evening this summer, several bears were "liberated" from Saunooke's Bear Den show by unknown individual(s). A large hole was cut in the outer wall of the enclosure, through which the bears escaped along the creek into the surrounding woods, and hopefully into the Great Smoky Mountains National Parle. The outcome for the escapees is unknown: Saunooke has made no comment as to whether or not the bears were quickly recaptured or escaped into the wild. In any case, this evem effectively brought the bear's situation to the attention of local media. People for the Ethical TreaUTient of Animals have annouoced plans to protest in Cherokee on September 9, 1989. They have been warned off by the Chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, Jonathan L. Taylor. A clear message appeared on August 15, 1989 in the Asheville Ci1iz11n-Times that any animal rights protesters would be arrested and prosecuted for "interfering• with the reservati.on practice of exploiting bears. lo a pointed way. it is clear that on the reservation, as in many areas or Katuab. the rights or humans to exploit the bears supercedes any rights of the animal species. Loss of freshwater wetland habitat has eliminated or threatened many plant and animal species throughout the country. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has recently proposed to add to the Endangered Species List the mountain sweet pitcher plant (Sorrounio rubro ssp. jonesii). Native only to a few motmtaln bogs and streamsides in southwestern North Carolina and northwestern South Csrolina along the Blue Ridge Divide, the mounuiin sweet pitcher plant has been reduced from 26 known historical populations to only 10. The pitcher plant has been the victim of drainage of bogs. flooding. convctsion or the land for agriculture and grazing, various other forms of land development, and collection. Eight of the remaining 10 populations survive on private land where they may be subject to habitat alteration and collection by fanciers or carnivorous plants; the other two are situaicd on State or South Carolina lands. but are also vulnerable to recreation and illegal collection. The mountain sweet pitcher plant, like other carnivorous plants, traps and digests insects for food. 11 grows up to 29 inches in height, producing showy. typically maroon flowers gracefully suspended on single tall stems, each covered with a hood. Insects. attracted to the mouth of the pitcher by sweet secreted nectar, crawl or fall into the pitcher. Their escape is prevented by a smooth slippery surface just inside the mouth of the pitcher. and by stiff hairs lining the interior or the pi!Cher tubes, pointing downward. The insects are digested in the enzyme.filled fluid secreted int the pitchers. The mountain sweet pitcher plant and its related species have long inspired curiosity and wonder. Unless they are protected and s:ived they will soon inspire only memories. Your comments can be addressed to the Asheville Field Office: US Fish and Wildlife Service; 100 Otis Street (Room 224); Asheville, NC 28801. ACID RAIN A PROVEN KILLER NabJral World News Service A link between acid precipitation and a wsease which bas killed thousands of dogwood trees may have been proven by US Forest Service plant pathologist Robert Anderson and colleagues. Dogwood anthracnose, or dogwood blight, caused by Disculo fungus species, was first found to be infecting trees in the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest about 10 years ago (see Kotuoli Journal #21). Since then, it has spread lO many of the Southeastern states and caused high mortality among both woodland and ornamental dogwoods. More than one quarter million acres in Kllttiah have been affected by the disease. Otters, absent from the Smoky Mountains following excessive trapping and logging activities during the 1930's, are making a comeback. Not only are they successfully surviving in several reintroduction sites, they arc claiming ierritoric:; across mountain ronges from their points of rcintr0duction. Nine nvcr otters were rclea.~ into thc Little River on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and at least two have crossed into Nonh Carolina drainages. The ouers arc eluding the tracking efforts of researchers. even though fitted with surgically-implanted radio transmitters. Kim Dcl..o'1ier, wildlife biologist for the Park. says, "Most of them have moved extensive disuinces from the release site to other drainages. We really don't know why they are moving so much." Recently, biologists have been able to track the otters only by air. A few oucrs from a 1986 release project an the Cades Cove area of the Parle also were sighted later in Nonh Carolina waters. FtShermcn have expressed concern that ottcrs will destroy game fish, but analysis or oner scat from river banks bv University of Tennessee researchers revealed that scat piles contain no trout bones. "Trout are fast and much harder to catch," says DeLozier. Instead. the otters prefer slow-moving fish like white suckers. daces, sculpins, and hogsuckers, says DeLo1Jer. For the ouers, •...these slow-moving fish ate like picking sweets from a candy store." The next proposed release of river ouers will Ulke place as early as this winter in a watershed on the Nonh Carolina side of the Park...but don't expect them to stay there for long. Xai.imh Journal pmJe 24 The disease is chanictcrized by putple-rimmcd leaf spots. followed by twig, brunch. and stem cankers. Trees ID the forest • parucularly trees growing ID moist environments at high elevations - suffer more from anthracnose than omrunental dogwoods located where the disease can be controlled by cultural practices. Among wild dogwoods, the disease is expected to continue 10 spread throughout the South. In the past researchers had not been successful m producing anthracnose symptoms on trees which had been inoculated with lhe Disculo fungus in the laboratory. In the recently reported experiments. one year old dogwood seedlings were exposed to various levels of simulated acid rain at a Forest Service lab. The seedlings were then exposed to Disculo inoculum and the subscquem rate of infection was noted. Exposed to the fungus alone, the trees showed no sign or the blight. but as the rain acidity levels were increased there appeared a corresponding increase in infection. Research is continuing to determine if the acid rain/anthracnose connectio~an be observed in dogwoods growing under field cond111ons. Anderson's work will be helpful in effons to s:ive the tree that bears the North Carolina state nowcr. Perhaps more importantly. however, his experiments have proven a link bclwecn acid rain and plant disease and decline. It is commonly accepted that airborne pollution is contributing 10 the deaths or red spruce and Fraser fir treeS at high altitudes in the mountruns, but Anderson's experiments offer the first scientifically accepted proof that acid min is a major culprit in any instance or forcs1 degradation. The logo above symbolizes the commitment of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League to protect the integrity of the New River. The group is demanding that the State of North Carolina carry ou1 its rc.~nsibility to protect the river as a fcder:illy-dc.~ign:ncd Wild and Scenic River area. The New is presently designated a Wild and Scenic River for 26.5 miles or its length, but this designation is threatened by an alarming rate of de,•clopmcnt along its banks and a proposed water treaUTient plan! upstream of the fcderally-pro1cc1cd zone (sec Ka1t1aliJourna/ If 24). Join the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League's efforts on behalf of the New River. Contact BREDL: Box 1308; W. Jefferson, NC 28694. raC!., 1989 �. SAHC TO REVISE PROPOSAL Nmural World News Strnce The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) has announced !hot il will drop o proposed National Scenic Area Proposal thllt the group hnd drafted as potential leg1slauon 10 define m:inagemcnt policy for the 24,000 acres of spcc18Cular landscape known as the Highl:inds of R0311. The ongin:ll propos:>I met w11h protest from local l:indowncrs and building conl13Ctors who felt thllt lhcii propcny rights would be violated by the plan. The SAHC sud m a prepared sl3tcmcm, "Since u has been our hope from the beginning !hot a proposal could be drafted which met with the approval of all part1e~ •... SAHC has withdrawn 1ts proposal for lhe present and 1ntcods IO revise the same <;<>as IO hopefully '™=Ct the conocms of local l'CSldcnts md landowners.• The conservauon group pbns to hold both formal and informal mceungs with all CO'ICcmcd to come up wilh a new and belier proposal for keeping inl.3Cl the beauty of the Roon Highlllnds. NC ROAD BINGE Nonnl World News Service The North Carolina state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill o~ July 26 that will contnbute greatly to mushrooming development in the Klllliall province. By a House vote of 95-19 and a Senate vote of 39-11, lhe legislature raufied a highway package rood bill calling for S9. I billion for road construction throughout the Slate. In campaigning for the bill carher, Republican GovClllOI" J1m Martin vowed IO bnng every resident of the state within 10 miles of a fow--lanc highway. The bill would fund major road-building and road-widening projects and pave thousands of miles of ara,-cl roads. Pnrndox1cally, the governor turned against his own bill when Senate Democrats added a provision to use incrca~ vehicle sales taxes for 11110 years to fund pay raises for 1eaehcrs and swc employc:cs. But legislators did not respond to the governor's last-minute call to tum down lhe revised bill. Among the projects IO be funded by the massive highway constrUCtion act are widening of US 23 in Madison County 10 cn::ue a four-lane roadway between Asheville, NC and Johnson City. TN: widening of US 19-19E between Mars Hill and Ingalls m Avery County: expansion of US 19 between Bryson City and Andrews: widening of US 441 soulh of Franklin: and construction of a loop IO circle west of Asheville between 1-26 and US 23. 1"c:i[(, I 989 FRIENDS OF GRANDFATHER temperawrc in the river, which would cause populations of fish and olha- life to decline. Geologically, the Grandfather Mountain Window, where some of the oldest rock exposed on earth juus out of the gl'OWld, provides a unique glimpse into the past. 11 is estimated lhat Grandflllher Mountain is between 625 to 680 million years old, placing its formation during the Precambrian era, a time when life still existed primarily in the seti. and microorganisms were prom111CnL Fncnd~ of Grandfather is c , rently securing 501(c)3 non-profit status with the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Soc1c1y. It has also received suppon from the Blue Ridge Group of the Sierra Club and is worlcing with the Trust for Public Lands. To become involved or 10 send a donation to the Friends of Grandfather Mountain Fund please write to them at: P.O. Box 239: Sugar Grove, NC 28679. Nonnl World Ne"°' Service On !he northwest slope of Grandfather Mountain hes 1,200 acres for sale. 900 acres of lhis is owned by lhc Wilmore Corporation, headed by John Williams and Hugh Monon. A master pion has been drawn up which any developer interested in buying the property must agn:c to. Tiie sellers see this master plan. which includes a ski slope, shopping mall. convention center, golf course, and 200 or more homesiteS as being earned out m an envll"Ol\mentally conscious way. Friends of Grandfather Mountain is a group of concerned local citir.ens working to keep these envuonmentally sensiuve areas mtact by initiaung a media cnmpaign and an effort to purchase the land. By purchasing the land and placing it in the care of a conservation organi1.auon, perhaps future generations can enJOY at least one moun1:1m whose i.rrcplacable beauty lives unscathed. In protceting the land, douns of species of plants and animals would also be protccted. Many vnriwes of irces, and several rare nnd threatened plants and animals eiust on and near the 900 acre tract up for sale. Of pnme botanical concern are the Blue Ridge goldenrod and the Hclleri bla7jng star, both growing on the Profile Cliffs directly above the endangered land. These species are listed as critically globally imperiled by the Natural Heritage Program. The Blue Ridge goldenrod is also CODSJdered endangered by the State of North Carolina. DU"CClly off the Shanty Springs Trail arc bent avcns and lnuhng wolfsbane. These bcauuful plants arc also globally imperiled. Their ap(>C3rllllce is considered rare nnd highly localized. The proposed development would also displace hundreds of animal species mcludmg: deer. racoon, opposum. red and grey fox, bobcats and an occasional bear. Newly discovered is the presence of the northern Oying sqwrrcl, a "Jlt'CiCS endangered in the Sl&IC of North Carolina, just above the glade on the Shanty Springs trail. These small, nocturnal creatures seem 10 be declirung because of changes in vegetation and habitat disturbance. The population of these rare squirrels at Grandfather Mountain is the farthest north the species has been discovered in the state. Also, disturbing the territory below the hacking site for young endangered pe.rigrine falcons may reduce the chance of the mature birds renuning lO breed in lhal area. From the westtm slope of Calloway Peak, the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Range, spring three pristme streams which form the headwaters of the Linville and Watauga Rivers. Both rivers are currently being proposed for designation as Outstanding Resource Waters. The Watauga River may be unable to support additional treated wastewat.Ct, awaillng further LCSts by the NC Division of Environmental Management. Wastewater treallllent standards for the nver have already been made motC Stringent, and in some 111.S1allCC$ new pcnmts have been denied. Any silt or 1dditional emuent into lhcsc headwaters may ruin the nver"s quality. Of critical imponance is the potentinl increase of average water ACID VEINS Narunl World Ne"°' Sen-a The final mslallment of a ten year study on acid rain for the Kau1ah biorcgion has recently been released by Lhe Environmental Prolec:tion Agency. The final rcpon states th:11. 1f current sulfur emissions continue et the present rate, 129 streams in the region will become acidic within SO )'ClltS, and 203 additional sueams will be occasionally acidic. Researchers also projected the possibility of increases in sulfur emission during the same 50 year period. Starling with a steady inc= of 20% in the first 10 years and continuing for 15 years, then leveling offin the next 2S years. At lhis level 159 streams would become acidic:, and 340 would be potcntJally vulnerable IO periodic acidification. Presently there are no S11C811lS in KatWlh that are considered aciC:ic, and jUSt lhree are eswnated IO have an ac1d-ncutrali21ng capacity or lower than 50 m1cro-equ1valcnts per liter • the estimated vulnerability threshold or streams becoming temporarily acidic during heavy snow melts and rainstorms. Sulfur dioxide, wh.icb is convened in the atmosphere into acid, 1s primarily produced by C031-buming power plants and other industries. Oxides or n11.rogcn arc released in approxim3tely similar amounts by automobiles and industry. Even though the CIU"Tcm presidential admlnlscraUon has proposed a 10 million ton reduction in sulfur diollidc emissions and a two million ton reduction in nitrogen oxide releases over the next decade. one of lhe best means to reduce poisonous emissions is energy conservation, which lessens lhc need for both existing and proposed power plants. Here are some organizations that offer catalogs contammg energy-effiCIClll products: Tiie Renew America Prop:t: 1001 Connecticut Avenue NW (Sutte 63&): Washington, DC 20036 (&02) 862-2999 and The Rocky Mountain Institute: 1739 Snowmass Creek Road: Old Snowmass. CO 81654. �Gathering I dream the spirits gather, Gather in a space outside my Room. They call my name over DRUMMING And over, I stand Before them and their voices are The howling of wolves, lhe cooing of doves, LETIERS TO KATUAH We are in another place, They are touching me, I feel like a candle With a tall flame, They give me messages, When I wake I can only remember The voices of doves, Of Wolves, and the way We wavered over this world, Dear KatUah. I'm writing to thank you for sending the Katilah Journal all the way over to Swil.l.erlandl h's very important lhat people sian to think and care more and more about our environmental problems ALL OVER the world! I'm looking forward to your next issue! The seem of sandalwood. - Palricia Claire Peters YourS sincerely. Christine Moser ~t:.~S· p$. o-t$S ~ ri..~ \)~ tjl{C\;1!1 ~G·s~~s .~'.tS ....o~ ,.c9v~st:.•S v J\}t>G1!i :iS ~~ Dear Friends at Katrlal1 Journ(l/:, Dear Katilah Journal People, Your summer '89 issue on Ptau in the Mowttains was a moment of serendipity for me as well as good energy and inspiration. It connected with my moment of comple{ing a silk screened print inspired by and incorporating the Cherokee words for Water and S~ 7~(~:t;;)are:\JA 0' (pUJL'-) Phone~ally pronounced: ~ - q Ma. Justice prevails - this time - in S.E. Georgia. If here, anywhere! Your publication is excellent, keep it running. Can we do an exchange with you? At this time, it's a little out of balance, but the best we can do. h's all part of the same problem greed and power. Pax, Martina. John and Donna St. Mary's, GA ~ L/A1.,;1 -tho 1t1 :JU.. Several Cherokee people (Laura King, Pheasant Driver, Mary and G.B. (Going Back) Chiltosky) helped me with this identification and pronunciation. ~ 1hi1 G: spoken with urgency because water is critically essential to life. yours, delighted and connected, Margaret Gregg Jonesborough. TN love Story ! lie wirh the Eanlt Ukea lover. Embracing Her Enfolded in Her fragrance In the heat of Her body Through langucrous swooning afternoons And rhythmic pulsing nights. She is With me Dear KatW!h folks. A new book is out. that all serious gardeners and fanncrs should have. h's called Secrets of the Soil by Peter Tomkins and Christopher Bird (Harper & Row, 1989). Please try to get a copy! - from Knotts Island, NC Arowuim£ Inside me. Oneness. Greenness. Wilderness. Wildness. Swirling in the spiral Lost in Mystery. Knowing the Unknowable. -Mary dt La Va/ttte Xatiulh Jou.rnal p1i9e 26 f'aU., 1989 �Dear Friends. Greiuly enjoyed your spring issue. ns usual. need to call your attention, however, to what I consider the Planet Art article's wholely uncritical appr~~al of the current 'crystal craf.e'. So I thought I would send along Earth F1rster. Karen DcBraaJ's brillnnt linlc piece on crystals as an 31ltcdote. from 'Live Wild or Die', n recent Eanh First! dcnvauve. Please consider pnnting 1L Sincerely. Bill McCormick Crozet. VA Enclosed anic:lc {b) Karen OcBf.131): Crystals. Their shimmering beauty vibrates deep into your being, helping your being, helping you setf-actuahzc wuh healing powers und guided imageries. Cool and hip, right? New age and stylin', yes? But at what price? Well. hell, can a price be put on spirituality? Can a price be put on how the earth feels when her powerful energy trnnsm1uers and hc:llers arc ripped from her bowels for a profit, be u monetary orspmtual? The ripping (np off) of crysuils from the earth is causing her to ulcerate. Great eroding <;ear; rc,ult from the hungry hordes scouring the U.S.N:uional Forcsts (mainly in Arkansas) and areas in other counties, such as Mexico and Brazil. Armed to the teeth wuh screwdrivers, shovels and bulldozers, new-age hucksters and spiritual profiteers. well-meaning heaters and seelcers of the sacred arc mining and tearing at the earth with no thought of the cost to her. The environmental impact of our spiritually starved, buclc-hungry droves is not a consideration. Think about it. The next time you stroll by Toots for Fools (no kidding) or any other nashy crystal store in Santa Crut or elsewhere, and sec those t.v. si1~ cryslJlls glimmering in the display window, think about the hole it left when it was wrenched out by its roots. like a bloody wisdom t00th from a gum. And all those smaller oncs... thcy aren't laying around the forest noor like pine cones. "It resembles Gold Rush Days." said Montgomery County Sheriff James Carmack in Spectrum (Dee. 23, 1987). when asked about crysllll seekers in the Oucitn National Forest and surrounding areas in Arkansas. According to Carmack, people vandalve the area by stealing crystals from legal mines and digging illegal muics. These all cause erosion. The Forest Service liberally grants crystal mining permit,, 3Ccording to Spectrum. but the fees generated don't begin to cover the cost of m:>nitoring the mines or contr0lhng 1llcgnl hunters. Sure. crystals are poweiful. But maybe they are where they are for a reason. Leave them there, where the earth c11n use them as she sees fiL It is mter.:sung thnt newagc folks, who profess to care for the earth are so blinded by the crystal light that they are dcstr0ymg whnt they profess LO love. Their cryswls are bloody. Docs our endlessly raped earth need more of this? The NFS and the crystal-hungry massc.~ need to hear from environmentalists: crystal mining 1s yet another massive wounding that our earth doesn't need. We need to heal ourselves by healing the earth. Boycou crystals! If you own them, don't O:iunt them, which encourages others to get them. Let the NFS know th3t you don't want them to grant any more crystal mining permits. Let people know that crysrols belong to the earth! '' • J '· I .' Draw111g by Sw Adams Dear KatUah, I picked up the wonderful winter issue of your excellent and much needed publication at the Tremont Center in the Smokies. This issue has changed my perception and my life. I hope to live in the area some day. although I mny Opl to have a cabin in the woods of Kentucky or Indiana. It has been a dream LO live m the forest for a long time • by a stream. I wish to support and join the struggle for unity with the planet we inhabit. for stopping heedless exploiUltion and destruction, for nurturing life. I am in the process of nunuring my own life (much damaged in childhood). This nunurmg is most harmonious with the healing of the planet. Thanks for your work, Starfire Forest Voices I Sleeping on the wall of the world arching over the sun with the c11n•e off est trees or wlwse tips are rwe11ry leagues high i11 the morni11g light casting golde11 leaf shadows in this green place. The high wind orchestrates irs wisdom with the forest: Be at peace with the fly and pain of bursitis Let the heali11g ofthe pla11et be pan ofyou. Be one with me 2. Hush, the gods of the forest are speaking. They toss the sun with their fingers. The liale gods rising from the growui are staffs oftruth, each blade ofgrass a word of wisdom. 3. listen, the voice ofthe wmer sings, the naiad ofthe stream whispers 10 the silent one who rests by her way. The butterflies above are mating and the weefolk are white water rafting dow11 her tiny rapids in small spherical crafts. She says thar happiness is here with the jwnpingjish alld the drops of rain quietly sampling the edge of1he storm. Here hidden and safe I would wish to stay. 4. W01erfa/ls in nLrlung laugluer as white fire ascends in balance ofcoll/I/er energies providing one another's needs in mandala of reality, body alld spirit. -S111rfire Soledad f'p(t, 1989 �(conlinucd from page 7) habitat types represented in the landscape, the belier the possibilities for rhc survival of rhc whole. Older, more mature forests musr extend over many contiguous sites, not just on ridges and in coves, for successful migration of species. For life to adapt 10 changing conditions, reproduction of all but the most highly .inobile, weedy species must occur on adjacent sites. Following the mosr recent ice age, forest communities migrated at a rare of only a few miles per century as the climate v.'nmled over rhe course of thou,ands of years In the coming century, species tha• cnmnnsc marurc fore t communities musr migrate ar a rate perhaps I0 times faster, an impossible feat from isolated. fragmented habiratS. Optimum regional biodiversity, therefore, requires a continuity of habitats across the landscape in a mosaic of mature communities that includes all topographic conditions: ridges, nonh and south slopes, coves, streams and gorges, balds, and bogs. FederaJ protection has recently been extended 10 many of rhc latter communities (at least those thar are not commercially imponant) as Congressionally designated Wilderness Areas. But nearly all of the remainder - the large areas of contiguous second-growth forests that arc now cconomicaJly mature - is destined for violent disturbance before the tum of rhc cenmry. Defining Old-Growth Forests Forests managed for commercial timber and wild game species provide a great diver:;ity of plant and animal species through logging and other planned disturbances. Therefore, it is the conclusion of Forest Service policy makers that timber and game management activities meet the legal requirement for biodiversity. The one condition that managed forests do not meet is that of providing for the types of natural diversity in critically short supply: those associated with mature old-growth forests. The condition "old-growth" is defined by the Southern Region of the US Forest Service as any forest stand over 100 years of age. This completely arbitrary definition fails to meet the biological requisites for a mature forest, because it simply means that any forest stand older than an economic rotation for commercial timber harvest is classed as "old-growth." From the biological standpoint, an old-growth forest contains trees in all age classes, including dying, standing dead, and fallen dead trees. Because most of the trce species that comprise old-growth stands in the Southern Appalachian forests do not reach biological maturity for 200-400 years (and pcrhnps longer 10 be wcll-rcpresenied in t11e dying and dead tree categories), the present-day second-growth hardwood forests must be left free of disturbance for at least another 150 years. Even then, many micro-habitat niches provided by old windthrown trees, standing dead snags, and rotting logs will not become available until yet another century has passed. More imponantly, most of the plants and animals of our second-growth forests represent mid-successional species, which are not those that will eventually be present in the climax communities. The maturing forests of today will undergo dynamic changes in species composition when left undisturbed until they reach a condition of biological old-growrh. JCGtwm )o"rnaL paq~ 28 Artwork by Joma RN!a Herc we should dispel several common misconceptions regarding old-growth forests. First, old-growth srands arc not decadent. On the contrary, they arc dynamic and teeming with life. As old crees fall. many new niches are created for other plants and animals, both in the canopy overhead and in the rotting wood on the forest floor. Many microhabitats undergo constant micro-successions of plants and animals, as new niches arc created and old ones disappear. A second myth is that "old-growth" is synonymous with "wilderness." This is cenainly not true in eastern Nonh America, where we have very liulc true old-growth in areas that have been Congressionally designated as "Wilderness." There is one important difference between the two. Legal Wilderness is by definition for hwnon beings. a commodity for people to enjoy as a recreational experience, and it is managed as such by the public agencies. Old-growth forest is for bioro, preserved for the intrinsic value of all the various forms of biological diversity therein. Managing for old-growth, however, does not exclude use by people. rn fact, old-growth forests enhance benefits such as recreation, wildlife habitat, visual quality, and stream quality, as well as providing for essential biological diversity. Restoring Old-Growth Diversity We return full circle to the opening paragraph of this paper. "Today we stand at the threshold of a great decision" - one of the most imponant for public land use since the creation of the national forests. Current management plans for the Southern Appalachian national forests call for widespread timber harvest, largely by clearcurting, for most of the 60 to 80 year old second-growth stands that have reached economic maturity. There arc provisions in some forest management plans to temporarily preserve five percent of each harvested component (approximately 50 acres for each 1000 acres harvested) for old-growth . However, these temporary reserves are only fragments surrounded by young managed stands, and even these may also be harvested in the future. Tree species in the young stands created by harvesting will be heavily biased toward those with known commercial value, such as eastern white pine, yellow poplar, and the red and white oaks. This would reduce natural diversity ai.d would also reduce the potential for genetically stable communities in the future. An orientation toward timber management is not going to maintain regional biological diversity in its broadest sense. The United States IOOth Congress stated, "The Eanh's biological diversiry is being rapidly depleted at a rate without precedent in human history....Mosr losses of biological diversity are largely avoidable consequences of human activity ....Mointoining biological diversity through habitat preserv01ion is often less costly and more effective than ejforrs ro save species once tltey become endangered." (Quoted from H.R. 4335. 1988, emphasis added). We frequently hear reports of distinguished biological scientists warning that human-caused destruction of naturaJ habnats is the single most serious threat to survival of life as we know it on our planet. The loss of genetic diversity and the loss of entire ecosystems arc occurring at an accelerating pace around the world. The Southern Appalachian Mountains arc a pan of this grim picture. But the existing public lands have the potential to restore the natural diversity provided by the old-growth forests currently missing from the Appalachian biorcgion. Unbroken, naturally-functioning habitats must be restored here to provide the basic life suppon systems necessary to carry all forms of life through rhe unfolding ecological catastrophe of our times. We can overcome rhc mental blindness that would have us believe that providing commodities for people is the uhimote use for the Appalachian national forests. We can expand our vision to keep in mind the value of habitat, the foundation for all life. Whole and healthy habitats provide the necessary elements for the continued survival of the entire global ecosystem. Robert Zollner was a professor of forestry at Clemson Universiry specializing in the ecology of Sowhern Appalachian hardwoods until lus retirement in 1988. f'~U.. 1989 �LIVING GREEN <O Christoph and Mary-Clayton Endcrlein The Oreen Movement is more than 1 political ideology because Green vallltS also involv~ how we live every day. This list is for thl>se who have lhe "Green Spirit" and would like IO i~rponlle II further tnlO _daily living...Only by activating the ilel1IS on lhis list, can our grea1-grea1-grea1 gra~c~1ldren have an opponunuy. interacl directly wilh lhe grea1 whales, lhe elephanlS. the ravens, lhe wolves. This hs1 was created by Interspecies Communication board member ChrisU>ph Enderlein and his wife Mary-ClaylOll. Feel free IO copy. bul do llOl change i1 wilhoul permission. '° Recycle paper, glass, and metals . Recycle motor oil, dispose of hazardous waste responsibly Use cloth diapers Reuse egg cartons and paper bags Avoid using styrofoam . Avoid disposable plates, cups, utensils Use rags instead of paper towels . Use paper bags, not pa~r towels to drain ~se Give away rather than dispose of unneeded nems IO. Use the back of discardable paper for scratch paper 11. Be responsible and creative with leftover food 12. Use the water from cooking vegetables to make soup 13. Mend and repair rather than discard !llld replace 14. Invest in well-made functional clothing 15. Buy bulk and unpackaged rather than packaged ~oods 16. Purchase goods in reusable and recyclable containers 17. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods 18. Avoid highly processed foods 19. Eat foods from low on the food chain 20. Compost your food scraps 21. Grow your own food (even small kitchen gardens) 22. Volunteer to start or help with a community garden 23. Suppon your local food co-ops 24. Discover where the foods and goods you buy come from 25. Buy locally grown produce and other foods . 26. Use glass and steel cookware rather~ alu1TU11um 27. Volunteer to maintain local parlts and wilderness 28. Buy living Christmas trees 29. Plant trees in your community 30. Learn about the plants and animals in your re~on 31. Discover your watershed and work to protect II 32. Oppose the use of roadside defoliants in your area 33. Use non-toxic, biodegradable soaps and cleansers 34. Use non-toxic pest control 35. Don't buy products tested on animals 36. Keep hazardous chemicals in spillproof containers 37. Put m a water conserving shower head 38. Take shoner showers 39. Tum off the water while you brush your te~th 40. Put a water conservation device on your toilet 41. Learn where your waste and sewage goes 42. Learn where the energy for your home comes from 43. Suppon your local utility's conservation programs 44. Hang your clothes out to dry 45. Be sure your home is appropriately insulated 46. Weather-seal your home thoroughly 47. Heat your home responsibly, with renewable energy 48. Don't bum green wood 49. Choose the longterm investment of solar energy 50. Tum off lights when not in use 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Ta!!.1989 Drawing by Rob Messi<:lr. 51. Tum down your hot water heater 52. Lower your thcnnostat and wear warmer clothes 53. Buy energy efficient elccuical appliances 54. Keep your car engine well tuned 55. Drive a fuel-efficient car that uses unleaded gas 56. Walk, bicycle, carpool, and use public transponation 57. Shop by phone first, then pick up your purchases 58. Use rechargable batteries 59. Research socially-responsible investments 60. Suppon local credit unions . 61. Suppon local shops and restaurants. not chruns 62. "Adopt a grandparent" from the local senior center 63. Volunteer to cook for senior citizens 64. Provide for children in need 65. Hold a community potluck to meet your neighbors 66. Pick up liner along highways and near your home 67. Sponsor a clothes swap 68. Become involved with community projects and events 69. Organize or panicipate in community spons 70. Be responsible for the values you express 71. Educate yourself on global and "Third World" issues 72. Participate in sister city and cultural exchanges 73. Learn about the cultural diversity in your region 74. Work for global peace 75. Learn how your legislators vote, let them know your views 76. Be an active voter and anend town meetings 77. Vote for candidates who support green values 78. Become involved with your child's school 79. Encourage your child's natural talents and interests 80. Organize or join a toy co-op 81. Put toxic substances out of reach of children 82. Teach your children ecological wisdom 83. Listen to your children's needs and suppon their dreams 84. Discourage the use of violent toys in your household 85. Communicate openly with your co-workers and friends 86. Acknowledge someone who provides quality service 87. Work to understand people with different values 88. Be conscious of the struggles of oppressed people 89. Unlearn cultural sexism and racism 90. Acknowledge individual spirituality in yourself and others 91. Donate blood if your health permits 92. Explore ways to reduce the stress in your life 93. Practice preventive health care 94. Exercise regularly and eat wisely 95. Bring music and laughterinto your life 96. Learn about the medications you put in your body 97. Practice responsible family planning 98. Learn First Aid and emergency procedures 99. Take time to play, relax and go into nature JOO.Decrease TV watching and increase creative learning IOI.Have fun and be joyful! JC.atiuah JournGt p!MJB 29 �Whether you are a New Age prosperity afti m1a11onist or an idealistic pauper avoiding guilt by association with money, either way you look at it, inflation has deemed our dollars paper symobls of wealth that does not exist. A practical person cannot help but wonder how long before the big balloon pops and blows all our preny greenbacks away. There is a low-level anxiety present concerning our inflated economy which has prompted many people 10 s1ockpile food. move back to the land, and in many other ways be as self-sufficient as possible. This awareness is helpful in keepi ng us on our 1oes and ready for change, which is inevitable, even if it is unpredictable. However, survivalist consciousness can be devastating if you spend all your energy preparing for the fall of the existing order and deny yourself the bounty of the present, which is all we have really got. It seems important to balance respect for the preseni solu1ion of problems within 1 he world in which we live, however imperfect, with a vision and steps LOward an economics rooted in life. Barter Fairs offer a deeply satisfyin g eicperience for those who long to participate in a tangible, life-oriented exchange system, where true value is considered. As an example, here is a trade I witnessed at a Saner Fair in Idaho a few years ago: George had an anvil that Dennis wanted, but all Dennis had brought to trade were moccasins, which George did not need. Dennis kept coming back to George longing for that anvil, which George could not find anybody else to take. Meanwhile, George had found some gorgeous jewelry he could not live without, and in talking to the crafter he discovered that she was looking for some footwear. George told her about Dennis. They did a threesome, and the goods shifted hands. All three lightened !heir loads and left richer. Ideally the three people involved in the trade did not translate their goods into money value and compare their worth that way. They each il~d a.a abundance of something of which they no longer had a need and convened it into something they preferred to carry around with them. The anvil may have been worth $150 new, but to George it was just unused heavy baggage. Those jewels might have carried a hefty price tag at a craft fair. but since George had such a yearning gaze and such an open smile, the artist easily chose to exchange them for Dennis' moccasins, which could never have been sold for so much money, but fit her feet like her own skin, to her infinite comfort and delight. BARTER FAIR All judgement on money ethics aside, bartering goods and services without the value translation of money is a stimulating, heart-warming, and enlightening activity. The true value of things is discovered to be subjective. The shifting of a fair full of items to their most valuing recipients is wondrous in its unfoldment; the grounds for transfer are infinitely variable. The phenomenon of the modem American Bane. Fair originated in the Pacific Northwest, a r region with a well-developed bioregional awareness and a strong emphasis on self-sufficiency . The fairs are held semi-annually. The autumn fairs, coinciding with harvest season, are heavier on agricultural produce. In the spring, people bring more handmade items produced during the long winter. Both fairs are rich in reunions of friends, music-malting. sitting around campfires late into the night, and all the peripheral activitiCl> of the time and place. Barter Fairs are different than flea markets, although many people do bring used clothes, tools, and other goods to trade. They are more akin to the county fairs in the country. There is a spirit of festivity and pride in personal accomplishment and a sense of the bounty that comes of humanity working with nature. They are a celebration of the fruits of this union within a region of Earth. There is no reason I can see that Saner Fairs need to remain unique to the Northwest. Our southern highlands, historically short on money and high on resourcefulness, seem naturally suited to generate and support this kjnd of community celebration and self-sufficiency. Barter Fairs carry on a spirit with ancient roots in prehistoric times, when wandering tribes periodically gathered together in great council circles to define and experience their cultural autonomy. During later agric ultural periods fairs continued to stir human souls. Now in the age of K-Mart when you can hardly find a service station for your car, and pliers fall apart after one use, it is especially good to come together to celebrate our connectedness and support each other in our skills. Barter Fairs in Katuah will breed a healthy blend of personal pride and community empowennent. (Anyone with ideas on a good location to hold a Baner Fair in Kat1'ui11, please contact me. The main considerations are a flat place large enough to accommodate camping, parking, and trading for l ()() or so barterers and some daytime visitors; a good water source; and reasonable access by larger vehicles.) - Morgan Swann wrire clo KatUahJournal, orcaU (704)298-1770 '1\iaee, '1Wll~l 'Nat\Jri\ls KRLRNU T-SHIRTS. S WEATSHIRTS For ADULTS and CHILDREN BIOREG ION AL BOOKS AND TO OLS FOR LIUI NG IN APPALACHIA ORIGINAL HAND·PRINTED NATURE DESIGNS CALL or WRITE for FREE COLOR CATALOG Natural Food Store The besl text on Deep Ecology, Sacred Land Sacred Sex Rapture of the Deep &Deli 160 Broadway Ashevllle, NC 28801 Where Broactw.y ~ Merrlmon Ave 6 ~240 by Dolores LaChapclle "...we should be glad 1/ia1 we have teaclws such as Dolores LaC/iapelle." - Katu:ih Joumnl 1123 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Monday-Satu rday: 9am·8pm Sunday: lpm·Spm $23.00 (Price Ulcludes postage) NC resikrus plt!4Se add S'k sales tax. Orderfrom: KALRNU (704) 253-7656 JGQtiwh Jo~rnat pl:ll)e 3 0 P 0 Box 282, Sy/yo, NC; K01aoh ProYinu 28789 f'at!, !989 �The dates are set. The location is chosen. The Fourth Norch American Bioregional Congress (NABC IV) will be held August 19-26, 1990 in the Gulf of Maine Bioregion on the shores of Lake Cobboosseecontee ("where the sturgeon leap" in the Penobscot language) just west of Augusta, Maine and the Kennebec River. This Congress finds the bioregional movement at a critical juncture. The burgeoning ecological crisis is going to test the depth of the movement's commilment. The stakes are high, and while Third World countries are currently taking the brunt of the ecologicar impact, we 100 feel the pressur~ here in North America a.~ the fortes maintaining industrial society struggle 10 keep their power. But times of crisis are also times of change. What we are witnessing could possibly be the last days of induscriaJ civilization. A great deal depends on what we do in the decade ahead. The bioregional movement could be at the pivot point of a great change, or it could end up as just another bit of flotsam sucked down the tubes. The values we hold to and the actions we take are what will decide. At NABC IV we will have an opportunity to clearly state those values and decide how we will put those values into action. Excerpt from World Charter for Nature NABC IV The Eanh is calling to us. Are we ready to listen? A delegation of bioregional folks from ·the Kaulah province will crave! to the Gulf of Maine for the NABC IV. We would like to see the Southern Appalachians well-represented at the Congress. Make plans now if you are interested in attending. For information on the forming Katuah delegation, contact: K011"1h Journlll Box 638 Leicester, NC Kanlah Province 28748 (704) 683-1414 For information on the Congress, contact: Gulf of Maine Biorcgional Network 61 Maine St. Brunswick, ME Gulf of Maine Bioregion 04011 • Leopold, Aldo; A Sund Country Almanac; Oxford; Oxford University Press, 1949 • Lovelock, J.E.; Goio: A New look at Life on Earth; Oxford; Oxford University Press, 1979 A Shon List of Sources and References on Biodiversity and Habirat Relevant to the Southern Appalachian Forest • Margolin, Malcolm; The Earth Manual: I/ow to Work on Wild Land Wi1hou1 Taming /1, Berkeley: Heyday Books, 1985 • Berger, John J.: Restoring the Earth: /low Americans An Working to Renew our Damaged Environment; New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986 • Maser, Chris; Tht Redesigned Forest: San Pedro, CA; R. & E. Miles, 1988 • Berry, Thomas. Tile Dream of 1h11 Ear1h; San Francisco; Sierra Club Books, 1988 • lfuxton, Barry and Melinda Crutchfield, eds.: Tiie Great Fores/: An Appalachian Story: Boone, NC; Appalachian Consortium Press, 1985 • Cooley, James L, and Jane H. Cooley, eds.; Natural Divtrsi1y in Fores/ Ecosystems: Proceedings of tht Workshop: Alhens; Institute of Ecology, University of GA. 1984 • Frome, Michael: Strangers in lligh Places; Knoxville, TN: University or Tennessee Press, 1966 • Gordon. Lorimer C.: S1and flis1ory and Dynamics of a Southern Appalachian Virgin Forts/; Ph. D. dissenation, Duke University DepL of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 1977 • Harris, Larry D.; Tht Frogmenltd Forest: Island Biogeogrophy Theory and 1he Prtstrvo1ion of Bio1ic Diversi1y; Chicago, IL: University or Chicago Press, 1984 • Jackson, Laura; Moun1oin Treasures al Risk; Washingion, DC; The Wilderness Society, 1989 • Kulhavy, D. L., and R. N. Conner, eds.;Wi/derntss and Natural Artas in Eas1ern United States: A Monogtmenl Chai/tinge; Nacogdoches, TX; Stephen F. Austin State University, 1986 1"titL, I 989 • Ma.stran, Shelley Smith and Nan Lowerre; Mountaineers and Rangers: A flis1ory of Federal Fores1 Monagemenl in 1he Sowhern Appalachians. 1900-1981: Washingion, DC; US Dcpan.mcnt of Agriculture, 1983 • Michaux, F.A.; Travels 10 tht Westward of 1he Alleghany Moun1oins in the States of Oliio. Kentucky, and Tennessee in 1he Year 1802; London; Barnard and Sulizer, 1805 • Myers, Normnn Or., gen. ed.; Goia: An Atlas of PIOlll!tory Monagtmem: New York; Anchor Books, 1984 • Nash, Roderick F.; The Righ1s of Nature: A History of Environmental E11iics: Madison; University of Wisconsin Press, 1989 • Norse, Elliot A.; Conserving Biological Diversiry in Our National Fortsis; Washington. DC; The Wilderness Society, 1986 • Norton, Bryon G., ed.; Tht Preservation of Species: Tht Value of Biological Diversity; Princeton, NJ; Princeion University Press. 1986 • Pringle, Laurence and Jan Adkins; Chains, Webs, & Pyramids: Tht Flow of Energy in Na1ure; New York; Thomas Y. Crowell, 1975 • Raven, Pete.r H.; The Global Ecosys1em in Crisis; Olicago:The MacAnhur Foundation, 1987 Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (9 Nov 1982) ".... I. Nature shaU be respected and iis essential processes shall not be impaired. 2. The genetic vinbility on the earth shnll not be compromised; lhe population levels or all life forms, wild and domesticated, must be at least sufficient for their survival, and to this end necessary habitaL~ shall be safcguan:lcd. 3. All areas or the canh. both land and sen, shall be subject to these principles of conservation; special protection shall be given to unique areaS, to representative samples of nil the different types or ecosystems and to lhe habitats or rare or endangered species. 4. Ecosystems and organisms, as well as the land, marine and atmospheric resources that are utilized by humans. shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum sustainable productivity, but not in such a way as to endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems or species wilh which they coexist. 5. Nature shall be secure.<! against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities. 6. In lhe decision-making process it shall be recognized lhat humans' needs can be met only by ensuring the proper functioning or natural systems and by respecting the principles set forth in the present Chnner...." This UN Charter can serve as a starting point for local areas and regions to draft their own Charter for Nature. Legally recognizing the rights of other species is a critical step in bringing our species' syslem more in balance with the Life systems in which we pa rt id pate. If you would like a copy of the entire UN Charter, send a SASE to: Mamie Muller, Katuah Journal, P.O. Box 638, Leicester, NC 28748 Katuah Province. Please keep us in touch with your efforts. Ho! • Seed. John, Joanna Macy, et al.; Thinking Wee A Moun1oin: Towards A Council Of All Beings: Philadelphia; New Society Publishers, 1988. • Shands. William E. and Robert G. Healy; Thti Lands Nobody Won1ed: Washington, DC; The Conservation Foundation, 1977 • Shands, William E., and John S. Hoffmnn, eds.: The Greenhouse Ef!u1. Climate Change, and U.S. Fores1s; Washington, DC; The Conservation Foundation, 1987 • Spurr, Stephen H., and Bunon V. Barnes; Forts/ Ecology {3rd edition); New York; Wiley and Sons, 1980 • United States Congress: Technologies to Main1ain Biological Diversity; Washingum, DC; Office ofTechnology Assessment, 1988 • United States Department of Agricult.ure, Forest Service, Southern Region; Atlanta, GA; Land and Resource Monagtmenl Plans and Final Environmenlal Impact S101emen1s: C!Jauaboochee-Oconec National Forests (Georgia), 1985 Cherokee National Forests (Tennessee), 1986 Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests (North . Carolina), 1987 • Wharton, Charles H., and Harvey L. Ragsdale; The Values of Unmanaged Notional Fores1s in 1he Sou1hern Appalachians; Atlanta, GA; The Georgia Conservancy. 1983 �evenrs SEPTEMBER 19-22 ASHEVILLE, NC "Parkways, Greenways, Riverways: The Way More Beautiful" linear parks conference. lnt.crdisciplinary discussion of al1ematives to preserve the scenic landscape againsl development, pollution, billboards, and commercialism. Sponsored by the Appalachian Consonium. Great Smokies Hilton. Regis1rotion: $~25. For more info., call (704) 262-2064. ,, 22-2' . rt' ~J/\( ~- / ,,r / "\' ~ . . ) -J V\J <:--.._// Ii= ::J ~ r HOT SPRINGS, NC "Walking Gently on the EartW' ~ with John and Penelope Youngb L J ynam1cs o evo UJ1on a t. e I ig so~ 't,.;p " psych_ology ...a new evolutionary mysn.~sm. Reading: The Dream of the Ewth b~ Tf":mas Berry. SI 10. Sou~ern Dharma RylrQal C\\J'te~ RL ). °· / ( OCTOBER , ~ · C,f{EROKEE, NC Cherpkee Indian Fall Festival. Crafts, dance,_ stickball, archery, blowguns. exhibi~. midway. o..ilyadm~n: $3. A,! lhe Indian Ccremon,il\l Grounps. 3_7 Box 34-H; Hol Spnngs, NC 28743 t~ ¥"' \ ) ,/ V--V \~ ASHEVILE NC P Child ~musical fantaS al>oul children . • . . eace th • \, Y1 bnngmg peace to c world. Thomas ,vohe Audiionum. Advance: S6 aaulls, $4 children and sr. citizens. Door: $7 d SS ~ . (704) _ 684 5530 an ·1 n "I~ ~his r_etreat we will explore togetJ1er n spmtual1ty of the Earth 1n harmony_w1 · if J · nd h ·nS· hff ,, ~th d 22-24 r ~ ) MORGANTON, WV " John Henry Blues feStiv#. ~usic, workshops, theaLCr, more. Greer P•vill~. W~ver ( Park. Contact: Ed Cabbell; John HeorWl SQl\iety; Box 1172; Morgantown, WV 26507. 0fl4)~9 60?. ASHEVILLE, NC '11ie 'Dream of the 'Eartli. 'I1iomas 'Berry, autlwr of '11U '1>rtam 'Eart/i, 'flli{! sfum with us his concerns a6out mu pfanet anti What fu means 6y "reinventin9 tk fuiman at tk species kveC. 9:00 AM Iii Noon. Al the Jubilee! Community Ccmer, 46 Wall StrccL For more info, caJJ Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414. 23 ASHEVILLE, NC African Drumming Workshop with Darrell Rose. Noon 'ti! 3 pm. S20. At Troy Set7.ler's For directions and info.: (704) 683·3405. Evening African Drum performance with Darrell Rose and Michael Saleen. Al Stone Soup, 9 pm. FINCASTLE, VA Firsl Annual Southeastern Men's Conference, "Male Initiation and Isolation· wilh poet Rohen Bly, James Hillman, Michale Meade (storyteller and musician in the Ccllic tradition). and John Stokes, tracker. Jn the post the "emotional bodies" of men were directly ae1iva1ed by the interaction with elders, grand/others, and mentors...What happens when the grandfathers are aistant? ...How to hold to the duryofa father and not lose the passion of a son? ...How to explore the rage, grief. s'lro.me, anger, and joy inherent in the male psyche? Registration: $450. For more info, wriie Fred Stephens; 'Box ~2; Raleigh, NC. or call Doug Lcaster(919) 782-2900. ·FILLED· Write to bll put on mailing Ii.st for next year. 1 5-JS MADISON, VA "Wilddmcss Leaming Quest" - exploring lhe viild, exploring ~e self. Sl60. Sevenoaks Pathwork Center; Rt. I, BOX'~; Madison, VA 22n1. 17-20 '°6-8 JONESJWROUGl:f, TN NAP~S Na~al Sl~rytelling Pe$,tival fcaturirig mllJly famous nam~ in story·tellirjg. S5°'adull »<>j·membets, S2S chi\dtt.n, $125 f~milie$. For ~re inp>.• write f4ation3J AssQciailon for th~ Pn:se._rvalion &l\d pcrpc1uati6o of Storytelll{lg: Box.__309; Joni;s,boroug~ . 37659foc call ~l~ 75~·2171. - ) ™ 23 14-19 !p'tOXVl,LLE, TN ~nnual mecling of the Natural Areas Assoc!lidon, \lllldentlal land conservation and restoration organization. The fust day of the meeting will be devOLCd 1o th~lJibila.t of'lhe Soulhem Appalachian Mountains. PulilcffiiViteb.. Hrau Regency Hotel. Contact J. Ralph JordaJ;\TV ~; Norris, TN 37S2S (615) 494-9800. .,_) I 20.22 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC The Black Mountain Fall Festival wilh ,.s lRASSTow ll, NC ~ / ,..... Vassar Clements, Allen Fontenot and the Country Fall Festival al the JobD C. Campbj)ll Folk dljuns. Roy Bookbinder, Rhythm in Shoes (step dance), SchooL-'Mus)c. craftS, country danci1,1g. · )ohn._C. • and more. Grey Eagle and Friends; Box 216; Black Campbell Follc Sch09l; Brasstown, ~c· 28906, Mountafo, NC 28711. 11·15 H.IGHLANDS, NC 20-22 HOT SPRINGS, NC "Visual EnvironmentaHsm· photography "The Song of Creation al Harvest Time• workshop in the field and in lhe dnrkroom wilh Robert harvest celebration in the Jewish tradition with Lynn Glenn Kelchum and Michael Wilder. $250 includes Goulieb, storyteller and rabbi of the Nahalat Shalom lodging. Appalachian Environmental Ans Center: Box Community, Albuquerque, NM. SI LS. Sou.them Dharmn 5SO; Highlands, NC 28741. (704) 526-4303. Relreal Center. See 9/22·24. 12 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC WomnnSong at McDibbs. "Socilll concern through harmony." S3. 119 Cherry St. (704) 669-24S6. 27 ASHEVILLE, NC Thomas Berry will give the sermon at the Equinox service of the Jubilee! Community. Service begins at llAM 46 Wall S1rcc1. {704) 252-5335 ASHEVILLE, NC "Mountain Sweet Talk" - a lwo-acl play with the Folktellcrs, Barbara Freeman and Connie Rcgan-B lake. The Folk Art Center Theater. Thursdays lhru Saturdays - S pm: Sundays - 3 pm. TickctS: SS advance from Malaprop's; SIO dooc. Reservations, cnll (704) 25S-l l 13. 29- LO/I ASHEVILLE, NC "Restoring Biodiversity in the Southern Appalachians: A Strategy for Survival" conference on mountain habitat 13-19 24 NEW MARKET, TN STP (Slop the Poisoning) School al the Highlander Center. Tactics, strategy, and networking for those working to stop industrial pollulion. Pre-register. Call Highlander at (615) 933-3443. 30 CULLOWREE, NC Moumain Heritage Day at WCU campus. Clogging, shape-note singing, exhibils, crafts, food, musical events, kids' shows. For more info, call (704) 227-72ll. 30-10/l SWANNANOA, NC Women's class on Jamaican culwral ceremony with Rev. Queen Mother Azula. For more info, call: (704) 29S-3935. The Eanh Center; 302 Old Fellowship Rd.; Swannanoa, NC 28776 12-29 HI GHLANDS, NC "Praying Feel and Dirty Hands" Intergenerational Peace Conference led by Stepanie Nichols. Carol Powers (The Peace Network) and Bob Alpern. Programs on US/USSR cooperation, connict resolution and non-violence, overcoming slrCeotypcs, more - "leading people into action." SSS includes meals and lodging. The Mountain Camp and Conference CenLCr; 841 Highway 106; Highlands. NC 2S741. (704) 526-5S3S. 14 AS HEVILLE, NC "Danger Down Under" groundwnter pro1CCli011 workshop. Health risks, citizen action, simulations. Keynote: Larry and Sheila Wilson of Highlander Center. S:30-4:00. Owen Conference Center, UNCA. Pre-register: S15 to Clean Water Fund of North Carolina: l lS Person St.; Raleigh, NC 27602. For more info, call: (704)251-0518. (Sec ad on back cover.) Pre-registration: S20 to "Resloring Biodiversity..." c/o Box 233; Hot Springs, NC 28743. For more info, call: (704) 251-6441. 27 ASHEVILLE, NC Earth First! Road Show with Dakou Sid nnd Roger Featherstone. Music and rabble-rousing. Stone Soup, Broadway and Walnut. al S:OO pm. $4. 28 ASHEVILLE, NC "For All Things Wild" Forest Rescue Action Workshop. Strategy meeting for activists wishing to help defend and restore Appalachian habitat. (See ad on back cover.) Pre-regiStration: SS to "For All Things Wild" c/o Elmer Hall; Box 233: Hot Springs, NC 28743. For more info.. call: (704) 29S-3325 (ExL 250). Drawing by Rob Messick f"aCC., l 989 �10-12 28 4 ASHEVILLE, NC ·wt1d In the Str••h: The Feral Q.all· Do.-..:• with Grondmother o"d Strow Com• c::o&-tutT\ed o.s your Q,... BLACK MOUNTAIN , NC David Wilcox, vinuoso local songwriter, at McDibbs. S4. See 10/12. fovortt• ~"·"'• onlmal or bird ... or .som•tN""S 10-12 MADISON, VA "Living the Sacred Round: Lessons from the Medicine Wheel.• Sevenoaks Pa!hwork Center, see 1W15-18. wlldl B 00 """" Loccrtlon to be c:>l'V'C>unc:.ed 10-12 CAMP NEW HOPE, NC Celebrating the Dream ofthe Eanh Earth, isn't this whaJ you want 28-29 WA YNESVlLLE, NC "Chi Kung: An Ancient Taoist Mysiery" with Ellen Hines of the Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic, Asheville, NC. S50 includes room and board. Contact S1il-Light Retreat Center; Rt. I, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 28786 (704) 452-4569 NOVEMBER 4 FLETCHER, NC "Improving and Maintaining Soil Fertility," a conference sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Assocuiuon. $15 includes lunch. For more info., call Fairglen Farms (704)252-4414. invisibly to arise in us? 11 (Rilke) Reflecting the key Lhemes of Thomas Berry. the conference will focus on the cerebral as well as ki11esthetic interpretations of the Dream of the Earth. With Miriam Therese MacGillis, Amy Hannon, Marnie Muller, and others. Workshops include: "Evolutionary Remembering," "Exploring the Dream through Movement and Sound." Annual Conference of the Center for Reflection on the Second Law. Info: CFRSL; 8420 Camellia Dr.; Raleigh, NC 27612 Cost: $9.50, includes postage (NC residents please add S~ sales tax.) raU,1989 CELlNA, TN TN Alternative Growers Assoc. Fall Conference. Includes soil improvement and backyard fruit production. At Sta.nding Stone State Park. info: (615) 232-7777. DECEMBER BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC Mike Cross at McDibbs. Shows at 8 and 10 pm Tickets SIO in advance. See 10/12. .. ... Please specify size: Sm.. Med., Lg., X-Lg. 11·19 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC Livingston Taylor at McDibbs. Shows at 8 an 10 pm. Tickets SS in advance. Sec 10/12. 15-17 Beer & Wine Making Supplies •: Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grains :. In the traditional Cherokee Indian belier. the creatures in the world LOday are only diminuitive forms of the mythic beings who once inhabited lhe world, but who now reside in Galuna'li, the spirit world, lhe highest heaven. But a few of the original powers broke through the spiritual barrier and exist yet in the world as we know it These beings arc called with reverence "grandfathers". And of !hem, the sirongest are Kanali, the lightning, lhe power or the sky; Utsa'nati, the rattlesnake, who personifies the power of the eanh plane; and Yunwi Usdi, "lhe little man•, as ginseng is called in the sacred ceremonies, who draws up power from lhe underworld. Each is lhe sirongest power in its own domain. Together !hey arc aJJies: tJ1cir energies complement each other 10 form an even grcatct power. As medicine allies, they represent the healing powers of the Appalachian Mountains. The medicine powers of Katuah have been depicted in a striking T-shin design by Ibby Kenna. Printed in 4-color silkscreen by Ridgerunncr Naturals on top quality, aU-couon shins, they are available now in all adult sizes tllrough the Kal:mu bioregional mail-order supplier. Order shirts from: KRLANU Box 282; Sylva, NC KatW!h Province 28779 SWANNANOA, NC Marketing Alternative Crops seminar at Warren Wilson College. Call Fairglen Farms (704) 252-44 14 for more info. 2 Natural Foods rt'.ED'LC'LN'.E A.LL'L'.ES WAYNESVILLE, NC Weekend Meditation Retreat with Dorothy Abbenhouse, president of the Theosophical Society in America. $60. Stil-Light Retreat Center. See 10/28-29. Vitamins & Supplements Wheat, Salt, & Yeast-Free Foods Dairy Substitutes •: Hair & Skin Care Products 111 200 West Kina Street. Boone NC 28607 \.• '\..,_ 704-264-5220 ~~':"' WAYNESVILLE, NC Discussion and practice of "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" wilh Leon Frankel. $60. Stil-Light Retreat Center. See 10/28-29. 224'. broadway ashcvi.lle. n.c 288o1 704-252-8404 =• Ill .. carolina costume compaey _J~ .._________________, 1 =-~ MOON Gilts of Celebration (EARTHWAY BOOKSTORE) Books • New Age Music Wildcrafted Herbal Producu Gemstones • Unique Cards Magazines • & More WATER PURIFICATION EQUIPMENT SOLAR PRODUCTS Member NC Water Ouallly Assoeiallon RANDALL C. LANIER 704-293-5912 HWY. 107 RT . 68 BOX 125 CULLOWHEE, NC 28723 (704) 264-7242 315 E. King Street, Boone NC 28607 e1ti11ese .,4(11p1111(/11re DESIGNS 111tli Jler/Jp/gl/I e/iHi( by Rob Messick lllustralion & Design in Pen & Ink and Colored Pencil P O Box 2601 • soone. NC 28607 • 1704)754-0097 78 EMT CMESTNUT STREET AS>il:VIU.E. NC 28801 704 2S8-llOl6 M.C. M.VEBE. M.S., Ao.0. UC. ACUPl.INCT\JRIST EU.£H Hll<ES M.Ac.. ¥ M. UC. ACUPUNCTIJRIST �LEAD TESTS • Is your plumbing leaching poi.~onous lead into your drinkingwatcr? Find out for sure • lead-testing kit from the non-profit Clean Water Fund of NC. All you need for Sl2. Send a check w/ name and address to CWF: 138 E. Chestnut St.; Asheville, NC 28801 MOCCASINS, handcrafted of elkhide in the traditional Plains Indian style. Water-resistant, rcsolable, and rugged - great for hiking! Children's and infant sizes available. Write: Blue Feather Moccasins; Box 931; Asheville. NC 28802. or caU Patrick Clark at (704) 253-5047. BLIGHT RESISTANT CHESTNUT - hybrid American/Chinese Dunstan chestnut lJ'CCS - blight resistant, limber growth form, productive orchard crop with large, sweet easily-peeled nuts. Chestnut Hill Nursery: Rt. I, Box 341-K; Alachua, FL 32615 (904) 462-2820 APPLE TREES - old-timey and popular contemporary varieties on standard, semi-, or dwarf stock. Send SASE for prices: Jeff Poppen: Long Hungry Creek Nursery; Red Boiling Springs. TN 37150. UNION ACRES, an alternative community for 20 families based on principles of stewardship, equality, consensus, and simplicity. Spaces available. Apply to Caroline Grant: Rt. I, Box 61-J; Whittier, NC 28789 or call (704) 497-4964. ADOPT-A-TREE. Trees are the great conservators of the planeL The Adopt-A-'Ire.e program will help malce the vital connection between individual people and individual trees. Donations accepted. For more info. write to Box 144, Sugnr Grove, NC 28679 CHRISTIAN MA TCH-A-FRlEND seeks to bring together Christian men & women. Interested persons, advenisc free. We arc non-profit. For information please send a self-addressed envelope io: Gospel Ministry. P.O. Box 654, Clinton, TN 37717. RENEWAL PROGRAMS- I provide individual and corporate renewal programs for businesses & organizations interested in healing themselves and providing empowerment 10 others. Write: Kathie Pieper c/o Pieper Associates, Rt. I, Box 238 Waynesville, NC 28786. NEEDED: CHJLD-LOVING PERSON who loves Lo be a nanny and housekeeper for my four children. Hours, wages negotiable. Rm. and bd. available. Asheville area. Call Morgan (704) 689-5382. NEW AGE - group forming. All interested in shnring about spirit to spirit communication, channeling, visualization, healing, chakras, tarot, etc. Emphasis on spiril and our connecLion lo Mother Earth, visualizing positive growth and nunuring. ConUICt Theresa C&rlson, 7501 Ruic Rd., Knoxville, TN 37920. PEPPERLAND offers a variety of outdoor education programs for church, school, or civic groups year-round. We will help you design a program for your group. Send for information packet to: Pepperland Farm camp: Star Route; Farner, TN 37333. "THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT' - a complete rcpon on our changing environment for the next 60 years. $17.00 poslpaid, or write for more information. Lorien House, POB 1112, Black Mountain, NC 28711-1112. APPALACHJAN GINSENG CO. ·stratified seeds, seedlings, roots. Send for price list to: P.O. Box 547; Dillsboro, NC 28725. DRUMS ·Custom handcrafted ceramic dumbecks & wooden medicine drums. Call Joe Roberts at (704) 258-1038 or write 10: 738 Town Mountain Rd.: Asheville, NC 28804. THE PEOPLE OF THE ONE SONG - booklet of stories and poems that tell of the people's dreams, rituals, roles, and relationships from the arthetypal memory of the past, present, and future. S3 to Colleen Redman: One Song Scribe; Box 634; Floyd. VA 24091. MOON DANCE FARM HERBALS - herbal salves, tinctures, & oils for birthing & family health. For brochure, please write: Moon Dance Farm; RL I, Box 726: Hampton, TN 37658 WOMANSONG - ongoing choral group forming. Songs of beauty, meaning spirit, fun, peace, cooperation, sisterhood. Come and sing! Mon. evenings, 7:30-9, Asheville, NC. (704) 254-7068. X-citUah Jo1mmL pci9e 34 SEA KAY AKlNG - Come enjoy peace and solitude traveling with the rhythms of the sea. Classes. day trips, overnight tours, custom charters. Kayak/Sail boat tours to the Bahamas. Kayak tours to Costa Rica. For more information contact: Chnrlie Reeves, Sea Level Inc. POB 478 Tybee Island, GA 31328 (912)786-5853 ORGANIC HONEY - Tulip Poplnr, Sourwood and WildOowcr. From Patrick County, Virginia. No chemicals. no white sugar, no heat, ever Strained through cheesecloth and packed in heavy glass canning jars. For a 4-oz. sample of our premium sourwood and our catalog, send $4 to: Wade Buckholts & Megan Phillips; Route 2. Box 248: Stuart, VA 24171. (703) 694-4571 LO cook NAMASTE FAMILY needs brothers and sisters to join us in Lovi~g. Giving, Growing. Send Sl2 donation for writings and videotape to Namast~ Family; RR2, Box 578: Barnstead, NH 03225. THE WATAUGA LAND AND WATER CONSERVANCY • is a not-for-profit charitable trust set up to protect the values and ecological settings which sustain us both spiritually and economically. If you are concerned about the purity of the headwaters and watercourses, and the preservation of wild and agricultural lands GET INVOLVED. Write to Quality Living Publications, POB I, Valle Crucis, NC 28691 "MAGIC AFTERNOONS" - for children at the Unitarian Church of Asheville. An an program with Linda Metzner in music, Norma Bradly in visual arts, and Barrie Barton in creative movemenL It begins Sept.ember 18th. Call 254-7068 for details. NATURE LOVERS' COMMUNITY· Christians only. SIOOO gives you life time ownership rights on .5 acres. Whole prope.n y consists of 45 acres of wooded calm and privacy. Write: Gospel Ministry, P.O. Box 654, Clinton, TN 37717. ITS THE ACHOO! SERVICE - Patch the clown brings laughter and fun to the hospital. Join him and the Gesundheit Institute at 2630 Roben Walwer Place, Arlington, VA 22207 or (703) 525-8169. PURE SORGHUM - and sorghum based desserts toppings and chocolates. Handmade in the Appalachian foothills. Free sorghum recipe brochure send SASE. Candy sampler (2-KY Buckeyes & 2-Bourbon Balls) $2.00 postpaid. Golden Kentucky Products, POB 246, Livingston, KY. 40445. (606) 453-9800. MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS • made of black walnut, red cherry, or maple. Tops available in wormy chestnut, butlernut, sweetgum, sassafras, western cedar and other woods. Contact: Mize Dulcimer Company Rt. 2, Box 288, Bloumville, TN. 37617 (615) 323-8489. WEBWORKING is free. Send submissions to: RHYTHM ALIVE • Handcrafted African- Style Drums, workshops, learning tapes. drumbags. and accessories. Please send SASE to Rhythm Alive! 85 Phenix Cove Rd. Weaverville, NC 28787 (704) 645-3911. Drawing by Rob Messick Kat1'ah Journal P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 :r~u;.1999 �The Karuah Journal wants to communicate your thoughts and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them to us as letters, poems, stories, anicles, drawings, or photographs, etc. Please send your contributions to us at: Kattiah Journal; P. 0. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kan1ah Province 28748. The Winter 1989-90 issue of the Katuall Journal will be concerned with the challenges and opponunities involved in "Raising Children into a New Consciousness." We are interested in hearing first-person stories, alternative schooling information, children's resources (books, places to go. etc.), and any other creative or pertinant ideas. Don't forget the canoons (kids love canoons!). BACK ISSUES OF KATUA H JOURNAL AVAILABLE ' ,!,!';;.., ~ ~- - The Spring 1990 issue of the K atuah Journal will be focusing o n "Wellness in the Mountains." We are looking for information and articles on those who contribute to the healthful quality of life in our southern mountains; especially through accivities which promote self-responsibilicy and a high level of wellness as the nonnal living state. A broad look at wellness might include topics like stress management, spirirualfry, retreats and adventures, service to others, Earth stewardship, having fun, education, family and other relationships, fitness and nutrition, or other areas of a satisfying lifestyle. lncluded in the "Wellness" issue will be a directory of goods and services related to wellness. There is no cost for a listing in this directory. Please send in your name, practice, and a shon explanation of your work or product, if you wish to be listed. ISSUE EIGHT · SUMMER 198S Celebration: A Way of Life · K.uuah 18,000 Ycan Ago • Sacred Sites - Folk Ans in lhe Schools Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hilda Downer - Cherokee Heritage Cenaer Who Owns Appalachia? . ISSUETHREE SPRING 1984 SUSllllJUlble Agricuhure - Sunflowcn - Human lmpac1 on lhe ForcSI - Childtcns' Education Veronica Nicholu:Woman in Polilics - Uule People - Medicine Allies ISSUE FOUR ·SUMMER 1984 Water Drum Water Quality • Kudzu • Solu "i Eclipse · Clurcu1ung · Trout • Ooing IO Weier ~I Ram Pllmps . Microhydto - Poems: Bennie Lee Sincl&ir, J1m Wayne Miller ISSUE FIVE · FALL 1984 Harves1 • Old Ways m Chcrolt~ • Ginseng • Nuclear Waste - Our Cehic Heritage Bioregionahsm: Put, Prucnt. and Future John Wilnoty Healing Oatkness • Politics of Partlcipation ISSUESIX - Wl.NTER 1984.SS Winter SolsticG EAl'lh Ceremony - Horsepasturr River - Coming of lhe Ligh1 - Log Cabin Root• • Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop - Williun Taylor . The Future of lhe Forw ISSUE SEVEN • SPRING 1985 Sust1111able &:onomM:s • Hot Springs • Wortcr Owncnhip - The Gru1 Economy • Seit Help Credit Union • Wild Turltcy - Responsible lnvCS1m1 • Working in lhc Web of Life ISSUE NINE - FALL 1985 The Waldce Fo re11 - The Trees Speak Migrating Forats - Horse Logging - S1ar11ng a Tree Crop · Urban Trees • Acom Bread • Mylh ISSUE FIFTEEN - Spring 1987 Coverlets • Woman Forester • Susie McMahan Midwife - Ahcmativc Contraception • Bioscxuolity - Biorcgionalism and Women Oood Medicine: Mairi.=hal Culture . P1t1Jrl LSSUE SIXTEEN - Summer 1987 Helen Waiae • Poem: Visions m a Garden Vi11on Ques1 • First Flow • ln1llllllon Learning in lhc Wilderness • Cherokee Olallcngc - "Valuing Trees" Time ISSUE TEN · WINTER 1985-86 Kate Rogers • Circles of Stone - lntemal Mylhmalting • Holistic Healing on Trial • Poems: Steve Knaulh - Mythic Places - The Ulttcna's Tale - Crystal Magic • ISSUE EIGHTEEN · Winier 1987-88 Vernacular Archiaecrure . Drcanu in Wood and Stone • Mountain Home • Earth Energies • Earth-Shchcied Living - Membrane Houses • Brush Sheller • Poems: October DMsk. • Oood Mcdic111C: "Shclaer" ~g· ISSUE ELEVEN SPRING 1986 Community Planning • Cities and the Bioregional Vision • Recycling · Community GIJdenin&. Floyd CoWll}', VA - Guohol Two Bt0rcgional Views - Nuclear Supplement Foxfire Gatnes • Oood Medicine: Visions ISSUE THlRTEEN · Fall 1986 Cenaer For Awakening · Eliu.bclh Callari · A Gentle Death • Hospice - Ernest Morgan Dealing Creatively wilh Oealh • Home Burial Box • The Wake • The Raven Mocker • Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom · Oood Medicine: The Sweat Lodge LSSUE FOURTEEN . Winier 1986-87 Uoyd Carl Owle • Boogcn and Mummers - All Species Day • Cabin Fever University • Homclca in Katuah - Homemade Hot Watu Saovernalter's Narrative • Good Medicine: lnaerspccics Communication ~UAt;)OURNAL ISSUE NINETEEN - Spring, 1988 Perlcandra Gorden - Spring Tonics • Bluebarics Wildnower Gardens - Granny Herbalist • Flower Essences • '"The Origin of lhe Arumals · Saory • Oood Medicine: "Power" • Be A Tree ISSUE TWEJIITY - Summer, 1988 Preserve Appalachian Wilderness - Hig)ilands of Roan - Celo Community - Land Trust • Arlhur Morgan School - Zoning hsuc • "The Ridge" • Farmers l1ld lhe Farm Bill - Oood Medicine: "Land" - Acid Rain - Duke's PowcT Play • Cherok~ Microhydro Project uve Regular Membership........ $10/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor .....................$50/yr. Address Enclosed is $ 10 give this ejforr an extra bOost Zip I can be a local contact person for my area Area Code "'"'· 1989 Phone Number ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR · Summer, '89 Deep Listening • Life in Atomic City - Di.reel Action! · Tree of Peace - Community Building Peacemakers • Ethnic Survival • Pairing Projcc1 - "Baulesong· • Growing Peace in Cultures - Review: The Chalice and the B/Dde P.O. Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 Name State ISSUE TWENTY-THREE - Spring, t 989 Pisgah Village - Planet An • Green City • Poplar Appeal - "Cl- Sky" • "A New Eanh" Black Swan - Wild Lovely Days • Reviews: Sacr('Jf land Sacred Sa, / cc A1e • Poem: "Sudden TaOils" lSSUETWENTY-ONE - FaU, 1988 Chestnuts: A Natunl History - Restoring lhc Chestnut - "Poem of Preservation and PnUc" Continuing lhe Quest - Forests and Wildlife Chestnuts in Regional Diet • Chestnut Resources • Herb Noie • Oood Medicine: "Changes to Came" - Review: Wliue u1ends For more info: call Mamie Muller (704) 683-1414 City -·- ISSUE TWENTY-TWO - Wintu, •gg.g9 Global Wanning - Fire This Time • Thomu Berry on "Biorcgions" • Eanh Exercise • Kor~ Loy McWhirtcr - An Abundance of Emp1iness LETS - Chronicles of Floyd • Derry Wood The Bear Clan Back Issues Issue#_@ $2.50 $_ _ Issue# _ _ @ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $_ _ Issue#_@ $2.50 $_ _ Complete Set (3-11, 13-16, 18-23) @ $35.00 = $_ _ = = � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource 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 25, Fall 1989 Description An account of the resource The twenty-fifth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on biodiversity and habitat: forest ecosystem, old-growth forest, regional planning, forest devastation, black bears and Eastern panthers, and living green. Authors and artists in this issue include: Sam Gray, Robert Zahner, Laura E. Jackson, David Wheeler, Anna Muir, Julia Nunnally Duncan, Annelinde Metzner, Patrick Clark, Heather Blair, Chip Smith, Lee Kinnaird Fawcett, James Rhea, Rob Messick, Marnie Mikell, Patricia Claire Peters, Mary de La Valette, Sue Adams, Starfire Soledad, Christoph and Mary-Clayton Enderlein, and Morgan Swann, 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. The Great Forest by Sam Gray.......3 Restoring the Old-Growth Forest by Robert Zahner.......5 Regional Planning for Habitat Integrity by Laura Jackson.......8 A Question of Value by David Wheeler.......10 Closing the Gate on Forest Devastation by Ann Muir.......12 Poem: "Sparrow Hawk" by Julia Nunnally Duncan.......13 A Place for Bears: An Interview with Dr. Michael Pelton.......15 Poem: "There Fell the Rain Healing" by Annelinde Metzner.......16 Eastern Panther, Where Are You? by Patrick Clark.......17 Oak Decline by Heather Blair.......19 People and Habitat by Chip Smith and Lee Kinnaird Fawcett.......21 Perpetual Wild Sanctuaries.......23 Natural World News.......24 Drumming.......26 Living Green.......29 Barter Fair.......30 (Natural) Resources.......31 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 Forest management--Appalachian Region, Southern Human ecology Black bear--Appalachian Region, Southern Regional planning--Appalachian Region North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1980s Acid Deposition Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Congress Black Bears Community Ecological Peril Economic Alternatives European Immigration Forest History Forest Issues Forest Practice Geography Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Katúah Poems Politics Reading Resources Transportation Issues Turtle Island Wilderness 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/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 https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/5ac6c68fc9a4ef339c7624f779acbcb4.pdf d9ea21ad706d54448902d9872b20ba5c PDF Text Text ISSUE 34 SPRING 1992 $2.00 �•·······.•. .......... .............. \. .... '····: '•\ i ! ....../ _..i ... ; ......... ..···•· ....·· ......··•·· .. ··~ ..... ;..-···· ~UAlrljOURNAL PO Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 287 48 G} C, Q:- ,.·..·· ..··.·· •' .....· Drawing by Rob Mcssiclc Postage Paid Bulk Mail Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 ¢ ... (\ Printed on recycled paper ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �Paradise Gardening.................... 3 by Joe Hollis Community Sponsored Agriculture..5 by Hugh love/ "lfYouDidn'tGrowlt... "........... by Ralph Garrett 7 Eating Close to Home................. by Peter Bane 9 Silas McDowell's Vision............ by Perry Eury 11 Poems.................................. by Allison C. Surherland 12 Native Foods.......................... by Bear with Runs 13 Cover Crops.......................... by Mark Schonbeclr. 15 Plant For Tomorrow: Hemp........ by John Ingress 17 Katuah Cultivars...................... by Lee Barnes 18 Blowing in the Wind................. by Charlotte Homsher 19 The Web of Life: A Katuah Almanac................... by Lee Barnes and Rob Messick 20 Good Medicine....................... 22 Natural World News................. 24 "Whose Rules?"...................... by David Wheeler 26 Big fvy................................. by Emmett Greendigger and David Wheeler 27 Drumming.......... .................. 28 Saving Wild Seeds................... by Lee Barnes 29 Resources............................. 31 Review: "Apple Pie in Your Face" .............. 34 Webworking.......................... 37 Events.................................. 38 Sprl.nq , 1992 Sustainable Agriculture and Regional Diet It is rrom the atoms of our bioregion's soil, water and air that our cells are constructed and renewed. Within many unique webs of life, we become our physical selves and thus must share responsibility for our impact on the delicate systems which allow us life. Bioregions need to become more self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-healing. An imponant step in obt.aining this goal is the development of regional sustainable agriculture and greater utiliz.ation of seasonal diet. Agriculture must be more ecologically sustainable and regionally specific, since each bioregion is unique in its combination of climate, soils, and adaptable plants for food, fibers and fuels. Within each bioregion: • Cultivaled crops should be ecologically produced in harmony with the Earth's gifts of sunshine, frost-free growing season, am renewable cycles of soil fertility. • Sustainable agriculture teehniques must maximize soil regeneration and nutrition produced per acre, rather than simply maximizing yields. • All materials and energies must be more efficiently recycled within the biaregion that produced them. We must blanket our soils wilh greater gifts of cover-crops and green manures . • We must reduce our total dependency on a dangerously narrow base of major food crops and monoculture techniques, and diversify our use of currently recognized and potentially usable wild-food plants. • Preservation of remaining genetic diversity is critical to prevent the final loss of irreplaceable gene combinations. We need 10 renew the use of genetically diverse, open-pollinated seeds to retain variability in our fields to insure protection from catastrophic crop loss due to genetic uniformity. Local seed-saving could allow independence from extra-regional seed sources. • Most imponanlly, humans in each bioregion must accept total responsibility for their region's ecological health and self-sufficiency in food production. A regional diet should be nuaitious and healthy; pleasant to eat; consumed more "in sync" with regiona.V seasonal cycles of production; and involve foods which can be preserved using, low-technology food preservation techniques, such as solar drying, smoking, salt preservation and pickling. We need to review each region's traditional diets, as guides to efficient, non-destructive food production, and carefully learn from each region's own unique seasonal production of abundant crops such as fruits (berries, etc.), nuts (chestnuts, acoms,etc.), and wild seeds (grains). "Getting back to the garden," as Joe Hollis tells us, will be no easy taSk.. We must embra.ce the best featureS of current and developing techniques and philosophies for a sustainable future. In this issue, we address the potential for regional, sustainable agriculture and regional diet by reviewing Katuah's historical foods and agricultural cycles. We explore new ideas for food production and marketing systems, and provide some specific information on wild plant seed-saving, recommended vegetable varieties, and cover crops. We hope this issue will "seed" further investigations into sustainable agriculture, regional autonomy, and self-healing. We are what we eat, and are ultimately responsible for the heallh of ourselves and "all our relations." May we be more receptive to our planet's council, and our mutual future. Dr""'Ul8 by Pcgi - Lee Barnes �~JAH JOURNAL EDITORIAL SLASH: Maria Abbruzzi Lee Barnes Chris Davis Charlone Homsher John Ingress James Rhea Susan Adam Heather Blair Emmen Grecndigger Jim Houser Rob Messick David Wheeler EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: Sherman Bamford Jesse Jones Bill Melanson Pegi Breeze Bums Richard Lowenthal Mamie Muller Donna Stringer Thanks 10 Celo Community and RSVP for hosting Xa,uah lhis time. Special thanks to l<Alherme Adam and Staff of ATIRA COVER: by Rhea Rose Ormond STATEMENT OF PURPOSE PUBLISHED BY: Karuah Journal Here, in the Katuah Province of these ancient Appalachian mountains where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain on this Turtle lsland continent of Mother Ela, the Eanh PRTNTED BY: The Waynesville Mouniaineer Press EDITORIAL OFFICE THIS ISSUE: Billy Home and Gardens. WRITE US AT: Kaniah Journal Asheville Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kaniah Province 28748 TELEPHONE: (704) 754-6097 Diversity is an imponant clement of bioregional ecology, both narural and social. In accord with this principle Katuah Journal tries to serve a.s n forum for lhe discussion of regional issues. Signed articles e.xpress only the opinion of lhe authors and are no, necessarily the opinions of the Katunh Journal editors or staff. The Internal Revenue Service has declared Ka1uoh Journal a non-profit orgnnization under section 501 (cX3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions to Ka1uah Journal are deductible from ))Cl'SOlllll income c.ax. Articles appearing in Katuah Journal may be reprinted in other publications with permission from the Katuoh Journal stnlT. Contact the journal in writing or call (704) 754-6097. tNVOCATLON The Greatest Friend I have in life Has brought me here to dwell Awhile among these green, green hills And by the watery well. The water from that wondrous well Has made my eyes to see And loosed my tongue to sing with joy That such a Friend could be. Here, In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep connection to the spirit of the land. We bring lhis connection into the being and the doing of our daily lives When the land speaks, we listen and we act We tune our lives to the changes, to the seasons We respect the limits of the land We preserve, defend, and restore the land We give thanks for all that is good Harmony with 1he land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative. The land is a living being. She is sacred. As 1he land lives, so do we. As the spirit of the land is diminished, our spirits are diminished as welL Kacuah Journal sends a voice... with articles, stories, poems, and anwork we speak 10 the spirit of all the living, breathing inhabitants of these mountains in hopes that we, the human beings, may find our place in this Great Life. The Edit.ors j • The Incredible String BQ/ld Bonier by Jason Tueller KATUAH JOURNAL wanrs to communicate your rhoug/,rs and feelings to the other people in the bioregional province. Send them t.o us as leuers,poems, stories, articles, drawings, or photographs, etc. Please send your coruributions to us at: Karuah Journal; P. 0. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katua/1 Province 28748. OUR NEXT ISSUE will be involved with the continually controversial topic of Councils, and how to create more viable methods of decision-making in the future. Possible topics include: Native American sovereignty, the State of Franklin, JCQtuah Journat page 2 Town Meetings, Council of All Beings, Regional Rainbow Gatherings, Grassroots Groups, Conflict Resolution, and more? Submit all material by April 30th, 1992. THE FALL, 1992 ISSUE will be about the role of wood in the life of the mountains. Please send articles evaluating the present timber industry, logging stories, and visions of ecological and sustainable ways to cut and use wood. Please also send pictures and drawings of wood and woodworkers. Deadline is July 30, 1992. Spri.ng, l 992 �PARADISE GARDENING by Joe Hollis W c wam 10 save the world, and we want 10 save ourselves. It's the same thing. The problems confronting us arc enormous and at every level: personal, social, planetary. l will spare you a list. My aim is 10 suggest that they are all symptoms of one problem, and to propose a solution. The problem: 10 find a way to live on Earth which promotes our health and happiness, conducive to the full development of our innate potential, and, a1 the same time, is "democratic," that is, available to all, not using more than our share, and harmonious with the biosphere's evident drive toward increasing diversity, complexity, and stability. Our world is being destroyed, in the final analysis, by an extremely misguided notion of what constitutes a successful human life. Materialism is running mmpant and WILL CONSUME EVERY11iING, because its hunger will never be sated by its consumption. Human life has become a cancer on the planet, gobbling up all the flows of matter and energy, poisoning them with our waste. What can stop this monster? Nothing. Just lhis: walk away from iL It is time, indeed time is running out, to abandon the entire edifice of "civilization/the State/ the Economy" and walk (don't run!) to a bener place: home, to Paradise. J ••• 1) Paradfae is, first of all, a garden. A garden in which everything we need is there for the taking. 2) And Paradise Gardening is a way or life which serves to maintain the garden, and is in turn maintained by it. Ecologist Eugene Odum calls this being the 'ecosystem manager:' "an organism that utilizes a small frac tion of the total energy budget and in return provides a service which aids the system in its funclion and continued survival." (This concept "illustrates the ideal which man should imitate in his auempts 10 manage a natural ecosystem.") Genesis, with the characteristic compression of myth, says we were put into the garden "10 dress it and keep it." Same thing. 3) Parndise Gardening is not work. Work is a subjective concept: one person's play may be another person's work. h has nothing to do with effon: tennis, for example, is usually "play" (unless you're a "pro"), sitting at a computer terminal is frequently "work." Work is whatever you are doing when you'd rather be doing something else. Paradise Gardening is "not work" in the same sense that what a bear does all day is "not work." This distinction is the same as that which the Taoists make between "doing" and "not-doing." Genesis refers to the same matter in saying that only outside the garden do we have 10 earn our living "by the sweat of our brow." 4) Paradise Gardening is not agriculture. From chemical to organic sprLr19, t992 agriculture is a step in the right direction, but only the first step. Agriculrure itself is, after alI, half of the one-two punch that knocked us out of Paradise in the first place. Good farmers, to be sure, love nature; but they love her in the context of plowing her up every year and deciding what to grow next. Our addiction 10 annual species and disturbed habitats has put us at odds with the main thrust of the biosphere (and with ourselves). Oh, Eanlt is patient and Earth is old And a mother of Gods, but he breaks lier, To-ing.fro-ing, wit!, tlte plow teams going, Tearing the soil of her, year by year Sophocles, Antigone Every spring, nature begins again 10 clothe the Earth in beauty. It is the process of succession, the initial strands of the intricate web, the rebirth of the Tree of Life. And every autumn we scrape it off, rake it into barns, take it to market: we increase human diversity and complexity (butcher, baker, candlestick-maker ...) by appropriating to ourselves processes which are meant to benefit all ••• Drawina by Rob Messick Paradise is a habitat and a niche. Mircca Eliade refers to the universal "yearning for Paradise": Memories coded into our genes of our place, our fit. How, after all, does a bird, for example, select a place to build a nes1? So many factors to consider (and such a small brain!). It simply picks the most beautiful spot available. It was born with a "template" of paradise. Concerning this the Book ofOdes says, "The twittering yellow bird, the bright silky warbler, comes to its rest in the hollow corner of the hill." and Confucius commented "Comes to rest, alights, knows what its rest is, what its ease is. Is man, for all his wit, less wise than this bird of yellow plumage that he should no, know his resting place or fix the point of his aim?" Like any other creature, we are our niche. By our physiology and behavioral programming we arc born to live a ccnain kind of life. Paradise is our birthright and our duty, Now, instead, we take up a niche in civilization. The premise of civilization is that if everyone is a less than complete human being (''1'11 be the brains, you be the back"), ii will be beuer for all of us. This insulting premise has guided us for so long that many of us are unaware of an alternative. We (cnnunucd on next page) Xotl'.wf, )ourlfflt pcu_,e 3 �(COlllinucd from page 3) equate "making a living" with "making money." Thus we spend the best hours of our lives pursuing our careers, being pan of the cancer. But everything needful to be completely human is available to us close by in our environment - the garden and the ocighborhod. We can rely on the truth of this because "human-ncss" is a creation of the environment, the most recent manifestation of a coevolution between our genes and all the other genes in the world that has been going on since the beginning of life on eanh. Much chancier is the possibility that everything we need to be completely human is available to us in the city, or through money. population level, live and coexist as foragers (ecosystem managers)? "Caught in the devil's bargain " how can we "get ourselves back to the garden"? (Joni Mitchell, "Woods1ock") The strategy here proposed, Paradise Gardening, may be described as :'in1ensified foraging." David Harris, in a scnes of papers has explored "alternative pathways to agricul'ture." Particular!~ valuable is ~s . distinction between "agncultural mampulaaon and transfonnatfon ... agricultural utilization ••• The last time we lived in paradise it was as "foragers": hunters and gatherers, omnivorous, opponunistic exploiters of a variety of environments. Specialists, not of disturbance but of diversity. This lifestyle has attracted much attention recently (at the very time that the last vestiges of it~ being eradicated). Toe view that foraging is an adaptation superior to agriculture is now well established in academia and the same theme appears in popular literature (e.g. Bruce Chatwin, Tl~ Song/Ines and Vargas Llosa, The Storyteller, both inspiring). A revolution in the study of the human niche was prompted by the realization that foragers, far from living on the brink of starvation, as previously imagined, actually had more leisure than anyone else since (Lee and deVore, Man the Hunter). Boserup (The Conditions ofAgricultural Growth) suggests that there have never been any "agricultural revolutions," in the sense of a sudden invention of a great new way 10 produce food; but rather that increases in food production always come at the cost of even greater increases in labor (or fossil fuel) input, that the techniques were always well known to the producers, but resisted until finally demanded by rising population (or the demands of the upper classes for a surplus, a 'cash crop'). "Agriculture permits denser food growth supponing denser population and larger social units but at the cost of reduced dietary quality [less diversity to choose from), reduced reliability of harvest [eggs in less baskets], and equal or probably greater labor per unit of food ... agricuhure is not a difficult concept but one readily available to hunting and gathering groups ... " (Mark Cohen, The Food Crisis in Prehistory). Agriculture, in rum, allowed population to expand more rapidly. Any attempt to live a foraging life in the modem world would seem to be onJy an interesting but ultimately imlcvant exercise of the "historic village" variety. That "there is no going back" is merely a truism. What those who recite it mean to say is that there is no changing direction, progress can be only a straight line - from an original home in natw-c 10 a world eventually completely human, domesticated, fanned. At this point, I would rephrase the "problem" with which this essay began: How can we, with our contemporary tastes and Xatuafl Jou~ P~. 4 "better" future. "No act is good unless its goodness is seen in the innnediacy of the act. An act which justifies itself by appealing to a later good ... all appeals to reason, expediency, and necessity, are appeals to the very forces that wreck all ideals. One must have courage and be willing to take risks." (William Thompson, Evil and World Order) Ecology teaches that a "pioneer" (disturbed) environment favors life forms that are fast-growing but shon lived, wide-spreading, ''greedy" - designed 10 capture the maximum of sunlight and unoccupied soil. But eventually they are succeeded by the trees, which, because they invest energy in making wood, grow more slowly at first, but are more stable, longer-lived, and finally faster growing, more influential, the "dominant species," towering above. We have spread ourselves over the Eanh, and used or burned just about everything that is easy to get The age of the greedy ones draws to a close. (They don't know it yet.) At last, we may hope, the 'competitive advantage' passes to the practitioners of permanence, rootedness, slow growth and steady accumulation, the vertical expansion of the human spirit into realms unchanecl, or long forgotten. A tree derives its satisfaction from the view achieved. ••• may - and, if sufficiently intensive, usually does - lead to the IJ'llnsformation of a natural into a largely artificial ecosystem: lhe replacement of a tropical forest by plantation, of temperate woodland by whcatfields ... But agriculture may also proceed by a process of manipulation which involves the alteration of selected components of the natural system rather than its wholesale replacement - a method of cultivation which involves substituting certain preferred domesticated species for wild species in equivalent ecological niches and so simulates 1he structure and functional dynamics of the natural ecosystem." Harris has recently edited a collection of papers (From Foraging to Fanning) which further explores the emerging realization that many "non-agricultural" peoples were in fact engaged in intensive and sophisticated plant exploitation, previously unrecognized because their plant management practices did not fit our idea of agricuhure. ••• Our goal is to "naturalize" ourselves in lhe environment. This will involve changing ourselves and changing the environment: convergence toward "lit" Perfect fit means the free and easy flowing of matter and energy between ourselves and our environment: life lived as a complete gift from the garden to us, from us to the garden. But that is in the future; what we need now is a process, leading to that goal, which is justified on its own terms. Focus on the ideal Paradise Garden wilJ tempt us to ta.Ice shoncuts, perpetuating the same old panem of selling out the present for some imagined The process of Paradise Gardening involves: - Extricating our life-support system from civilization/the Economy (bluntly, money), and reattaching it to the natural world of garden and neighborhood. This will be a gradual process requiring a real analysis of our needs and expenditures. Thus, for example, cars and gasoline arc nor needs but only the means to the satisfaction of needs. The solution is not gasohol but reducing the reason for travelling (usually the getting and spending of money). Concerning this the TM Te Ching says, 'The country over the border might be so near that one could hear the cocks crowing and the dogs barking in it, but the people would . grow old and die without ever once troubhng to go there." (sec Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China, vol. D, ch. 80) for a discussion of ''the political program of the Taoists: the return to cooperative primitivity. ") The key 10 the self-justifying nature of the process is this: things made or done .by professionals or machines may be technically superior to one's own efforts, but are generally lacking in a quality which, following Carlos Castenada, I will call "hean. 0 Satisfaction from things bought usually peaks at the moment of purchase and declines rapidly. Needs which a.re met by the interaction of ourselves and nature are more deeply mer.. and there are wonderful surprises along the way. The truth of this will be evident to anyone who has ever made anything "from scratch." What seldom occurs to us (someone doesn't want it to occur to us) is that an entire life can be constructed on 1h1s basis. (c:on11nuod on page J2) Drawing by Mkhacl Thompson SprLt1-9, !9!12 �.,,.. . .. It , • ' # ' •••••• , ''• ,.,. COMMUNITY SPONSORED AGRICULTURE As lhe end of the century nears, several things must be faced. Tho food supply is not only tainted. it is devitaliz.ed. In particular, foods lack nourishment for integrity, uprightness and willingness. These qualities depend upon individual attitudes, but they require nutritional support Things could get worse, and probably they will. But, here and there people are looking at their options and choosing 10 make a difference. They want to suppon endeavors that remedy the problems caused by lhe bigger-is-better mindset. One of the worst concerns is the loss of more than seventy percent of the world's topsoil in the last hundred and fifty years. Instinctively people sense a need to encourage sound agriculture. At the same time they want 10 buy food that not only is free of pollution, but has an inner, vital impulse toward life. The..-.e and related faclOI'S motivate a trend toward agriculturally based producer/consumer communities that regenerate the land which feeds them. The acronym CSA stands for Consumer Supported Agriculture, Community Sponsored Agriculture, or Community Supponed Agriculture, depending on whom you are talking 10. In all cases it indicates a vertically integrated agricultural operation. However it may be done, the CSA group provides what is necessary to grow their food. Fortunately, not everyone has the same things 10 contribute. Usually fanners who can work the land successfully are in the shortest supply. But, from these farmers' points of view, consumers are in shon supply <>r laborers are hard 10 find at crucial times. The CSA is not functional until farmer, farmland, labor, operating capital and consumers arc lined up in cooperation. CSA fanns vary. Some are located in or near metropolitan areas where consumer interest is high. Olhers involve more distance between the land and consumers. Many sell "shares" in advance of their year's production. Others require an advance deposit, refundable in everything from produce, canned goods, eggs, honey and cheese, to meat, flowers, herbs, firewood or wool. Tn some cases consumers come 10 the farm to get their food. In others, weekly deliveries to distribution points may be necessary. One CSA may have monthly potluck dinners, developing strong core groups and dividing up tasks between mothers, accountants, farm apprentices, lawyers, fixers, and fanners; while others may be seat-of-the-pants operations stripped to the bare essentials. CSA's have several things in common. [n one way or another they all encourage farmers and consumers 10 understand and suppon each other. They enable participants to invest their resources in the land and ilS beuennenL 1be means of production belongs to both producers and consumer.;, as they contribute skill, labor and capital, and take responsibility for leaving the land better off for their use of it. Nevenheless, in some cases the land is owned privately while in Spnnq, l992 by Hugh Lovel others the CSA is organized as a cooperative, a land trust or a research and training institute. Besides nutritious food and a healthier environment there are many subsidiary benefil!i. By having the moral and financial expenses. In 1985 I was laid off as a bridge carpenter in Atlanta, and in 19861 tried to farm full time, selling produce to stores and in pl!lking lolS. It was hardly a way 10 make ends meet. I knew there had to be a better way. The Biodynamic Association quarterly, support of a community, the farmer has backing for experimentation. Members may want exotic items like Chinese cabbage, Annenian cucumbers. Roquefon cheese or Louisiana hot sauce, and the fanner has 10 learn how to produce these items. The CSA can also be an educational opportunity for young adults interested in becoming farmers. By apprenticing on a CSA farm they experience growing and preparing a wide variety of products. Moreover, members and their children learn how their food is produced, and there .ue therapeutic benefits in this especially for those growing or convalescing. Lastly, the farm is a haven from the vicissitudes of city life. Conceivably it will provide alternatives 10 employment in economic hard times. The idea h that consumers support the farm and the farm supports the consumers. Biodynamics, ran an anicle on CSA's. I drew up a prospectus with a copy of the ruticle and distributed it to a few people in the Atlanta area. They told friends, and for the first season l had twenty-eight members sign up. r did not want to promise 100 much, so I only offered breads, honey. pollen, eggs, yogurt. and vegetables in season. I asked for $100 deposits, refundnble in groceries. This money got me through February, March, and April when I planted but had nothing 10 sen. A1 the end of April I had my first delivery of spinach, lettuce, and seasonal herbs. The season went on to green onions, garlic, English and sugar snap peas, yellow onions, potatoes, cabbage, beans, com, summer squash, tomatoes, okra, beets, collards, leeks, winter squash, turnips and Chinese radishes. The garden was finished by mid-November, though I made one last delivery of pork after Thanksgiving. Because che fann, Union Agricultural lnsutute, Blairsville, Georgia, was 125 miles from Atlanta, I made a Saturday run 10 three Since the only CSA I can re.tlly describe is the one I founded, I should tell how it was set up. During the 1980s I directed a fledgling founccn acre biodynamic research and training farm, working off the farm to pay (QOl\linued on nut page) Drawing by Pcgi X.awah Journot pc:a(Je 5 �(OOlllinuod &om pegoS) drop-<>ff points. Members received a weekly newsletter and order fonn that 100k me rwo hours a week at the typewriter and copy machine. Bookkeeping was on index cards with names, addresses, dates, and sums. Mostly I concentrated on running 1he fann, picking the number one vegetables, recycling the residual vegetation through forty chickens., twenty rabbits, and 1wo pigs for fertilizer, and n:planting with the next crop in the rotation. Although I kept bees, the honey and millc for yogun came from nearby farms. 1brought in organica!Jy grown wheat and rye for bread. Out of26 weekly deliveries, I counted on members to order at leas1 half the time with average orders of twenty dollars, a gross of $7,280. I believe I took in a littJe more than that, but my bookkeeping did not prove it. J realize lhis may not seem like much, but my expenses were low enough 10 make ends meet All I had was the land and a small pic_!cup truck, rototiller. lawnmower. scythe, pitchfork, axe, scuffle hoe, claw cuJtivator, wheel hoe, push planter, and seeds bred for response 10 my methods. It was a start. Consumer int.crest was strong simply from word of mouth. I could expand, but a larger investment was required. The fann needed woods, barns, fences, greenhouses. pastures, orehards, and fields all in good measure. none at the expense of the others. I did not have to hurry things. The land consisted of mixed forest slopes and bottomland with good water bur not especially good sun. There was plenty of brush clearing, rock picking and hay planting to be done. And there were only three or four acres that could be added to the truck garden no mancr how I adapted 10 having more help and machinery. At my organii.ationaJ meetings in February and Man:h of 1988 I asked for a S33 membership fee as a capital invesuncn1 in the fann, plus the hundred dollar deposit. Again bookkeeping was only sufficient to show how much was paid and how much was delivered. Picking, bnlcing, and packing orders were changed from Fridays 10 Saturdays, and deliveries were changed to Sundays. This allowed members 10 visit the farm and panicipa1e in picking on Saturdays, while I caught the least city traffic on Sundays and still picked up organic grains and supplies for the farm An apprentice, Matthew Persico, cut intensive beds into three acres of sod with the rototiUcr. We planted a fourth of it in potatoes, for which we had compost In the rest we inu:rplanted com with soybeans for a modest fodder crop. We built a smaJI barn with three sta!Js, hay storage, and an apprentice's apartment. I bought two calves to raise in the small barn yard, and phased out rabbits since the cows made more compost and were easier to feed on a large scale. For fcrtiliu:r I brought in hay, com, and soy meal for the animaJs while J cleared ~ I _pastures, arch~. and hay fields. The m~bon was to achieve self-sufficiency, WJth the £arm producing its own feeds, s~, and ttansplants, breeding its own livestock:, and producing its own compost Starting its fifth year in 1992, this Xatiloh Jouf'nQ( PQ«Je 6 CSA, UAI Coop, can service 80 households. We have a reconditioned 35 year old tractor, three or four apprentices, six aCICs of row crops, cheesemaking, three bovines, eigh1y chicke_ns, two pigs, and a smaJI transplant operanon. . O_u1side_ of i1s soil: the farm is 001 ye1 a capuaJ mtenswe operauon, despite a $16,000 gross in 1991. Dynamics and momentum arc a large part of the operation. Herc are some derails: Peas must be planted as early as possible. In Union County, Georgia 1hat is lat~ February or early March. Lenuce, spmach, and onions may aJso be planted from early March on. Lettuce, cabbage and collards should be planted under row coverings for transplanting as it warms up. The early plantings are better able to stay ahead of the weeds, though frequent cultivation - weather pennitting - is advisable. It helps considerably to have pennanent sod around cultivated beds. In winter and early spring the cows are eating hay in the barn and every so often it can be mucked out to make a compost pile. With spring warmth, the rye and clover covers on the beds shoot up and are cut for fresh feed or for hay. The stubble is cultivated two or three times over a three week period, so that it is digested and mellow before planting. . I set out my cabbages and potatoes in Apnl; followed by com, beans, and cucurbits in May; and tomatoes, peppers and okra in June. Garlic is planted early the preceding October, so that it and yellow onions are harvested in June and followed with bush beans. Crops like spinach, lettuce, com and beans can be staggered to produce a moderate but steady flow of each vegetable, extending the season. Compost is given especially to the greens, while root crops like carrots, radishes, and turnips do much better following behind without compost. Since my grassy borders around beds an: level with the beds, both borders and beds can be mowed simultaneously for the cows, pigs or chickens. In May 1here is so much to cut that haystacks must be made, 10 be fed in the winter when all the summer's com stover is gone. During the growing season the chickens are fenced in a long, hillside coop containing a thick stand of bamboo and a nesting house. At the top of 1he coop, sawmill bark, sprin.kJed with dust from the locaJ granite quarry, is added for bedding. My lawnmower has a rear bagging feature, and every day I give the chickens a heaping wheelbarrow load of grass, clover, and herb clippings from around the beds, which I mow on a monthly schedule. This keeps the egg yolks yellow while adding to the deep litter in the coop. Every so often this is made into a compost pile. I use a biodynnmic planting calendar for working crops according to 1heir root, fruit, flower, or leaf characteristics. For example, while potatoes are actually a swollen stem formation, they are plamed as though they were roots because the roo1-like characteristic is being emphasized. Likewise, cauliflower and broccoli, although 1hey an: flowers, are plan1cd as leaf crops because they have to be held back to 1he leafy stage of development. They an: eaten only as buds, not flowers. l also apply biodynamic preparations, which have profound nutritionaJ significance. And I grow speciaJ crops that do not contribute income but contribute to the overall balance and heaJth of the farm. Finally. I avoid faulty practices. Planting the whole fann in cucumbers or semng off all the compost, 1 would never do. One of the goals of crop rotation is to allow for a healthy nitrogen cycle while cropping. Compost is given liberally to leafy crops that need plenty of nitrogen, such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and collards. It may be given more sparingly to fruiting crops which follow the greens, such as com, squash, tomatoes, and okra. It is withheld entirely from the roots, such as carrots, radishes, and turnips, which follow the fruits. Then I plan1 legumes such as beans, peas and lentils to draw in new nitrogen and produce rich compost as their vines are digested by the farm animals. Then the cycle begins again wi1h compost to the greens. Another goal of crop rotation is 10 vary as much as possible the kinds of plan1s grown. Thus it may be a good idea to follow lettuce with carrots, or collards with onions, but it is a bad idea 10 follow le1wce with spinach or carrots with parsnips. There is aJso interplanting. Planting com with soybeans, spinach wi1h garlic, tomatoes with sweet basil, dill with cabbages su_mmer squash with popcorn, and pumpkins with field com, makes for a lively variety. Nature has ways to create abundance. Perhaps most imponantJy, the pennanent grass and clover walking strips between and around the beds keep the soil fauna heaJthy and erosion to 1he minimum regartlless of the weather. We need to think abou1 these things. Not so long ago all farms produced food out of soil, water, air, and warmth because there was life. Nature charged nothing for her pan. Orawu,g by Rob Mcuid< (continued on p. 32) Sprl.mj, 1992 �"IF YOU DIDN'T GROW IT, YOU DIDN'T EAT IT" Food Production on a Self-Sufficient Mountain Homestead as told by Ralph Garrett Way back when Twas a boy, I lived at my grandma's and grandpa's up above the Lown of Sylva in Jackson County, NC. My grandpa was a farmer and a brick mason, and he also made bricks. I grew up during the Depression. IL was a little worse than it is right now, but it's going 10 get worser than this, I'm afraid. My grandpa and grandma owned about three and one-half acres around their house, but we tended a 12 or 15 acre bottom that was up in Addie where the band mill is now. We also planted 10 or 12 acres up on Fisher Creek in com and different things. It was about 25 or 30 acres all told. We grew enough for everybody in our family, some 10 sell besides, and enough 10 feed the animals, too. We raised cows, chickens, and pigs to eat, and we had horses, mules, and oxen 10 help us with the work. With them we plowed and planted com, beans, field peas, Irish 'taters, sweet 'taters, sorghum for molasses, and all different kinds of cornfield crops. And grains. We'd sow a great big thing of wheal for our flour, as well as winter oais 10 feed the horses while we were workin' 'em in the summer time. Then in the garden we had carrots. radishes, parsnips, rumips, and different kinds of greens - leuuce, onions, collard greens, and all those. We also had peach u-ees. I got a whuppin' many a time for getting in the Blue Goose peaches - big, fine, pretty peaches. They'd get to tumin' a little bit, and us liule boys, we'd slip around and try 10 get us one. J remember how we used to eat. The usual thing of a morning when we got up, we'd have side beef or ham - fried good and brickle · brown-eye gravy, some eggs, and some biscuits. Some days we'd have homemade applesauce for breakfasL We'd heat it up and have some hot biscuits and butter, and put the butter and some sugar in the fruit, and you had a good break.fast. We'd also cut com off the cob, and have it fried with biscuits and homemnde molasses. That's what we had a whole lot of mornings. Our big meal was at dinner time, 12 noon. Supper was the evening meal. Al dinner we'd have cornbread, hog meat or maybe beef stew with vegetables. You can get beef stew now in a can in the store, but we had big pois of it, homemade, with two or three vegetables in it, and some vegetables on the side, too. Or we'd have great big pots of homemade vegetable soup. We'd make the soup with okry (olcr.1), tomaters, beans, and onions. We put every kind of vegetable in there. In the summerumc for supper we'd usually have com on the cob, new 'taters, green beans, cornbread, and biscuits. Sometimes we'd eat supper without meal, but Sprtng, 1992 usually we had meat at the table three times a day, whether it was beef, pork, or chicken. We didn't have desserts every meal, like they want now. Dcssens came mostly on Sunday or Saturday when there was family coming. We'd have plain ca.Ices with down there 10 get some flour, some salt, sody (baking soda), balcing powder, coffee, and sugar. We just bought small amounts of sugar, until it come canning time. Then we would buy whatevercanningjars and lids that we needed and 50 and 100 pound bags of sugar to put up jellies and jam. We young'uns liked LO get old-time candy, like wax candy, horehound candy, and all kinds of stick candy at the store. But we never had money to buy very much there. A year on the farm went like this: Winter was kinda slow. We'd be cutrin' firewood, sittin' by the fire, and relax.in'. DrawiJI& by J.,,.,. Rhea applesauce spiced up and pu1 in between the layers. They called that old-time fruit cake. They'd pile four or five of them up in a straight pack with the applesauce in between each layer, then applesauce down over the; top ofic. Now, that was a dessen! Today if someone gets two layers of cake, they think that that's 100 much, but we had.five layers of cake! We ate what we wanted, because it was simple. Or maybe they'd make a cherry pie. What they call a cherry pie now is just a little ol' thing. What we called a cherry pie was a big bread pan full of cherries with dough through 'cm. They call 'em cobblers now, but we called 'em cherry pie. Grandma also used 10 make sweet potato custards and sweet potato pie and put sweetening on it - marshmallows or brown sugar, good things like that. If we didn't grow it, we didn't cat it. That's right. There wasn't no supermarkets, there was only an old country store. We'd go We'd spend time a-shuckin' com and thrashin' out the peas, Crowder peas and clay peas, through the bad days. We also had 10 get our harness and equipment fixed up and in first-class shape. We had to be ready. so that when the ground got right we could go right to work. We didn't use no fertilize (fertilizer). We used compost, and we gathered that in the winter, too. We'd clean out the horse stalls and the cow stalls. We'd throw it in a bin that was outside the winder (window), and we'd mix leaves in with iL That would cause it to heat in the bin. In the spring we wouW haul out that compost. spread it on the field, and plow it in. That enriched our land and made our crops do better. We staned plowtn' in February and March, what we didn't already have plowed. The first crop we put out was the different kinds of greens - cabbage. collard greens, you could do them early. Usually, (canlinucd on nai pqe) Xatuah Journal POCJI'- 7 �(cullinucd from page 7) people around here would sow a bed of turnips or rutabagas, too. Irish pouuoes were planted next during the dark of the moon in Man:h, and maybe we'd put some green peas out in the garden. Radishes, onions, and parsnips were early crops, we could get an early start on them, 100. We would s1an our own S\l,'CCt pouuo sets. We'd get them bedded down between April 10 - 15. Then they'd be a-comin' up in May. Sweet potatoes was a big crop. We used to plant big fields of 'em. Around April 15 - 20, we'd plant the first corn. It would grow up a linle bit, but not enough that a frost would hurt it bad. Unless there come an ex try unusual hard freeze, com would grow on though. Flour com, popcorn, and com for the livestock: those were the main kinds of com we planted. We also had a liule of what we called llim com. When it got hard, it was hard as a rock, but it made real good roasting ears. When sweet com came along, we started planting sweet com in the garden. Now people plant fields of sweet com. The biggest thing was to rotate the com plantings so that they would come in slowly, so we could harvest them and take care of them, instead of having all the com oome in at once. We would plant some com on April 15, some the first of May, and then again at the last of May.Hit's not a dry year, you can plant com in June. It's starting to get dry then, but sometimes a crop'll make. It's a short season up here in these mountains, but some years I've bad three different spaces of com comin' in. We always figlftd the last frost would come around the tenth of May. 1bcn we'd set out OUT garden vegetables. Any kind of plant that the frost would affect - like peppers and tomatcrs - we'd wait 'ril after the tenth of May, after the frost line. The cornfield peas, we'd plant them after we worked (cultivated) the com for the first time. I'd wait until the com was up around my throat, and then l'd plant the peas in between the com. We did the cornfield beans, like the White McCaslan bean or the Kentucky Wonder, the same way. l would plant big com where I was going to plant the cornfield beans. Then the com would support 'em and shade 'em. Shade is what keeps the insects away better than any of this spray that we can buy today. We'd harvest the wheat when the heads bowed and tumed yeller. The timing depended on what kind of wheat we had. and when we had planted it in the fall. We harvested it by hand with a cradle. We didn't have combines like those that cut the wheat now. We had to do it with a cradle. At the end of June, we'd finish up with the wheat and we'd sun our first mowing of hay. We mowed the hay with a mowing plate and raked it up with a pitchfork. We'd shock it • put it in shocks or round piles - and then we'd come through with the wagon or the sled, and load it 10 the barn. and put it in the barn loft We'd pct up great barns full, and then we'd put up big stacks of hay around stackpolcs. We'd sUtCk com tops and fodder the same way around the Stackpole at the XatuQf1-Journat PCUJe 8 barnyard, where we could jusr go get it to feed the cows and the horses. All summer, we were mostly hoeing. It kept us busy. We'd start work as soon as it got light enough to sec what we was a-doin', and we worked 'til dark. Now at dinnertime, right at the heat of the day, we gave them horses a good full hour to two hours to be at rest. And we done the same thing. We ate, we rested, and then, when we went back 10 work, we worked 'til dinner. ln July when the blackberries and the raspberries came in, we'd pick berries. We would take a wagon up on Fisher Creek, and we'd pick washtubs full of blackberries! w11.i) J'"J~ Everybody went, everybody picked, everybody washed - everybody helped with canning berries for a few weeks. Some of the men might be off working on a job somewhere, but everybody up at the house just flew in and got busy. Pretty soon the com would start coming in, and we'd stan getting roasting cars with our dinner. And we'd start canning vegetables. too. We'd can all kinds of vegetables. We canned beans, 'matcrs, peaches, fresh ok:ry (okra), fresh com - all different kinds of food out of the garden. In the fall of the year, we'd be pectin' the apples, and pcelln' peaches. Them Blue Goose peaches came in about the same time as apples. We'd boil the fruit down and make apple and peach bu11er. We had an apple peeler. You just stuck the apple on and tumcd the handle, and ii peeled the apple and took the core out of iL Then we just cut it and made bleached fruit. Or we mashed it up, cooked it, and made applesauce. Bleached fruit is made by burning sulfur. We'd put the fruit on a rack, cover it with a cloth, light the sulfur in a sulfur burner, and leave it all night The action of the sulfur makes the fruit stay white, it doesn't tum brown, and it will keep all winter. Then we would put it in big 60-gnllon oak barrels, and we'd put up so many barrels of bleached fruit. We also P.l!t up ~ I s ofp\cld~ beans. Wr:!d !\ii up big barrels of beans broke up and washed, put water in there and add salt to sour 'cm and make 'em pick!~. The same way about roasting CaJ'S. That was our pickling stuff. At canning time we also fixed a lot of jellies and jams. We'd make apple jelly and grape jelly. And we'd make peach preserves: we'd peel sweet, cooked peaches like we were going to can 'em, and put sugar in there and cook it down until it come clown like makin' candy, and 1ha1 was good preserves. Around that same time we'd also be cuttin' the com and puuin' it up in the com crib. We'd cut the tops, and pull the fodder, and put that up to feed the cows and horses. We didn't leave nolhin' in that field that a cow could eat. We kept the com in the com crib, and we kept the peas in big bags inside in the house where they'd be getting drier and drier from the heat, so they'd shell easier. Whenever we got that done, it was coming to frost, and we had 10 get them sweet potatoes out before it frosted. If it frosted on the vines, we had LO get the vines off right quick before it rained. so that the frost wouldn't run into the sweet potaroes and ruin ·cm. When we got 'em up, we'd wash 'cm, and take 'cm to town to sell them, anywhere from a gallon to five bushels, whatever people wanted. After the frost was the time to cut the sorghum and make molasses. We had to strip the cane down. cut all the blades off it. and cut all the tops off. Then we'd haul all those cane stallcs to lhe cane mill and put 'em through the crusher. The juice would run out into a vat. and we'd cook it off in what. they called an evap<ntor until it came out syrup. Several families made sorghum. Some had bees. We didn't have no bees, but we had some people who had bees. We'd just get some stands of honey from them. We also used to go into the woods and gather up chestnuts. I'd go bacJc yonder and gather up a 75 pound short sack. all the chestnutS I could carry, and bring 'em home, and we'd eat on them. I also used to like to get pawpaws and persimmons. Now I'm tcllin' you, them old persimmons make a good pie. And there were always some bear hunters who would bring in some bear meat. l know I ate a IOl of bear meat. Back when I was a boy, bears were just as common as a milk cow. It was nothin' to see a bear down at the settlement. But they just got to bang, bang, bangin', killin' 'em all they wanted, 'tit there was a 101 of waste. Right at the first of November, we'd have to go back into the fields and clean the 'tater patches off. The usually thing was that there was late roasting cars and some late beans in the 'tater patch, and after we gathered them, we cleaned all that off, weeds and all, so we could plow our 'taters out After they dried good, we'd put 'em in the root cellar. Everybody had a root cellar. Lots of them were dugouts in the bank, but they were still root cellars where we'd keep the bleached fruit, the potatoes, and the lcrnut Everybody also bad a smokehouse where they'd smoke their meat. and they'd (ainunlllld on page 33) Ornwing by Miehkl Thompson Spri.ng, 1992 �~, ... .. w ... EATiNG · LbsE ro HOME c by Peter Bane The Logistics of a Permanent Culture Consider your next meal: It's mid-winter and what can be found to eat nearby? The supermarket offers Iowa beef and Idaho potatoes, Cnlifomia rice and broccoli, Mexican lettuce and tomatoes, salad oil from Brazil or Dakota, Aorida citrus, Washington apples. The Standard American Qiet is a marvel of technical complexity and a sad reflection of cultural banality. Divorced from place and season, available nationwide and year round, itS cosmetic perfection and shiny packaging are a glamour concealing enonnous unmarked costs and catastrophic instabilities. Lurking behind the plastic sheen are the collapse of rural communities, bankruptcy of farm families, loss of topsoil (an average 20 tons per ton of grain produced), poisoning of farm-workers, toxic residues in food, air, soil, and water, cruelty to animals, destruction of wildlife habitat, deforestation, and the cultivation of plagues and diseases heretofore unknown. Most of the food we presently eat is seriously denatured (lacking in nutrient value) by chemical destruction of soil life and is funher degraded by transport over long distance. Our diet, combined with poor air and water quality and compounded by the stresses of crowded and hwried lives has led directly to an epidemic of degenerative diseases: heart attack, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, leukemia, AIDS. Worse than all of this, if that is possible, our food now requires from 10 to 50 times the energy to produce and deli vet to the table as it returns to the eater as calories of nourishmenL We couldn't continue this way without a huge subsidy of fossil fuels. We are literally eating oil. And when it runs out as we know it will in 30 to 40 years - we will starve. Of course, long before that eventuality, our agriculture will have collapsed from a host of other problems: the shortage of water, excess UV radiation, susceptibility of our genetically-narrow monocultural staples (com, wheat, rice, and potatoes) to insectS, diseases, climate shifts, war, and revolution disrupting trade. The production offiber and timber is similarly vulnerable and destructive. If the Standard American Diel is insane and bound for collapse, then how should we grow and eat our food? Imagine, if you will, the life of our predecessors in this land. The Cherokee, the Iroquois. and other Eastern forest dwellers cultivated com, beans. and squnsh; hunted deer. turkey, and small game which were abundam in the woods; gathered wild berries, nuts and greens. They caught fish in lhe streams and collected mushrooms from the forest floor. Around their seu.lemcnts they selected and planted fruit trees. berry bushes, and other useful perennials. The world of global IT3de, of oil W:lJ"S and industrial production is a world of artificial surpluses and scarcities, of unjust expropriations and moral decadence. Yet we have a vision of living in Katuah with natural abundance, and a dedication to libeny and 1 SprLng, 1992 Drawing by Rob Messick justice for all. How then can we move from this disturbed and troubled world into one In which all our true needs and wants are met without despoiling the earth and robbing from our grandchildren and our neighbors in other countries? aim of producing the greatest sum of yields in the least practical area for the murunl benefil of all creatures. He was certain thal small areas dedicated to human needs could provide net surpluses of food, fibre, and energy while augmenting both genetic diversity and We need a new way of thin.Icing and seeing and new tools for problem-solving. And we need to address fundamental human needs: clean air, water, and food in sufficient quantity, shelter appropriate lO climate, satisfying and useful work, meaningful human contact, and immersion in a natural world. This search for a new paradigm in the built environment and our interaction with nature emerged as a response to industrialism and gradually merged into the science of ecology. Frederick Law Olmstead, the great I9th-century American landscape architect. realized that the growth of cities and of industrial work threatened the natural foundation of human sanity. He sought to ameliorate the effects of both by renewing vistas of nature in urban parks and greenways. ln this century, Lewis Mumford extended these considerations of human scale and sanity 10 the choices we make about technology, and Ian McHarg and his associates projected a concept of design based on intrinsic capabilities of landscape. Aui.1rlllian ecologi~t Bill Mollison transformed his own studies of environmental psychology imo a practice of landscape design and coined the term "permaculture" from "~nent agrioonm:." or "pem1anent culture" to describe a proce,;s of assembling artificial ecologies of crop plants and animals to mimic nature with the wildlife and resource conservation. Toe understanding and application of permaculture design over the past fifteen years has taken several main forms: the restoration of degraded landscapes; the creation of naturalized food foreslS as a locus for human habitation; the building and retrofitting of strueturtS to incorporate climatically appropriate energy and water harvesting, and to suppon food production; and the design of economic and communication structures appropriate to local production and trading. The work may be found on American homesteads, in European municipalities, and among African villages. New towns have been created in Australia. and long-term economic decline reversed in regions of Nepal and India using pennaculrure principles. Pcrmaculrurc draws 1tS models from patterns in nature and embraces many integrative disciplines: agricultural ecology, urban planning. landscape architecture. decent:ralist economics. and shamanism. among other.. Key insights which apply to all living )ystems include the following principles: I) Design by Relative Location place all elements {house. pond, road, plants) so as to maximize beneficial relationships and minimize antagonisms. 2) Select clemcntS to perform \lultiple Funclions. (contmual on nc,1 page) Xotuah JounlO! page 9 t �!' ) (001Uinuod &om pegc 9) 3) Suppon every important function with Multiple Elements. 4) Efficient energy planning through analysis by zones of access and Sectors of outSidc influence. 5) Use Biological Resources favor perennials. 6) Recycle Energy on site. 7) Use and accelerate Natural Succession to establish favorable sites and soils. Integrate animals, plants, humans, and StruCt\Jl'CS. 8) Polyculture & Diversity of beneficial species to promote productive, stable, interactive systems. 9) Pay attention to Edges & Natural Patterns. Pcnnaculture rcstS on an ethical foundation of care for the earth, including all living and non-living things; of care/or people, so that all people everywhere may have their basic needs met; and the contribution of surplus time, money, and energy to achieve the aims of earth and people care. Permaculture also has a Life ethic, valui.ng life and all ilS multiplicity for its own sake. Cooperation, not competition is the key. How then might a permanent culture take shape in Katuah? We can begin at our doomeps by cultivating a diet appropriate to our region - one based on the planlS and animals which grow here naturally and which have acclimated following introduction - and extend that process into gardening and fanning those same species regeneratively. We can learn to eat seasonally even as we take advantage of other cultural IJ'ad.itions to Xatuah Journot pQ(J& l 0 enrich our diet. Anyone can fimd space for a few leafy greens and herbs, vegetables which pound-for-pound afford more nutrition than any other food category. Grown within a few steps of the back door in mulched soils, they will survive almost year round if given a bit of care against summer drought and winter frost. Even apartment dwellers in the city can grow in containers on a balcony or in a windowbox. Cold frames against a south wall, a small greenhouse, or even movable cloches can supply a steady stream of salad which didn't have to cross the Continental Divide to grace our table. The familiar European and Medilerranean vegetables: lettuce, celery, carrot, onions, broccoli, and many others, are adapted to cold climates and may with protection, overwinter in the ground. Root crops and brassicas (cabbage, kale...) are especially well-suited to this method. These same vegetables don't grow best in our summer heat, but that is the season when the tropical American and Indian plants - tomato, corn, beans, squash, melons, eggplant, peppers, and okra flourish. We arc blessed throughout Katuah with generous forests whose dominant members include excellent nut trees: walnut, chestnut, oak, hickory, and pecan. We should recognize these allies for the food resources which they offer. Let us plant them in our yards and parks; conserve and catalog elite trees where they Stand; and take care in harvesting to leave the best, tallest, straightest, healthiest, most vigorous, and most fecund trees for seed, and tnk:ing only the lesser examples for timber and fuel wood. Fruit trees too should be planted in every yard, along roadways, in parks, and in neglected spaces in lhe cities. Besides the traditional apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, and apricot, many areas arc suited to ugs. We have the native pawpaw, the maypop vine, and the persimmon which holds itS fruit on the tree well into winter. And the mulberry, which is one of the earliest fruits in spring, is hardy, easy-to-grow. and prolific. Members of the Eleagnus family - autumn olive and itS cousins, provide not only a shower of tasty fruit, but improve soils by fixing nitrogen at their roots, as docs the juncberry/serviceberry/saskatoon tribe (Amtlanchiet spp. ). ~~ By inrerpianting and stacking vertical layers into the garden, we can achieve greater total yields than is possible with single crops. Our naturally forested region provides the model for a productive food forest with crops grown at the canopy, mid-level, understory, shrub, herb, and root layers, and on vines running throughouL These food forests prpvide abundant wildlife habitat and make excellent forage systems both for humans and for domestic poultry, sheep, and pigs where access can be controlled. In very small spaces, even in the city, bees, rabbitS, and pigeons can be tended co augment food production and household income. Even more important than the establishment of food forests everywhere is the organizing of food markelS. We need to connect capable growers throughout the region with networks of town and city consumers to support the development of healthy fanns and to increase urban-rural exchanges. These community-supponcd farms stand a much better chance of implementing the diverse cropping strategics needed for ecological restoration than isolated fanners trying to outwit the commodity traders. Subscription farming is a way to create new jobs in agriculture and offer alternatives to existing farmers. Strengthening the farm economy; marketing food locally; and cultivating our natural suengths in uee crops, fisheries, berry and bulb production, can provide the basis for many new, locally manufactured hand tools, farm implements, craft- and housewares. These burgeoning local economies need methods to augment local trading, and to retain and recycle wealth wilhm the community. Local currency and baner systems work well. The L.E.T.S., or Local Employment & Trading System, is one such example. (Further infonnacion from the Institute for Community Economics, Somerville, MA.). If we ask again about sustainable agriculture and pennanent culture, "What is to be done?", the answer becomes clearer. 1) Eat what you grow and what is available locally and in season. 2) Grow things that you like that arc adapted to the area, and which do not travel well. 3) Plant and tend food forests everywhere people live, especially in cities, using public as well as private space. 4) Conserve genetic diversity and excellence by nurturing elite specimens and by exchanging heirloom seed and scionwood. 5) Trade sw-pluses locally. You needn't grow everything, or even anything, if you're a good plumber, teacher, baker, or candlestick maker. 6) Organize food production to suppon responsible growers. 7) Make direct market links wherever possible. Know ~here your food come~ from and where u goes. ,,P' Peter Bane publishu The Pcnnaculturc Activist. a fUJlional quarttrly journalfor North A=rico Born in Illinois, M now lives with his family in Middle TtnnLSst.t w~re Mis putting his itkas inJo practice. For m«e information please contact him at Route I, Bo:i 38; Primm Springs TN 38476 · Drawing by Dawn Shiner Sprt119, t 992 �I, Silas McDowell's Vision Of Mountain Agriculture by Perry Eury "Amongsr rhe valleys of the somhern Alleg/UJllit!$ somerimes winter is succeeded by wann wearlzer, which, cominuing through the months of March and April, brings out vegetarian rapidly, and clothes theforests in an early verdure. This pleasant spring wearher is renninated by a few days rain, and the clearing up is followed by cold, raking winds from the ,wrrhwest, leaving rhe atmosphere of a pure indigo tint, though which wink bright stars, bur ,ftlte wind subsides at nig/11, the succeeding nwrning shQws a heavy hoar frost,· vegetation is unerly killed, including all manner offruit germs, and the la11dscape clothed in verdure the day before ,ww looks dark and dreary." - Silas McDowell On the morning of April 28, 1858, Silas McDowell encountered this bleak scene when he went out to inspect his fann. The Macon Coumy fruit grower hnd spent almost thirty years establishing his orchard of 600 apple LreCS near the banks of the Cullasaja River. However, this late spring freeze "made nearly a clean sweep from mountain valleys in Western North Carolina of lhe richest promise of a fruit crop that we have ever had." For anyone else, the incident would have been a crushing disappointment. For McDowell, it was another opportunity to examine nature's mysteries and to find a bener way of fanning in the mountains McDowell had deliberately selected a shehered valley for his orchard. Only a settler too poor to buy bouom land would have tried to grow fruit hiJh on the mountainsides. And yet, on this Apnl morning, McDowell realized his mistake. While his own aces "seemed as if clothed in a black pall," he observed on the mountains looming over his orchard a broad horizontal band of vegetation left unscathed by the freeze. Around 1780, Thomas Jefferson had witnessed similar temperature inversions in the Shenandoah Mountains of Vtrginia. He reported, "I have known frosts so severe to kill the hiccory trees round Monticello, and yet not injure the tender fruit blossoms then at bloom oo the t. p and higher parts of the o mountain." Silas McDowell understood that this was more than a quirk of topography and climate. He suspected that thermal belts could be the secret to successful fruit production in mountainous areas. By the summer of 1858 he wrote that "all description of fruit trees which have the good fortune to be located in this vernal region, are now bending beneath a heavy crop of fruit." He began to promote the value of this zone for fruit growers and contributed a repon to the United States Agricu/cural Reports Jor 1861. In his articles on the "belt of no frost" McDowell explained, "The beautiful phenomena of the 'Verdant Zone' or Thennal Belt' exhibits itself upon our mountainsides, commencing about three hundred feet vertical height above the valleys, SprLng, 1992 and traversing them in a perfectly horiz.ontal line throughout their entire length like a vast green ribbon upon a black ground." Born in South Carolina in 1795, McDowell moved to Asheville in his youth for training as a tailor. He practiced his trade in Charleston and Morganton before settling in Macon County's Cullasaja Valley, where he gained renown as a fruil grower, amateur Silas McDowt/1 naturalist and story teller. His articles on the mountains were published in popular magazines and caught the auention of leading botanists, who sought his help in finding rare plants of the Southern Appalachians. When a visiting scientist asked which college he had auended, McDowell pointed to the hills surrounding his farm and replied, "These wild mountains are the only college at which my name has ever been entered as a sruden1!" In a tribute to Silas McDowell, T.F. Glenn remembered him as modest and unassuming, and also "intuitive, impulsive and passionate. His companionship with nature was a marked feature to the most trivial objects of beauty and sublimity. By a native force of genius, by dint of fiery energy of will, by persistent application, he sunnounted obstacles." McDowell's tenacious efforts to raise winter keeping apples had earned him a reputation among southern fruit growers even before the thennal belt episode. When McDowell and his bride, Elizabeth, moved to Macon County in 1830 they brought a baby's cradle filled with small apple trees from her grandfather's orchard near Asheville. Being especially fond of winier apples, McDowell chose varieties recommended by northern pomologists. His results were like those of other southern growers. "I made a complete failure," he confessed, "for when my trees began to bear fruit, it matured and fell from the tree long before the proper time, and though they were an excellent collection of Aurumn Apples, there was n0t a good Winter keeper amongst them." For fifteen years, McDowell struggled to raise winter keepers. Then, the editor of a farm paper in Athens, Georgia, suggested that he lake grafts from native seedling apples. McDowell followed James Cannack's advice and searched the hills around his home for fruit stock. His quest was successful. "Amongst old Oterokee seedling Apple trees - as well as other Southern seedlings, I have succeeded in conferring on Southern Pomology a llist of names of Winter Apples, which both as to their highly aromatic taste, as well as late winter keeping qualities, cannot be excelled by as many varieties of Winter Apples in the United States." His catalog of new apples featured the Carmack, Nickajack, Bullasage, Mavereck Winter Sweet, Royal Pearman, Hoover, Golden Pippin, Buff, Kingrussen, and Neverfail. "None but late keepers in the list," McDowell n01ed with delight. ln 1870, William Saunders with the Agriculture Department concluded, 'There is not a doubt about it, the fmest winter apples in America arc grown on th.ese mountain lands." McDowell could take much of the crediL McDowell, always concerned with the region's economy, believed that vineyards established within the thennal belt could be a mainstay of mountain agriculture. 'The Grape," McDowell predicted, "will never fail to yield to the husbandman a rich and abundant crop of its luscious and hean-cheering fruit; and had the vine locomotion, corporal and mental sense, I would bid it to 'Tarry not in all the plains; but flee to the mountains for its life,' and take refuge under the protection of lhe Thermal Stratum!" Much as he had in his quest for winter apples, McDowell explored the mountains to find superior varieties of grapes. He speculated on the potential of hybridizing some of the specimens, "W e cannot well command our risibles when, in fancy, we anticipate the aspect of that monster Grape that will be produced by the hybridal cross betwixt the Hon. A.G. Semmes's eight pound bunches and the Mammoth Grape Prof. C. D. Smith and ourself measured yesterday, the single berries of which gined three and a quaner inches around." Afler the Civil War, McDowell continued to write on agricultural topics, presided over the Fruit Growers Association and pleaded for extension of the Western Nonh Carolina Railroad. He was constantly learning more - from natural phenomena, the culrure of the Oterokees and the latest farm journals. In his judgement, the climate and the terrain of the mountains did not have to be obstacles to successful farming. Instead, the unique character of the mountains could suppon a distinctive form of agriculture. Diversity was one aspect of the mountain agriculture he envisioned. "Dairying, grape culture, bee culture, sheep (continued on page 34) �Mountain People The grey winter sky hovers over the village, threatening to swoop down with nightfall. A woman carries burdensome logs to her cabin and feeds them to the wilting flames in the heanh. She wraps a moth-eaten quilt tightly about her sinewy frame, to shut out the icy strands of December squeezing through chinks in the walls. Her hands are weathered with time like the mountain, the palms grooved like the tire tracks frozen into the eanhen road. These are hands that once held warm lovers, brought orphaned raccoons in from a storm, angry, caring hands that spanked naughty children, and comfoned them when frightened by distant coyotes, and scratched their backs until they found the itch, and opened the tightest jars of jam... The people of the mountain are quiet, one with themselves, one with the mountain, but in the lines on their faces, in their strong hands, in their calm way, they tell how they work and breathe, and brim with life, like the woman rocking before the fire in that small cabin on the hill, her heart a smoldering ember, warm despite the howling wind outside, whipping through the firs on the mountainside. - Allison C. Swherland Quintessence Never have I seen the sun like one winter's afternoon late last February. The wannth was drenched into those hills of the Blue Ridge, into the stalks of yellow and orange, rolling back finally to the dark mountains, and the still darker clouds. We ourselves were engulfed in shadow, steadily approaching that sunlit stretch of road before us, that splash of quin1essen1 light. A gentle warmth touched !he back of my neck. and I turned, 10 see but a sliver of silvery white light at the horizon, light which eked out from under the stormy tumul t of blue-black clouds. And soon we were immersed in it, bathed in Ught, the light of spring, or almost summer. It glinted through the strands of hair in my eyes, and I squinted to keep looking. So I closed my eyes and breathed, and let it seep into my veins, and warm my forehead and my cheeks and my shoulders. And suddenly it was gone. We were in darkness. among the mountains, and then just shadow. We meandered through those hills of greenblack forests like a mountain brook in early evening, now and again coming upon a splash of sunwashed hills, searching for that light, until the sun went down. - Allison C. Swherland J(Qtu.!Jh Journal p09e 12 Drawings by Mictu,,,I Thompson Spri-119, 1992 �NATIVE FOODS I was brought up in the remote reaches of the Cherokee Indian Reservation. My family were "a-aditionals." That means that they stuek to the old ways of the lncJjan people, believing them 10 be the beSL We did some things in exactly the same way they were done by our people before contact with the white man. As a boy, I used to go into the woods and hunt squirrels with a blowgun, for instance. In other ways, our life, while not exactly similar 10 the ways of the anc~stors, echoed the manner in which they lived and gave a clue to how it was done before. In the earliest times, our people lived off the land. They hunted their meat and gathered plant foods in the foresL Later, agriculture became their base, that's when their culture really blossomed, because they spent Jess time in gathering food. Agriculture was a stable way of surviving, but they also hunted and foraged food from the wild. A srnple food in times past was chestnut bread. This represented the Cherokee's mixed food supply: com from the fields and chestnuts from the wild. An abundance of both. And if one source failed, they could fall back on the other to carry them through. I heard that a professor said that a.bout the time the white man came here the Cherokees were spending about three days a week for survival. Most of my life in modern society l couldn't make a living working seven days. In my life. I've spent a lot of time in the woods, and l lcamed that the secret of survival in the forest is to puc no limits on what you eaL Like a bear, see everything as a potential meal. Everything! Game and fish, of course, but also crawdads, frogs. bugs, worms, grubs in the logs. Hornet larva popped on a hot rock are very good. It used to be a kid's job to sit under a holly tree with a blowgun stuck up between the branches to shoot at the cardinals. robins, or any other little songbirds that came. People say. "How did you pluck them?" but we never plucked them. We just threw them into the fire and rolled them around until the feathers had all been singed off. We treated all the little birds and small animals like that. We never skinned a squirrel. I remember one time I was out, and I ate tent caterpillars that were feeding on a wild cherry tree. I roasted them. The fire singed the hair off - most of it. They swelled up into little puffy morsels. They did have a queer taSte, but I was hungry and I ate all of them I could find. But we did not have 10 eat insects except in famine and songbirds were more hunting trophies for the young. Larger game was plentiful. In the older rimes the people ate woods bison, deer. birds like passenger pigeon and grouse, and groundhogs. Drawing by James Rhea But they would not eat possums. The Cherokees thought the possum was the lowliest creature on the Eanh. When DeSoto came th.rough, one of his company. a man called The Gentleman of Elvas, wrote that when they SlOpped at the village that was near the present ciry of Asheville, they demanded food for their travel-s from the natives. He recorded that they were given "several hundred dead dogs without any hair on their tails." He did not realize how the Cherokees despised the possum as a food sourt:c and what a political sutement this was. Plant food was plentiful as well. The people would gather berries in the summenime, chestnuts in the fall. When the che~tnut trees were alive. there was a large chesmut harvest every year • bushels and bushels of chestnuts. Properly dried and stored, they would last all winter. The people also ate chinkapins. Chinkapins are related to chestnuts. The by Bear W ith Runs tree looks very similar 10 a chestnut tree. The nuts were a little bit smaller than chestnuts - somewhat larger than a beech nut. Acorns were imponanl, too. They leached them in water to get out the tannic acid and then ground them into flour or roasted them in the fire. They probably preferred the white oak acorns, because those have !he least tannie acid. My grandmother used 10 make little cakes out of white oak acorn nour, com meal, and honey. She would also add persimmons, if we had them. Those cakes were good! They were a heavy food • a little bit went a long way In the old limes. the people would eat a lot of ,mnas, the wild potatoes that grow :llong the creeks. And in the spring. ramps and wild greens, like branch lettuce, s/10-1011 (or so-chan, green conenower • ed.). Indian cucumber, and nettles, arc (cxmlinucd on nnt page) :KAtuan Journot ~ 13 �(continued rrom page 13) plentiful. Mushrooms are good, if you know what you are looking for, but they aren't very filling. It's interesting. One person can forage really well alone, while foraging for two people is difficulL But with three people it becomes easier, because two can forage and the other one can prepare the food. When the Cherokees smned planting, they added some new foods to their dieL Com, of course, was a staple, beans, and "punkins," as they called them in my family, meaning any lcind of squash. We ate green com as "roastin' ears," dried corn was ground into flour and eaten as cornbread. Everybody grew their own corn, and everybody thought their own was better than everybody else's. The com we would keep in a com crib. We put the beans in sacks and hung them up in the barn or under the dogtrot (roofed, but open air passageway between two separate sections of a building - ed.) at the house. The early people built very neat, efficient com cribs. They were raised off the ground on poles, bad a tight thatched roof, and walls made of panels woven of bark or wood splits that were daubed with clay or mud to keep varmints out. The com was stored in there on the cob. Mother trimmed the com husks and packed them to save for cooking chestnut bread, bean bread, or com dumplings. The traditional way was to wrap them in com husks and boil them. When the corn shucks ran out, Mother would wrap them in green oak leaves. That would tum the com blue. Mother ground com a litlle bit at a time as she needed it. She never ground very much because weevils would get in into ground meal very quickly. Back long ago, before they had ovens to bake in, they made mealcakes that were either boiled or roasted. We used to do !hat when l was young. We would call !hem hoecakes. We always carried com meal when we were traveling. To prepare the cakes, we would mix the meal with boiling water to "kill the com." Killing the com causes the dough to stick together. Then we would flatten them out, lay them on a flat rock, and let them roast as brown as lhey could be. In the old days, lhc warriors would carry parched com in a long bag by their side when they were on the trail. They parched shelled com by throwing it into a hot fire and leaving it until it got brown (or more likely black), and then grinding it into powder. On the trail, they would trot from dayUght to dark, heading for Iroquois country. When they saw a stream up ahead, they would pour some of the powder into their hand while they were running. As they crossed over the stn:am, they would bend down while they were still moving and grab a handful of water and keep trotting. That was the only food that they would take alo11g their route. Beans were important to us, too. The elderi; told me that the originnl bean was red and white, and it came from the south. Xatuah J~rnoL pf.UJC 14 Pinto beans were my family's favorite, and we must have raised one-half acre of pinto beans every year. A visitor could come into our house any day of the week and find a pot of pinto beans on the stove and bread in the warmer on top of th~ stove - cornbread, and later when l was growing up there were occasionally flour biscuits, but lhat was not often. We had meals only once or twice a day, but we ate whenever we got hungry. That was the way I was raised. If 1 got hungry in the middle of the day, l'd just run in, take a bowl of beans, grab some bread, and eat up. When people found that domesticating livestock was easier lhan hunting, they began raising animals as well as growing crops. My grandfather said that the turkey was the first animal to be domesticated, and it domesdcated itSClf. When the Cherokees began raising com, they would build litllc racks in the cornfield and assign the kids to keep watch to scare off the crows and wildlife. The turkeys loved the com so much they just wouldn't scare, so the people just penned up the turkeys and fed them com in the pen to keep !hem out of lhe fields. The Cherokees ate turkey, but !hey so prized the turkeys' feathers for making ornaments and beautiful capes, lhat my grandfather said, "We used to care more about 'em for their feathers than for the meaL" Because we ate what was provided locally, lhe diet of the Cherokee fndians changed with the seasons of the year. In the green com season, when the first com turned ripe enough tO eat, besides the roasting cars we would cat squash and other vegetables, fish, and chicken. But we never ate game in the summenime, because we were afraid of a parasite we called "weevils" or "foxes." (insect larvae, also called "warbles" by white people - ed.) This was a big wonn that got into squirrels, rabbits. and deer. You could often see two or three of them sticking out of an animal in the late summer and early fall. IL was large and black, pointed on one end. It would bore into the skin and live off the moisture and the blood of the animal. We never ate game at all until the worms were killed by the first frost. There were taboos about killing animals until after the weevils were gone. But we ate chickens. And we caught fish all summer long. The old way to catch trout was with trout baskets. They built up weirs in the stream made out of rocks. They piled up rocks forcing the fish into a narrow channel that flowed into the trout basket. As kids, we used to build weirs in Lhe stream, too. We also ate frogs and any turlles we came upon during the summer season - if we came across a mud turtle, that was just a didn't have any lard on them at all. But they tasted really good. We fed them some garbage 10 keep them around, and they ate bugs and snakes, but we would kill them right after the acorn crop was down, and that's when they would be their nicest. Hogs raised on acorns and com taste totally different than the meat you buy today. Fall was the fat time for everything that lived in the forest - including the Indians. Father smoked meat, and Mother would can trout and other kinds of meat in jars. She would boil them outside in a big washtub that would hold 30 or 40 cans. We ate a lot of meat in the fall and early winter, and then we ate dried food until the spring. ln the old days people would put dried food in clay pots and carry them up 10 the asi, their dugout winter shelter. The food would store there until the wintertime when the people arrived and would live in the asi surrounded by their food supply. My Mother would dry berries, persimmons, squash, any kinds of food we could get. We had a tray about lhe size of a screen door made of honeysuckle vines woven into a mat. h was hung it over the wood stove. We would lower it, she would lay out all the slices, and then we would help her pull it back up. When it wasn't in use. we just pulled it up against the ceiling. It always stayed over the wood stove. I like to think that is how they did it in the old times: hung a mat over lhe central fire in the house under the smoke hole. We had chestnuts, and we had com, so no one really went hungry. The diet may not have been nutritionally stable all year, but we had enough. The hardest time of year was late February and early spring. By then we were craving greens. Tobacco helped with the hunger. Tobacco depresses the appetite. But we were doggin' for vegetables. In the meantime we drank teas: sassafras tea, birch tea, pine needle tea, which had a lot of vitamin C, and spicebush tea. My mother used to make cough medicine for me, anyway l think it was for me, but Grandpa would drink a lot of it. She'd catch him at it, and he'd go "Hunh. hunh, hunh (like he was coughing)." It was wild cherry bark and pine need.Jes. They were boiled down and after all the needles and bark were taken out of it. she added honey until it was really !hick, and then she cooked it down some more. It was nice. It was really nice. It was good and sweet. Then, a little later in the spring, the sho-tan came in. Everyone would have a lot of that. get the shits, and clean out their bodies. My grandmother would also make us a tonic from a gray lichen called "turkey's tail." Later the ramps would be ready, the growing things would be getting green, and everything would balance out / again. treat. We were meat eaters in the fall, for sure. We never did have any cows. 1 didn't eat beef until l was 2 l or 22 years old. But we did have some old skinny hogs. They were as lean as they could be. l remember my father complaining about how lhey In spilt ofth.t: droll nomt he has odopttd/or this articlt, Btc.r With Runs IJ a full-blooded Chtroku Indian. lit livl.S in quiet anonJmity ofl tht Cherolctt India/I Rt.str.•ation Drawing by Pcgi Sprl..™3, 1992 �COVER CROPS On-farm, Solar-powered Soil Building by Mark Schon beck During my four years as an agricultural researcher at the New Alchemy Institute, I chose to focus on cover crops because they perform so many different functions on the farm, utilizing primarily solar energy. The only off-farm input is the seed - a few pounds to one hundred pounds per acre, from which thousands of pounds of organic matter arc accumulated through photosynthesis. In contraSt, most soil amendments entail imponing hundredweights or tons of materials for each acre. A cover crop is a crop grown not for harvest. but to protect, maintain or enrich the soil A green mallW'e is any crop (but usually a cover crop and/or natural weed growth) which is tilled into the soil to add organic matter and feed the soil biota. Cover crops and green manures protect soil against wind and water erosion, suppress weeds, provide habitat for beneficial insecis, add organic maucr, add nitrogen (legumes only), and make other nuoients more available to the next crop. Most cover crops can also be grown for grain (e.g., rye, buckwheat) and/or livestock forage (e.J/ ., clover, annual ryegrass, alfalfa). Cover cropping is a cornerstone of sustainable agricultural systems in most bioregions, and this is cenainly true for Kawah. Why do I make this claim? I'll Stan with a brief digression into soil ecology... In both natural and agricultural ecosystems, plant growth depends on the organic matter cycle in the soil. Soil organisms continually break down soil humus, thereby releasing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients for plant roots to absorb. The carbon from the organic matter appears in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Plants convert carbon dioxide b:ick into organic compounds in photosynthesis. In natural ecosystems, leaves, other plant residues and animal dung thar fall to the ground feed earthworms and other soil organisms. These creatures change the residues into humus, thus replenishing organic matter reserves. Most of the nucrients can cycle back and forth between soil and plant almost indefinitely, except when intense rains wash some of them away. Nitrogen is more volatile, and some of ii inevitably slips away into the atmosphere or groundwater. Fortunately, there arc numerous species ofbac1eria and blue-green algae in the soil that can fix (convert) atmoSpheriC nitrogen back into forms that plants and soil organisms can use. The most effective nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the rhizobia, form a symbiosis with the roots of leguminous plants such as clovers, beans and black locust trees. Sprl.fflJ, 1992 Agriculture disrupts this nutrient/organic matter cycle in three ways. First, clearing the natural vegetation exposes the soil surface to sun, wind and rain. Because humus is a lightweight and finely-divided material, a disproportionate amount of humus is lost when soil erodes. Extreme temperature and moisture fluctuations at the soil surface can also bum up the humus and deter biological activity, leaving a son of "dead zone" in the top inch or so. Second, tillage accelerates the r(lle at which soil organic manerdecomposes. This happens because soil disturbance brings additional oxygen into the topsoil, thus speeding bacterial action. Initially, the resulting burst of nucrient release promotes heavy crop yields, but the soil wears out unless the organic mauer is replenished from other sources. Third, harvest removes nuoients, and these must be replaced regularly. Because synthetic chemical fertilizers do not feed the soil life and tend to upset the soil's balance, biological farmers use organic and natural mineral fcnilizers, such as compost, leaf mold and ground limestone. Organic fanning often entails adding large amounts of organic amendments to the soil. lf these materials are brought in from off-fann sources, this is not sustainable farming, as this removes materials from the organic matter cycle on someone else's land. Also, iransporting bulky amendments from their point of origin 10 the farm consumes a lot of fossil fuel. Composting manure and crop residues produced on the farm is more ecologically sustainable, but may be quite labor·intensive. Often, the amount of residues produced on the farm docs not meet all the land's organic matter needs. Cover crops use sunlight to produce organic matter in place, and, in the case of legumes, to fix nitrogen. In contrast, manufacture of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer uses a tremendous amount of fossil fuel. Once a cover crop is established, its l"OO(S bind the soil together, significantly reducing erosion even before the foliage fully covers the ground. As the cover crop canopy closes, it effectively stops erosion. Cover crops such as buckwheat suppress weeds by growing rapidly and casting dense shade, whereas winter rye, oats and sudan grass release natural substances that suppress weed seedlings (this phenomenon is called allelopathy). Legume cover crops often add 50 to 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre in a single season, thus replacing the nitr0gen harvested in most vegetable and grain crops. Buckwheat, lupines and sweet clover have roots that can absorb relatively insoluble fonns of phosphorus that other crops cannot access. When the cover crop is tilled in, the phosphorus is released to the next crop. Some cover crops and deep-rooted weeds can extract potassium, calcium, or ccnain micronurrients from the subsoil or from insoluble minerals. A mixed gra:.s/legume cover crop (e.g., clover/timothy, or winter rye/hairy vetch) can produce three to four tons of dry organic matter per acre in a year, and the proportion of nitrogen to carbon in such a mixture is often ideal for humus formation. A three ton cover crop provides about as much organic matter and nitrogen as a 10 to 15 ton manure application, and the cover crop does not need 10 be hauled into the field, but simply mowed or tilled in. The biggest challenge in using cover crops is allowing them enough time to reach a good size without sacrificing a whole season of vegetable or grain production. The simplest approach is to plant the cover crop immediately after harvest, but this is often in fall, leaving the cover crop little time before winter. One altenullive is overseeding, or planting the cover crop while the production crop is still growing. In moist, fine•texturcd soils, small-seeded cover crops like clover, alfalfa and ryegrass can be broadcast on the soil surface between rows of com. squash, 1oma1oes. broccoli or other widely-spaced crops. Jn coarser soils or drier conditions. the se.ed can be incorporated by light hoeing or cultivation. The cover crop grows slowly beneath the esmblished vegetable. then spuns ahead after the lauer is harvested and cleared. Another method is to plant a slowstaning cover crop such a.\ clover~ the same time as a grain is planted. After gram harvest, the clover is grown until the following spring, then tilled in. Clover plus grain (ciontinucd an p1gc 16) Ora..,ing by Rob Musick �stubble give excellent wintertime erosion conuol, and provide a lot of organic matter with a good c:irbon-nitrogen balance. When a green manure is ,tilled into the soil, a burst of biological activity occurs which can be detrimental to crop seedlings for a shon rime. Thus it is a good idea 10 wait two or three weeks after turning the crop under before direct-seeding vegetables, especially small seeds like lettuce and carrots. An alternative method is to mow the aboveground pan of the cover crop, and gather the clippings to mulch another bed or build a compost heap. 11 is much easier to spade or plow up the crop stubble withou1 all that shoot biomass there, and the waiting period needed before direct-seeding should also be shoncr. Some cover crops can be killed by mowing at the nght ume. Their clippings can be left in place and vigorous crop seedlings (e.g., cabbage, 1oma10) lnlnSplanted through the mulch without tillage. Success with this varies because the mulch cools the soil and can aurac1 slugs. Clearing an eight to twelve inch diameter area around each seedling reduces these problems. Different cover crops arc suited to different purposes. A few specific examples follow. The first six are non-legumes and do not add nitrogen, the rest are legumes that can fix niuogen. Winter rye is very hardy, overwintering as far north as zone 3a (annual minimum -35 10 -40 degrees F). In the Katt.iah bioregion, rye planted by early October will protect the soil and suppress weeds effectively. Rye planted in early November will do well and produce lots of organic matter in spring, but there is a risk of winter erosion, as the cover will be thin. Rye is useful for talcing up and conserving any soluble soil nitrogen left over from the growing season. The crop can be difficult to manage in the spring because it rapidly gets very tall and tough. When grown alone, it can also ccmporarily 1ie up soil nitrogen and release allelopathic substances that can inhibit growth of the nex1 crop. If ii gets away from you, mow-kill the rye after the heads have emerged and begun shedding pollen. Or let the rye go to maturity and reap some nice grain and/or seeds for next year's cover crop. Seeding rate is 90-150 lb/acre (note: one pound per 1,000 square feet equals about 44 lb/acre). using the higher rates for later plantings. Win~r wheOJ can be used similarly 10 rye, though it is a little less hardy, somewhat shorccr and later to mature. It may also be easier to manage in the spring. Sow 90-120 lb/acre. OOJS, another small grain, is much less frost-hardy, and is generally killed the first time the temperature drops to 15 or 20 degrees F.. Oats can be planted in early spring and mowed or turned under in early summer. They can also be planted in August or early September and allowed to grow until killed by hard freezes. This leaves a thick protective mulch that is easier 10 manage in spring than a live rye crop. though the ~um of organic matter will be less. Sow 90-120 lb/acre.. Annual ryegrass is marginally winter-hardy in zone 6b (annual minimum -5 to 0 degrees F), and can either be planted in early spring or in August-early September. Ryegrass fonns an unusually dense root sysiem that gives excellent erosion protcccion, fosters good soil strUcture and "mops-up" leftover soil nutrients so they don't wash away. Unlike the three preceding crops, ryegrass ca11not be mow-killed, and must be spaded or tilled in. Rye and rycgrass are often confused, bu1 they arc easy 10 tell apart. Rye has the edible, wheat-berry sized seeds, while ryegrass has fme, fluffy seeds that look a lot like lawn grass seed. Sow 20-50 lb/acre. Sudan grass is a fast-growing, fros1-sensitive summer annual that can produce a tremendous nmount of biomass. le requires warm, fertile soil, and is well suited to planting after harvest of early spring vegetables like lettuce or peas. It suppresses weeds through both competition and allelopathy, and can be cut twice for mulch (prized by strawberry growers), compost mmerial or fodder (cawion: let it grow a1 least 24 inches tall, preferably more, before feeding to livestock, as young sudan grass contains toxic amounts of cyanide). The stubble may be subl.tantial enough 10 hold the soil over winter and add a li1tle organic matter when turned under in spring. Sow 20-50 lb/acre. Buckwheat is a mos1 useful green manure for shon fallow periods in vegetable culture. It can be planted any time after the las1 frost, up to the middle of August. Buckwheat emerges and shades the ground rapidly, choking out weeds. It reaches 2 to 4 feet and begins 10 flower about 30 days after planting, and should be mowed or turned under at most 45 days after planting 10 prevent self-seeding. Two or three successive plantings of buckwheat, followed by winter rye, with each crop tilled under, reduces populations of stubborn perennial weeds like quackgrass. Buckwheat is also excellent bee forage, and is good for mobilizing the phosphorus in a rock phosphate applica1ion. Sow 50-100 lb/acre. Clovers are small-seeded legumes that Stan slowly, but can fix 50 to 100 pounds of nitrogen if allowed to grow a full year. White clover is a low-growing (4-18 inches, depending on variety), long-lived perennial, and is suited to "living mulch" applications (be sure you don't confuse it with white sweetclover which can reach five to 10/eet). Red clover is taller (18-30 inches), faster-growing, shorter lived and very shade tolerant. ll is we11 suited to overseeding into established vegetables in August if moisture is adequate. Alsike clover is intennediate between white and red clovers, and is more tolerant of clayey, wet or acid soils. Unlike the 01hers, crimson clover is an annual, which can be planted in August or early September and wi11 overwinter in the milder pans of Kaniah (it's risky here in zone 6b). h can also be planted in early spring. ln addition to fixing nitrogen and producing 3 t0ns/acre of organic matter, crimson clover has spectacular deep red blooms. Sow clovers in early spring or late summer, 4-8 lb/acre for white clover, 8-15 lb/acre for red or alsike, and I5-25 lb/acre for crimson. Clover seedlings don't like ho1 sun, so it helps to plant oats at 35-50 lb/acre with the clover to provide light shade, then mow the oats at heading. Crimson clover can be mow-killed just after 0owering, while the other clovers cannot. Hairy vetch is a legume which has recently enjoyed a resurgence of interest. h is a winter annual vine with small purple flowers and can fix 100 to 250 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Vetch is hardy to zone Sa (annual minimum -15 to -20 degrees), although frost-heaving can be a problem if harsh freezes alternate wilh !haws. It can be planted in September, either alone or with rye, wheat or oats, at 20-30 pounds of vetch plus 50 pounds of grain per acre. Vetch/rye is an excellent combination because the rye is strong enough tO support the vetch vines in spring, 1he rye roots help prevent frost heaving, and the combination is more effective than either crop alone in stopping erosion, suppressing weeds and building humus. Also, vetch can be mow-kilJed once it has begun to flower, which happens about the same rime that rye sheds pollen. Other vetches include bigflower vetch (hardy in most of Katt.iah), common vetch and purple vetch, both of which are winterlcilled at 10 to 20 degrees F. Their residues release nitr0gen in the spring, thus these vetches may be valuable planted in August ahead of the next year's early spring greens. Sweet clovers are biennial legumes with very deep taproots that open the soil and bring up nutrients. White sweetclover likes rich, moist, somewhat clayey soil, and gets very large in the second season, while ye11ow sweetclover tolerates droughty, sandy soils and is somewhat smaller, about 4 LO 6 feet tall. Hubam sweetclover is an annual white variety that produces lots of organic maner in a short time, but may self-seed and become a nuisance weed. Sow sweetclovers in April or August at 12-18 lblacre. alone or wilh 35-50 lb oats/acre. Alfalfa, the "queen of forages" can also make a heavy nitr0gen-fixing cover crop and provide a highly nutritive mulch. Alfalfa is somewhat finicky, requiring deep, rich, nonacid soils high in phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Under good conditions, it is a long-lived percMial lhot can be cut for several years for mulch, compost or forage. Sow a1 15-20 lb/acre, pn:fembly with oats at 35-50 lb/acre and/or timothy or other perennial forage gross at half its normal seeding rate. Mark Schon/Jeck Ph.D.•formuly a rcscarckr with Ntw t\lchtmy. is now inll()/vtd with tht fnstitutt for Sustainable Living. Wind.n..-ept Farm; Rt. I, Box 35: Chtck, VA 24072 which products {JII uctlltnt ncwsltlltr, TcJtinh. Sprlll<J, 1992 �Plant for Tomorrow: HEMP by John Ingress "Whal is c/wJ uncercainflush low on the ground, tlwt irresistible rush of mulci111di,w1LS green ? Aformigl,t later, and the field is brown no longer. Overflowing ir, burying it out ofsight, is the shallow tidal sea of the hemp, ever rippling. With that in view, all ocher shades in namre seem dead and coUIII for nothing. Far reflected, conspicuous, brilliant, strange; masses of living emerald, saturated wirlt blazing sunlight." •from The Reign of Law; A Talc or lhc Kentucky Hemp Fields by l=s Allen Lane (1900) Although the Earth has always had "environmentalists" - people and entire cultures who respect the forces of Nature and who try 10 learn from and work wirll those forces - our industrial/scientific society is coming 1ownrds environmentalism from the opposite pole: by discovering how pollution has disrupted the web of life. The thread that binds these issues is 1he non-sustainable nature of our dependence on fossil fuels (and u-ees, because forest habitats cannot be replenished a1 the rate at which treeS rue being cut). To dismiss hemp as a possible solution because ii is of the genus Camwbis with "marijuana" ( a pejorative misnomer) is akin to dismissing Galileo because "the world is flat." For the moment, let's consider only those varieties of cannabis referred to as "headache weed," containing little psychoactive THC. Hemp is one of humanity's oldest cultivated crops. The weaving of hemp fiber as an industry began 10,000 years ago (see Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Cloches, 1990). By the 27th century BC. the Chinese cultivated hemp for fiber, medicine, and herbal use. Since that time, cannabis has been continuously incorporated into virtually all the cultures of the Middle East, Asia Minor, India, China, Japan, Europe, and Africa, and its uses for oil, food, and relaxation were developed. The first laws governing hemp in 1he Americas were those requiring colonial Virginia fanners to grow hemp. Violators could be imprisoned. Washington grew i1, Jefferson smuggled Chinese seed at great peril; the first drafts of the US Constitution were written on hemp paper. The Census of 1850 counted 8,327 hemp plantations of 2000 acres or more, mostly in the South. In 1916, USDA Bulletin No. 404 reponed that one acre of cannabis hemp, in annual rotation over a 20 year period, \\0Uld produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees, requiring no polluting chemicals. The hemp pulp technology wa~ invented by USDA scientists in 1916, but awaited the mvcntion of dcconica1ing and harvesting machinery. These arrived in the mid-10-la1e 1930's. at the same time as the DuPont Company was patenting processes 10 make plastics from oil and coal, as well as new Spn119, 1992 sulfate/sulfite processes to make paper from wood pulp. Coincidentally - some say conspiratorially - the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively outlawed the entire cannabis plant family on the basis of it's "reefer madness" properties. No1 only DuPont profits, but those of large timber holdings, were wriuen into law. (William Randolph Hearst, whose "yellow journalism" was instrumental in the marijuana scare, owne-0 hundreds of thousands of acres of timber, destined for newsprint). A working definition of sustainable agriculture might be those practices that assure the means of survival - food. fuel, fiber, and medicine. The mining and use of fossil fuels. unless absolutely necessary. is only "economical" in 1cnns of shon cerm profits. As Buckminis1er Fuller poinis ou1 in 1he book Critical Patl1, it took millions or years of pho1osyn1hesis, decay, and accumulation of organic material 10 produce the oil and coal we use today. By determining replacement values. he calculates gasoline to be wonh $2.'i million dollars per gallon! One might say it's priceless. Or. since burning it is killing the planet. one could say it has negative value when removed from the ground for applications for which a renewable, sustainable resource, such :is hemp. is available. The cannabis hemp seed is a complete source of vegetable protein, :ind the USDA food comparisons found hempsecd lower in saturated fats than any other cooking oil. including soy and cnnola.The byproduct of pressing hemp seed for its oil is a high protein seed cake. Hemp fiber makes fabrics that are stronger. more insulating, more absorbent, and tonger lasting than cotton. More than half the textiles we use today are imponed, due to environmental concerns and labor costs. Hemp requires little fertilizer, and no pesticides. Local industry could revive. Hemp is the world's most prolific source of plam cellulose, which is the basic raw material used for plastics, fabrication material, chipboard, fibelboard and other construction boards. For more than 3,500 years, cannabis has been, depending on the culture or nation, either the moi;1 used or one of the most widely used plants for medicines. If legal, i1 would immediately replace an estimated lO to 20 percent of all pharmaceutical prescription medicines and could be added, as extracts, 10 another 20 to 30 percent. From 1842 10 1900 ii made up half of all medicines sold, with vinually no fear of its "high." In 1937, the AMA and drug companies testified against the Marijuana Tax Ac1, because cannabis was known to have so much medical potential and has never caused any observable addictions or death by overdose. It is known to be helpful in ca.~s of asthma, glaucoma. tumors, nause:i resulting from chemotherapy or AIDS, epilepsy, back pain, and stress among its 100 or so kno\\ n applications. If we would let it. cannabis hemp could have a bright future providing humankind with food, fuel, fiber, an~~ medicine. fr For addiuonol informaJu,n on w u.ses of rhe MIii/i plan/, wme 10: Fnendsofllemp: Bo;(98/: Mars /lilt, NC 28754, x.cituah Journal. JJCllF t 7 �KATUAH CULTIVARS Cultivated Varieties of Vegetable and Fruits Recommended for Ka mah Bioregion We received a handful of Kaniah gardeners' lis1s of favorite fruil and vegetables varieties. The resulting list is a chefs' cornucopia. and generally includes personn.l favorites for productivity, taste, nuaition, and relative freedom from problems. Codes for seed sources for the more difficult-to-find varieties (when known) are included at the end of the article. Happy Gardening! We invite Katuah readers to send us your favorite varieties (esp. Open Pollinated {O.P.) or non-hybrid varieties) and your list of not-so-m:ommendcd varieties (this is also imponant info!) for developing a more comprehensive regional listing. Thanks for your giving... Perry Eury (Kalmia Center, Sylva, NC) -rates Red Jewel sweet poiato as a favorite! He continues to have problems with disease on legumes. but has had good luck with a crowder pea, Purple Knucklehull (SH). He highly recommends the recovered "Cherokee" Com, a delicious white com with pinkish blush-- makes lhe BEST cornbread! (from Cherokee Boys Club). Hueh Love! ( Union Agricultural Instirute, Blairsville, GA) -- Hugh is a CSA Producer, dedicated to regenerative, biodynamic agriculture. He loves the English green pea. Little Marvel which does not require staking in his intensive, three rows per wide bed spacings. Sugar Snap edible pod peas are a favorite with his cus1omers. He recommends Blue Lake Pole and Yellow Wax Bean, as productive, but recommends choosing "rust" disease rcsistanL varieties. He recommended Purple Top Tumips (greens and root multicrop!) and rape greens (Vates). Cherry Belle radishe~ are recommended for quick maturing spring radishes, and for Fall planting, Chjna Rose radish. Touchon is a great coreless carrot, and Bloomsdale Spinach is recommended as a standard. Hugh notes that spinach will last longer in the spring (nor "bolt") if you grow spinach with low levels of nuaients (esp. nitrogen). G}en Hubel (Certified Organic Grower. Waynesville, NC) has done well with edible podded pea Snowflake and Sugar Daddy, and the english pea Knight. He suggests the beans Easy Pie and the Yellow Wax bean, Gold Crop. He likes the shon season tomato Russian, but has had much "Blight" disease problems with his tomato varieties. His best crop is his potato crop including Kennebec, Purple Peruvians, Red Pontiac, Yellow Finn (SB) and rates Butte average. He recommend!. agains1 Yukon Gold because of potato bug problems (lururtm, might be a "trap-crop"! ). He has had good yields with Black soybeans and the edible at green-stage Butterbean soybean. His best crops are his lenuces, :IC4Nan JO\lf'nat PCUJe 18 recommending Red Oakleaf, Sangria, Lolla Rossa, and Red Romaine (SHP). Will Ashe Bason (Floyd Co.• south.of Blacksburg, VA) especially likes Lutz Greenleaf Keeper (SESE) bee!li, as the ~ I keeping. sweetest and mos1 render. He grows white, yellow and red po1a1oes, but has had worst "Scab" disease on reds which do 001 keep as well. He likes his yellow poiatoes best! He notes broccoli and cabbage do well. but need to be treated with the biological insecricide, Dipel (B1). He advises to plant fall varieties of cole crops and plant these seeds in late spring. He has found Sunroofs (the native sunflower, Jerusalem Artichoke) easy 10 grow and s1ores well in the l!:r0und over winter. He recommends blueberries as a fruit crop which tolerates warm early spells and l:11e frosts, but recommends additional peal or organic matter in the planting hole. Will states that Shiitake mushrooms are relanvely easy 10 inoculate int0 chestnut oak logs, but may require a year to get going, but then may "fruit " for years. He is especially happy with Scarlet Runner Beans, which are best in flavor, and make a ''preny good" dried bean. These are most easily shelled when ''perfectly" dry. He grows his beans in the garden space left available after the spring crop of snap peas (although this may eventually lead to disease problems in time- ed.) Mark Schonbeck (Instiru1e for Sustainable Agriculture, Windswept Farm, Check. VA) shares his favorite varieties of "non-hybrid, good flavored, nuaitious, with good keeping qualities, resistance to pests and diseases, and ease of haJvest and processing." (Whew! What criteria!) Windswept Farm gardeners were impressed by the grain sorghum. Mennonite (SESE), yielding over 7 lbs. of grain from a 100 square foot plot . The cooked grain iasted somewhat between wheat berries and brown rice (but had 10 be leached of the tannins from the grain by boiling and changing the cooking waters). Hickory King white flour com, although it grew 10 feet tall, survived thunderstorms, showed little earwonn damage, and had little mold or maggot problems. They no1ed that Purple Peruvian and Saginaw Gold potatoes had less potato beetle problems than other varieties. They had problems growing carrots in their poor soil but Danvers U6 carrot grew well withou1 becoming woody, and bad little weed problem. They especially favored Long Standing Bloo~dale spinach, with its excellent flavor and winter hardiness. They recommend several beans including Chinese Red (SESE) azuki beans (yielding equivalent 10 2500 lbsJacre), which grew without any Mexican bean beetle attack! Swedish Brown common bean had lower yields (eqiv. 1500 lbs/A.) but have an unusually good flavor. A local adapted pinio-type October Bean, obtained from a neighbor, yielded well and had slightly less bean beetle damage than other varieties. A Redkloud Kidney (SESE) bean was badly chewed by beetles, but managed to yield as much as the azulcis. Barbara Duncan (Herb Enthusiast, Franklin, NC) -- recommends her favorite perennial Greek Oregano (SHP) which she prefers for its ease-of-culture (although hard 10 genninate) and strong, distinctive taste. Lee Barnes (Plantsman, Waynesville, NC) - I've had repeatable success with Peruvian Purple potatoes tender, finger-sized and beautiful mixed with yellow or white potatoes in Potato Salad! Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage is more tender and sweeter than other varieties. Celery (Golden Self-Blanching and Giant Red(actually pinkish) (SB) does well if seeds are sown indoors early (60 - 90 days prior to transplanting). Favorite superhot peppers are Thai and Habanero (RCS) (great for hot vinegars, too (()() hot to eat!), which do best if transplan1ed after mid-May, or when soil 1empera1ures are greater than 00° F. My favorite eggplant is the tender "finger-shaped" Japanese varieties, and I'm currently addicted to the hybrid eggplant "khiban". Can anyone recommend an O.P. variety? Purple Top turnips are favorites!, while ruUlbagas and kohlrobi do very wcJI if sown 2-3 weeks earlier than for turnips. SESE • Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, P.O. Box 158, North Garden, VA22959 SH - R.11. Schumway. P.O. Box I, Graniteville, SC 29829 HA - Hastjng.s. P.O. Box 115535, Atlanta, GA 30310 SB -Seeds Blum, Idaho City Stage, Boise, ID 97333 SUP- Shephard's Garden Seeds, 6116 Highway 9, Felton, CA 95018 RCS- Redwood City Seed Co., P.O. Box 361, Redwood City, CA 94064 (See KJ # 32 Fall 1991 or master Resource List for additional seed sources.). By Lee Barnes Drawing by Rob Messick Spr\n4), 1992 �.. --BLOWING IN THE WIND by Charlone Homsher When 1 was growing up in southeastern Colorado, my family hnd a Sunday afternoon ritual. Every Sunday we drove to the wheal fields south of town lo check the moisture content of the soil. There were usually live or six children; sisters, brothers and cousins who piled out of the pickup. My father knelt on the ground and dug into 1he soil with his bare hands as we surrounded him waiting breathlessly. If the subsoil was moist Lhcn he held up his handful of din, triumphant. If it was dry, then the eanh sifted Lhrough his fingers. We all goL a chance to look at lhis little piece of eanh, wrenched up :IIld turned over by the sweat of man, the inner eanh which in some mysterious way would either give us an ample crop or wither the grain on the stalk. This memory of my father, first digging and than holding the soil in his palm in a gesture of triumph, is stlU vivid in my mind. More than anything else it symbolizes to me the ambivalent relationship he had to the eanh and 10 his inherited occupation of farmer. Before the Homestead Act of 1862 brought white seulers in hordes, there were no towns or setdements on the prairies. The Cheyenne and other Plains Indians were nomadic hunters and gatherers. They found an ample supply of wildlife sheltered in the tal1 prairie grasses that grew as high as a man's chest. By the I 930's the virgin prairie grasses had been plowed under. Everyone knew the plowing was out of contr0l but no one could stop it. There was always a new wave of homesteaders detennined 10 farm. One of the excuses used for plowing up the prairies was I.hat the grasses were just weeds, after all; and like weeds everywhere, they would thrive on their own. Unfonunately the grasses never returned. What did grow back was a scraggly grass, euphemistically called buffalo grass, only a few inches high, nor high enough 10 sprout under the layers of sill deposited by the high winds. Not many people realize I.hat I.he dusrbowl didn't stop with the depression era. Even in the fifties, the fields were still blowing. A dustsronn that would lai;L for days could be sianed by one farmer. If a fanner plowed his field in a dry spell and the farmer next door happened to plow his at the same time, it could stan a chain reaction. The lifegiving topsoil from one field could blow overnight into the next county suffocating all vegetation in its path and causing the hair 10 fall off the backs of grazing animals. Once 1he prairies were plowed there was never a settled farm life. The eanh simply could not sustain the population. The first mass migration off the prairies were the Okies of the dus1bowl era who abandoned their small holdings for California. The postwar era continued the cons1an1 trickle of fanners into the cities. SprtncJ, 1992 Since the land was no longer fenile and intact as it was as a prairie, ii was the evolution of fann pracrioe LO acquire larger properties in order to make a profit This me.int depending on ever more sophisticated farm equipment LO handle all that land, and borrowed financing to pay for the whole operation. The foreclosures and farm auctions of the seventies and eighties where a result of the farmers' inability 10 repay their massive loans. Postwar govemment policies encouraged expansion, as did the ever burgeoning agribusiness industries. One of the biggest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American fanner was the postwar sentiment that the American fanner was responsible for feeding the world. This grandiose responsibility with its heavy psychological load, was just more fuel for the expansionist fodder of big crops at any cost. Politicians stressed the imponance of the fanncr in protecting democracy, a responsibility that reached beyond national borders. (Empty bellies not only cause suffering but foment revolution.) The postwar farmer had a mission and a duty. Fanning is a pan of the myth of creation. The farmer is supposed to understand things 1ha1 other people don't. He works in cooperation with nature. He knows when to plant and when 10 harvest. The farmer feeds everyone. A land without its local farmers soon shrivels up and dies. or so the myth goes. Or at the very least the food prices escalate. The farmer as supposed to be the sail of the eanh, the real backbone of America, the man who keeps ii all going while the rest of the country runs amuck in the cities. At the same time he is expected 10 remain isolated, cut off from the mainstTCam of society, a laborer whose opinions are considered wonhless. The fnnner is dealing with some heavy propaganda from without and expectations from within. The fanners of the fifties ond sixties were nearly frantic in their push to mtiinstream fanning into the standnrd of living of the while middle class. Fanners wanted cash in the pocket, brick ranch houses and college education for their children. The very idea of making fanning a respectable profession is a historically brazen tissurnption. ln every civilized society the farmer is the low caste, the ignorant, humble servant of the soil. Here is another sticky contraclictlon. Farmers were forced off the fa.nm that they said they wanted 10 keep and lost a way of life that they professed 10 Jove, yet they pushed their children into learning skills that would be of use only in the cities, thus assuring that the way of life could not possibly be handed on. This could be seen as either a foresighted concern for future generations or a disinheritance. I never did find an easy answer 10 Lha1 one. When I was about fifteen my father drove me to lhe original family homes11:ad. We walked 10 the middle of the field behind the rock house between Lhe apple ort:hard and !he sandy banks of the dry creekbed. I hadn't been 10 that field in years. Dad pointed ar the bare eanh under the stubble of lhe last crop. With great solemnity, he told me that he had hired a water witcher (a dowser) who had said that there was enough wa1er in that panicul:!r spot for a well. The drilling crew was arriving the next day and he wanted me 10 know how things really stood. If they hit water, I would get to go Lo college. If no1 ... well ...1here was nothing worse for a young girl than lO rot in some dying farm town. I Ils arrirude was typical of the worry, fear, and despair of fann fathers of that era. In contrast to this dreary scenario, I am reminded of the description of small scale farmers in Japan in the wonderful philosophical treatise on nature and fanning, The One Straw Revolution. In that book, Masanobu Fukuoka describes how fanners of old Japan, before mechanization and before life got so frenetic, took off for a three month holiday in the winter 10 hunt rabbits in the mountains. They also wrote Haiku poetry. Fukuoka claims that there was even a time when fanning was considered a sacred work. In my family, of all the children who knell with my father in the fields and got that first lesson of the harshness of the Eanh and its potential fertility, lam the only one who still owns land and I do not own fannland. In an ironic cwist of fare it was the sudden, unexpected sale of my grandfather's ranch that paid for my piece of mountain. Over the years, l occasionallv run into one of the ex-fannboys with whom I grew up. Meeting them is very similar 10 how I have heard Vietnam veterans de..~be encounters \loith each other. Looking into each other's eyes we recognize the vast expanses of psychic space between our past and our present, the bridges that we have had 10 bum to travel such distances 00Cllinuod on page 32 Draw111g by Rob Messick Xatuah Jo\4rnm pQ()e 19 �~ 5 E p T E M B E A 0 11th • ~fore C.1ting wild edibles, be sure or their com!Ct Identity and proper preparation. Times may vary in your area. Native and naturaliud plant listings rcncct average beginning of �- .- 0 18th ~ - C r �"MEDICINE TRAINING" These are the words ofa traditional Cherokee medi'cine person: My grandfather was one of those who believe that everything has a spirit - the stones, the grass, Lhe soil, everything. To him, it was apparent that anybody could communicate and work with these beings. He believed that no one was any more magical than any other person. It was just a pan of being human, and civilization domesticated that part of ourselves, and turned everybody's reality around to whatever white man's reality is. Everybody had to have the same reality. As soon as I was born, he saw physical signs on my body thOt told him that I was destined 10 be a medicine man. One of the biological signs that he noticed were simian creases (sharply-defined creases extending from between the thumb and forefinger across the palm - ed.). I have two of them. When a baby is born in the hospital, western doctors look at it to see if it's eyes, teeth, nose, mouth, etc., are all in order, and then they check for simian creases, because they are a sign of Down's syndrome. Eight out of ten babies who have a simian crease have Down's syndrome. I had one on each hand. Now my grandfather had no idea what simian creases were or what Down's syndrome was. But he did notice that they were an unusual physical occum:nce on my body. There were other physical signs, but I don't know what they all were. He took the matter up with other old people that he talked with, and they all agreed with his interpretation of the signs. After that, r was preordained by my grandfather 10 be a medicine person and blessed by the elders. They gave me a naming ceremony. They held me up and called in all of Creation from all the directions and introduced me. Then they offered my spirit to the Creation, saying, "This is your relative. This is how he will be known." When I was a child, I would "make things happen." 1t was like fantasizing. 1 would see something happening in my mind, and it would occur. I could make somebody come over to my house. r could find something in the woods. Little things, but r was encouraged 10 exercise that ability. I was also encouraged in things that the white culture would consider foolish. If I came home and said that I saw some Little People in the woods, the adultS would said, "Well, that's great! What were they doing? How were they doing it?" In while society parents would say, "You're a fool," "Don't do thaL Act like an adult," or, if they were very liberal, "Ooh, he's got an imaginary play friend." Most of culture is just habits. If things don't work for you, over and over, then you drop them. If something works, over and over, then gradually it becomes part of your reality and then pan or your identity. And as a child the fact that r had certain abilities just became a fact of my life. I was encouraged in special ways 10 follow a certain direction. For instance, one of the very first memories I cnn remember was seeing a baby push out of a woman. Kids were nol normally allowed to be present for that sort of thing. But the elders thought that I was good luck, juSt by being the. '".~ause people thought that I was special, they reinforced it b) IJ>"..ating me that way. Of course, it didn'l take much to convince me that I was special! Everybody thinks that they have a special destiny. That's unders1andable, and it's true to a certain extent, but it very seldom comes oue in the way that we would like it 10. That was the way they began my training. It was the most natural thing in the world. A lot of it was just being raised by my grandparents and being around old people a lot of the time. Most of the kids my age grew up around fathers who had been in World War ll. My grandfather wns 69 years old when l was born. And as a boy he had lived with his grandfather, who had fought at Horseshoe Bend with Andrew Jackson. Through my grandfather, l had a direcl connection to those times. In my childhood adventure games I pretended 1 was hiding in the mountains during the Removal, eating grubs and bugs, and running from white soldiers with tall hatS. I lived in a world that in many ways was quite archaic. The Cherokee language that my grandfather spoke was an archaic version of the language they speak today. Growing up among these elders, pan of my thinking was archaic. I don't know if it was because of the way that I was raised, but I was more marurc than most males my age. r also had a sense of being content to be with myself. When I think of my childhood, r think of myself as being alone much of the time. That leaves a mark upon you. For one thing, it made me more peaceful being with myself. I never seem to need entenainment. l don't need diversion. My mind is all the diversion I need. My early training was just spending time with those old people. We might be out collecting sho-un or ramps, and we would run across a woman whose specialty was birthing. She would point out a plant and say, "This is good for teeth, cutting teeth, cutting teeth," she'd say. Or "Sore mouth," or "This is good for white tongue," (thrush). Another time we would meet somebody who had a lot of knowledge in another area. That was the way I teamed. lt was structured, but it wasn't a structure. It was spontaneous. Yee I had a sense that it was importanL The only les.wns r learned by rote were hem were long, but the formulas. Some of 1 they all have basic Structures and themes that run through them that make them simple to remember once you catch the pattern. The formulas were in a special ceremonial mode of the Cherokee language that was symbolic in its meaning and older even than the speech my grandparents used. A modem-day speaker would not be able to understand it. When you say, "Way up on high where the four black ravens rest, r call you down here, and r ask you 10 pull the black smoke all over this," what does that mean to a modern Cherokee? It doesn't mean a thing. But II is incredibly meaningful to me. Sprt.119, 1992 �Most of my training was learning how to learn. Leaming how to use my mind. They taught me by giving me the answers to questions· questions I hadn't even asked ye1. I had the answers; I had to find om what the questions were. h's a good way 10 learn. It talces a lot of patience. 1 might be walking with my gr.indfather or one of his friends, and we would sit down and build a fire, cook a little some1hing, and, as we were sitting there, he might say, "Ginseng." Or he might say, "lt's inside yourself." Or he might say, "It comes when all doubt is cleared from the mind." Just out of the blue. It would have no reference to any1hing that we were doing. The first few times, l started to ask questions, but after awhile I stopped asking qucs1ions. My grandfather would say, "You may not understand now, but you will understand. You're not ready for it. But lis1en. Pay attention to everything." "Don't trot around knowledge," he would say. "Knowledge without understanding is worse than tits on a boar bog, so wail Ir will come to you." And it has come to me. I have been caught up in new experiences, when I did not know what to do, and, all at once, the answer would be there, clear as a bell. I'd had the answer all along, and I had finally ran into the question. People talk to me about their life problems. Often they are going through a Jot of suffering. SomeLimes I feel like a third person sitting there watching myself talk to them and helping to solve their problems. rm not egotistical. I know where it's corning from. Still, T feel absolutely amazed. rm not me any more! That's the way my whole life has been: I've had the answers, but I haven't had 1he questions. fve been running into the questions throughout my whole life. In that sense, it has made my life easier. I don't know if I have run into all the questions yet. I'm still looking. though, because sometimes the answers will fit many questions. • canvas bag. He kept everything · absolutely everything • in this bag. I would be walking down the trail past a clump of bushes or a blackberry thicket, and all of a sudden he would sL,nd up in it. He scared me every time. He \\Ould just appear. And he'd grin. A1 that most people, even those who knew him, would run. But he was a boyhood friend of my grandfather, and I think my grandfather was his only friend. He never manied, and, when my grandfather died. in his own way he took responsibility for me for awhile. This wasn·t much, because he was very seldom around. But he always appeared when I needed him · every time r needed him. Owl did magical things. He was the one who taught me how to eliminate doubt in my mind. And that's the best gifL he ever gave me. Eliminating doubt makes magic happen. I was brought up with no limits as to what my mind could do. but then, as I got older and exposed to other people, they put doubt in my mind. Owl taught me how to remove that doubt. He did not give me a set of simple instructions like, ~stick your nose in your ear, and this will all go away." It was a combination of things. He said that 10 clear the doubt out of my mind I had to go through a rational, linear process. It was something that one had 10 be taught over a period of time. And with my formal experience of magic, it didn't talce me very long to learn it. Talso learned how to focus. If I can visualii.e something, and see it in my mind, and hold it in my mind, and do it in my mind • and drop it! - it never fails. When I was a child, I could do it easily. But as I grew to be an adult and developed doubt. I had a more difficult time. The fonnulas would help me to keep my focus, son of like daydreaming. * One of the old men was a special person to me. He was a medicine person. People came to him for conjuring and docroring, and he was good at it. I always referred to him as Owl, but that wasn't his name. He was probably six foot four, if you straightened him out, but as a child his leg had been broken and badly set, and he leaned over to the left. He also had an eye that hnd been damaged, so that although he could see ouc of it, it was puckered up into a fearsome squint. He was a fierce, mean-looking old man, but he was as gentle, caring, and loving as he was scary-looking. He always had a long World War I overcoat with him. I can remember Lhe big brass buuons that went all the way down the front. When he wasn't wearing his coat, he would roll it up, tie strings around it, and carry it over one shoulder. On his other shoulder he would carry a funky old 1 I remember a scene that happened repeatedly. Owl and I would be walking down a trail, and I would be talking to him, when suddenly he would grab me by my shirt and pull me into the bushes. "Stand still and be quiet," he would say. We would stand there, sometimes for ten minutes. Then 1 would hear somebody coming down the trail and look up. It would invariably be somebody that Owl didn't want to see. After the person was gone, I would say, "How did you know he was coming?" Re would say, "You know it, 100! You know it, tool But you're so goddamn busy chattering and talking. Busy! Give yourself a break." He would say, "You know everything." faery time I would ask Owl weighty, involved questions looking for profound answers, he would just look at me and shake his head. He'd say, "You kMw I.he answer," and I.hen "Goddamn it, you don't need no teachers." And it's true. That's the big lesson. The minute we become leaders or followers, we have lost our power. Owl also taught me the imponant principle that most things don't maucr, and I don't have any place to go anyhow. When 1 somehow indicated that I had learned this, he was delighted. "You got it!" he said." That's absolutely wonderful! lf I've never done anything else in my life, this is the greatest thing I have ever done!" /..;:.!Ill" He was great. p- End of PART I ) Drawings by Troy Scwa Sprt.mJ, Hl92 C �., ~ PROTECTING THE PARK AND THE BIOREGION Nanni World News Service Since itS dedication in 1940, the Great Smoley Mountains National Parle has been the crown jewel of the Southern Appalachian ecosystem. The Park is protected as a de facw wilderness throughou1 much of ilS 550,000 acres and is the keystone of the natural habitat in the southern mountains. The Parle occupies a cemral location in the region and acts as a preserve for rcmnanlS of the original old growth forest and many rare and endemic species of plant and animal life. It is a natural habitat large enough to accept ~introductions of wide-ranging mammals like the red wolf and the ouer. It is a dispersal poim from which species can migrate to replenish the the three million acres of less protected national forests that sWTOund its borders. Eoologically, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is of great importance as a stabilizing factor 10 the natural life community of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Great Smokies Parle also stands as the ecological standard by which we judge the health of the rest of the forest. But although the Park is pro1ec1ed on the ground throughout most of its area, the Park ecosy~tem is deteriorating from pervasive polluuon that drops from the skies. Because of the high altitude of 1he Park's highest ridges, clouds carrying contaminants gather a1 their creslS and drop their deadly burdens. Thus, atm0spheric pollution that affects the w~ole re~on tends to be concentrated at high alntude s11es such as those in the Great Smoky Mountains Na1ional Parle. The Park acts as a barometer for the ecological health of the region as a whole. 1:"10.w the Park is also sailing fonh as a flagship in the defense of the regional ecosystem. Under the provisions of the Clean Air Act, most national parlcs and some of the larger wilderness areas are defined as Class r meaning that no significant deterioration of ' the air quality in those areas is 10 be permiued. Yet continued indusaial d~elopment constantly increases the already senous pollution that is undem1ining the ecological health of the Park and the mountain forests. Thus, in the fall of 1991 James M. Ridenour, Direc1or of 1he National Park Service ~S) of the federal Deparunem of the lmenor issued a statement declaring that proposed developments near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia would have an adverse ecological impact and were unacceptable under the tenns of the law. ln Tennessee, Ridenour's s1mement referred specifically to a proposed expansion b%" me Eastman Chemicals Company in Kmgspon that would include construction of a new$ I00 million coal-fired boiler that woul~ spew 1,542 tons of nirrogcn oxide per year mto the atmosphere. Ni~gen oxide is a precursor of atmosphenc 01.0ne. Resource specialis1s in the Park have already identified 95 plant species that show signs of damage from ~mne contamination, indicating that pollution m the Park already is extensive. NPS researchers also point out that since 1950 visibility in the Park has declined 40%, and the famous blue haze from which the Great Smoley Mountains derived their name has turned into a siclcly gray or a poisonous-looking yellowish white pall depending on the season. ' Because of aonospheric contmination "Soil and water resources are at serious risk " wrote NPS Regional Director James Col~ in a letter 10 the State of Tennessee expressing the Service's opposition to the Eastman expansion project The NPS holds that any debilitating influences within a circle tha1 extends 120 miles around the Park in all directions would adversely affect the air quality of the protected area. LICENSE TO DUMP Nanni World News Service . ~n E~vir?nroental Protection Agency adm1mscranve Judge on February 12 struck ~own challenges.to the discharge permit ISsued to Champion lmemational Co. allowing them 10 put was1es from its Canton papermaking plant in10 1he Pigeon River. The primary objections came from the Dead Pigeon River Council, an organization of downstream residents. The group's ma.in complaint is that dioxin produced in the plant is affecting 1heir health and the health of the environment below the mill. They are also concerned about the color and odor of 1he river\ "':'hich are evidence of the heavy waste load It 1s forced to carry and are hurting the economies of the towns below the Canton plant The five-year discharge pem1i1 has been stalled in coun since 1989. Confident of victory, the company has proceeded with a $250 million modernization plan for the antiquated paper mill, installing new, non-chlorine bleaching lines and water mwcrs for recycling water that may cu1 river use by one-third. The company hopes 10 approach a 50-unit color limit that during the ~nnit c~ntt;?versy ~our years ago i1 &aid was 1mposs1ble 10 attain and would force closure of the plant. The Dead Pigeon River Council is deciding whether 10 appeal the judge's rulmg. ECOTAGE, Nanni World.Newt Service '' In what might be another case of "ecotage" in Karuah, over $50,000 wonh of damage was done to various pieces of logging equipment in the Buck Creek and Rich Mountain Areas of Macon County on February 2, 1992. lnves1igators claim that the incident is the worst recent example of apparen1 ecotage directed at the timber industry in western Nonh Carolina, stating that virtually every piece of equipment on the rwo sites was affected. The saboteurs punctured truck and skidder tires, cut elecaical wires on bulldozers, cut hydraulic and air lines on other equipment, and placed tacks on roads leading to the sites. According to officials of Hennessee hardwood, one of the timber companies hit, new skidder tires will cost $1025 each, and the hydraulic lines will cost from $60 to $400 apiece to replace. Hilton C3bc. an independent logger whose equipment was damaged, said he has no insurance 10 repair or replace his equipment, and Jack Hennessee, Jr. stated that the deductible is so high on his insW'ance that damage suffered by his equipment would not be recovered. No individual or group has come forward to take responsibility for the action, but the loggers are certain the sabotage was a protest against logging in the national forcs1s. "(lbe ecotage) is against the timber industry," logging contractor Lloyd Cook, also of Macon coun1y. told the Asheville Citizen-Times. "They've started a war. 11 looks like we are going to have to defend ourselves. They are not playing fair." The Hennessee company plans to hire security persoMel to guard their logging sites. "They brought it to me," said Hennessee to the Citizen-Times. "I didn't take it to them." Forest Service investigators and Macon County law enforcement officers reported that they bad found foot and tire prints at the sites. On February 6 the Macon Coun1y Chapter of the Western North Carolina Alliance posted a $200 reward for "infonnation leading to the arrest and conviction" of the perpetrators. However, at press ume no progress had been made in the investigation. CUB KILLERS ARRESTED Naunl Wnrld N""'• Scr,,,cc A mother bear and her three newborn cubs were killed by poachers on January 3, J992. Michael Lee Correll of Black Moun1ain, NC was arrested and charged wi1h the slaying. Another man and two women, also from Black Mountain, were charged with transponing a bear out of season. The crimes are all misdemeanors and carry a fine of at lea.,t $2,000 per offense plus a restitution cos1 of $1,035 for 1hc bear. The two men said that they were raccoon hunting when their dogs roused the mother bear. Apparently the mother bear was denning on the ground and was awakened and frigh1ened by the hun1er~. She died, nm only a vicLim of poachers, bur also of a lack of mature den rrees in which she could hide during her winter dormancy. Spr1.t19, 19!12 �RADIOACTIVE SURPRISE Narunl World News Service A congressional hearing held before Rep. George Miller's Interior Committee heard evidence that barrels of hazardous materials sent from Oak Ridge Tennessee came with a free surprise in every barrel radioactive waste! The hearing was caJled after journalist Peter Schenkel of the Stare-Times Moming Advocate in Baton Rouge, LA collected irrefutable evidence that the Martin Marietta Company, contractor 10 the Department of Energy (DOE) at the Oak Ridge, TN nuclear weapons complex, had been mismanaging radioactive waste. Since 1980 the company has sent about 10,000 tons of hazardous wastes containing small amounts of radioactive materials to 16 commercial incinerators not licensed to handle such substances. The company knew it was violating regulations. All references to uranium were whited out from shipping orders. Clyde Hopkins, the president of Martin Marietta, told the congressional committee that the documents were altered for "national security reasons." Leo Duffy, specialist in waste handling for the DOE, disavowed any DOE responsibility, saying that if Martin Marieua thought that changing documents was a proper interpretation of DOE regulations, the company was very wrong. Martin Marieua's actions were not only inappropriate, but also clearly illegal, in violation of Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and state regulations. However, no criminal investigations have yet been begun in the case. Ralph Hutchison, of the Oak Ridge Environmental and Peace Alliance (OREPA), said, "What happened was that Martin Marietta unilaterally decided that there was not enough radiation in the wastes to worry about Although the toxic substances contained more radiation than they were allowed 10 bum in their own incinerator, they still sent the shipments on to other private facilities. The company in effect established its own private BRC (below regulatory concern) levels." Journalist Schenkel was investigating Rollins Environmental Services, a large hazardous waste processing facility in Baton Rouge, in January of 1991 when he discovered documents indicating that they may have received waste materials from Martin Marietta Energy Systems that were contaminated with radioactivity. As Schenkel probed deeper, he began to run into the kind of roadblocks that suggested that he was onto a story that was bigger than he had expected. llis persistence uncovered the Martin Marietta activities. Fearing a scandal, the company stopped all off-site shipments of hazardous wastes during the summer of 1991. Shenckel is not content that the full implications Martin Marietta's actions have been revealed. He was quoted in the OREPA newsletter as saying, "I am not convinced by any degree that they know the full extent of radioactive material released." Sprlf\9, 1992 He said that papers recently procured from Oak Ridge give chemical analyses of the shipments. They show the presence of cobalt, strontium. and yttruim, which can occur naturally but often arc radioactive isotopes. The chemical analyses give no clue as to their isotopic form. When Schenkel asked, "Were any of these radioactive isotopes?", company representatives admitted that they did not know and no longer had any way of finding out. What is clear is the nature of Martin Marietta management. Ralph Hutchison says, "Martin Marietta took over (as the major contractor in Oak Ridge) in 1983 after Union Carbide was caught with mercury on their hands, and Martin Marietta has supposedly been doing everything right. Now in the last month we find out that they have been doing the same old stuff." "A PATTERN OF ABUSE" Natural World l',cws Savsu The firing of Karin Heiman (see Karuah Jour110l #31) as a US Forest Service botanist was not an random incidence of arbitrary authority. Repression against employees who arrive at conclusions contrary to agency policy has been a common occurrence in the Forest Service. This was uncovered in hearings held by the Howse of Representatives Civil Service subcommiuee, chaired by Rep. Gerry Sikorski (0-MN). The comnunee found that the Forest Service offered harsh punishment to whistleblowers, even when they were pointing out illegalities in Forest Service activities. At the close of the hearings on January 23. Rep. Sikorski said, "This needs to 1,c investigated by the Depanment of Justice. There is a pattern of abuse. There is a pattern of ignorance. There is a pattern of delay and retaliation." NATURAL WORLD NEWS BRIEFS NO RADIA TION...THIS TIME The truck was wheeling down I-26 on February 27 when just outside of Asheville, NC flame spouted out from one of the wheels. A Buncombe County sheriffs deputy pulled the truck over and Sgt. N. K. Goering of the State Highway Patrol appeared on the scene. It was just another breakdown. "It appears that it was a just a truck that broke down and this particular truck happened to be carrying a radioactive product." What?! Yes, radioactive waste, going from Northern State Power Co. in Monticello, MN to the Barnwell Waste Management Facility in Barnwell, SC. "Until I obtained all my readings, I was concerned," said Sgt. Goering. State troopers carry geiger counters in their vehicles? Apparently the possibility of a nculear accident has become accepted as a probability. "You never know what kind of wreck you might be called to," said Goering, "because you never know who is going up and down the highways." Maybe this is something we need to know. The fire m the radioactive waste truck was contained. No radiation was released. It was just another day on the highway...this time. tnforma1ion from ,~ Asheville Ci1i1.cn-T1mca or '1.mfn. "Warh.tod WatcMrs" art o,-ganizing to monitor move=nt of truck comY>ys carrying nuclear weapons maJcriaJs on 1-40 and 1-26 /OWdl'd tht Trilknl Submarine base in St. Mary's. GA. For in/ormolion on becoming a Warhead Watcher, call Amy Mozingo (704) 253-3854. • To protect imperiled aquatic species and their habitats, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission has submitted a proposal to the state Environmental Management Commission asking that portions of 33 watersheds in IO of the state's river basins be protected as High Quality Waters. Included are portions of the New, the Watauga, the Tuckasegee, the Linville. and the Little Tennessee Rivers. • The "Ballenger bill," proposed by conservative Rep. Cass Ballenger, a Republican from North Carolina's 10th District, has passed the House and awaits action by the Senate. The bill would protect the Lost Cove and Harper Creek areas in the Posgah National Forest. Sen. Terry Sanford (D-NC) has introduced a companion bill in support of Ballcnger's legislation. • Charles Taylor is the best friend the local timber industry has in Washingt0n. It's true - he said so himself before a meeting of the Multiple Use Council, a timber lobbying group. • A Superior Coun judge in Wake County ruled that the town of Highlands needs no environmental impact statement 10 build a sewage treatment plant that would dwnp 500,000 gallons of treated sewage a day in the Cullasnja River. The citizens group Save Our Rivers immediately appealed the judge's ruling and asked for a restraining order 10 stop work on the project until the appeal is heard • Ten otters were reintroduced into streams arounci the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last February. Six were released into Cataloochec Creek and two more pairs were released into Hazel Creek and the Little River. Three of the Otters released in Cataloochee were pregnant females expected to bear young this spring. NII/IJroJ World N~ws I, rdilrd •, e-m Crundit,:rr. �WHOSE RULES? The Drinking Water Protection Controversy in North Carolina "ll's the biggest cave-in in the history of the Environmental Management Commission. lt's remarkable that big money overpowered science and public suppon." This was the conclusion of Bill Holman, environmental lobbyist in the Nonh Carolina state legisl.nrure, about the change in the watershed protection rules proposed by the state's Environmental Management joined the campaign after it got going, but the finances and the strategy came largely from big urban developers in the three metropolitan areas. The development consortium had paid little attention to the 1990 public hearings. In 1991 they turned up the heat. They called up association. Carla DuPuy was formerly a eouniy commissioner in Mecklenburg County. Barnes is from Wilson, NC and Brady is a lawyer from Lenoir. . . ~Wc~s~ ~~~-~:f~~i~~f~:~ , . 'liearings on regulations adopted in 1990. The original regulations, created in 1990 under a mandate from the Water Supply Watershed Protection Act passed by the state legisl:uure in 1989, were designed to protect sources of pure drinking water for towns and cnies across the stale. They basically set up two areas around a lake or an intake point from a river from which drinking water was drawn: a critical area, one mile around the water supply point, and a protected area, five miles around the water supply point. Watershed iypcs were graded according to the amount and iype of development that would be allowed within the critical areas. A WS-1 watershed was the highest grade. in which the entire area was essentially publicly owned and development was not allowed. Residential developmenr was limited from one house per every two acres in a WS-Il area 10 one house per acre in a watershed graded WS-IV. Industrial and large commercial development, like large shopping malls, were prohibited in the critical areas or WS-Il and WS-ITI watersheds, which were designated as primarily residential or agricultural areas. These restrictions raised the ire of well-monied and powerful developers. ln the words of the Charlotre News and Observer, ''The developers realii.ed that the standards the commission approved in 1990 were real con1rols. They actually would protect the water permanently - and thus could threaten the making of forrunes of the quicker, dirtier son." The developers argued thru the EMC had substantially changed the rules since the public hearing, and therefore the commission should hold more hearings. Leadcrniip for the eonsonium came from a development project in Durham called Treybum. The two developers of that project are Clay Hamner and Terry Sanford. Jr.. Also involved were the North Carolina Homebuilders Associntion; Duke Power's Crescent Land and Timber Company; John Crosland, an intluential homebuilder in Chnrloue; the Cornwallis Development Company, which is a subsidiary of Coon Mills textile company; the backers of an0ther project called Watt Creek Park, an industrial development in the City of Burlington's watershed; and prominent developers in Guilford County. Most of the energy for this effort came from the Piedmont. Some of the smaller developers in the mountains, and some of the agricultural interests - like the Fann Bureau :KatilM Journm pO<Jf 26 connections, pulled strings, and contacted local builders and real estate companies across the state to pack the local hearings. As a result the hearings were divided · often bincrly (sec Koruah Journal #32). Because of the public interest, the EMC extended the comment period. They received 2,652 leuers, the most comment the commission had seen on any issue except hazardous waste. Ninety percent of the tellers were in favor of retaining the stricter watershed conirols. But apparently hearing rooms are not where government policy is formed. The developers pulled strings W1Lh the EMC and organized a campaign to frighten local officials about watershed regulation. lf the watershed protection regulations were kept in place, they maintained, economic development in the Stale of North Carolina would cease entirely. The members of 1he EMC wilted under the heal. They repudiated 1he1r fonner conclusions and offeted up a watered-down version of their own proposals. Of a panel of six hearing officers, four supported weakening the rules. and two were opposed. The four supporters were Virgil McBnde, Doug Boykin, Robert Griffith, Carla DuPuy, while Cllnrlic Brady and Michael Barnes opposed the changes. Boykin and Griffith are developers themselves. Virgil McBride was fom1crly a lobbyist. Although he never lobbied for development intercsis directly, he worked for industries closely connecting to development and construction, primarily the trucking Orawu,g by Midu,el Thompson In the end, by a vo1e of 11-5 the EMC cul the size of the critical area in half, from one mile to one-half mile in radius. The new rules doubled the amount of residential development allowed in WS-JI and WS-UJ areas, to one house per acre in WS-n areas and one house per one-half acre in WS-m areas. Under the new regulations industrial development and shopping malls are allowed in the WS-ll and WS-lll areas (only landfills are prohibited), if they do not discharge wastes directly into the streams and lakes from which people will be obtaining their drinking water. In a WS-IV area industrial discharge is allowed directly into the scream. The new, weakened regulations do not go mto effect until 1994, so developers have two years to begin projects that would not come under the junsdiction of any watershed protection rules. Bill Holman's assessment is that, ''The hearings were only for show. Big money working behind the scenes gulled the rules." Whereas the earlier watershed protection regulations were drafted with assistance from environmentalists, business people, local governments, and scientists, '"There was no technical basis in the hearing record for the changes that were made. There's nothing in the hearing record that said it was alright to double tl1e density of development in protected watersheds. There_ was n01hing in the hearing records that said u was alright to have indusoial developmenL The changes were totally political. h was government behind the scenes," Holman Sprl.nq, 1992 said. �Observations by commission mem~r Barnes seem to verify Holman's conclus10n. "I never saw any facts and figures 10 change what we passed in 1990 10 what we have here today," Barnes Lold the Asheville Citizen-Times. Holman said that conservation groups are going to appeal the EMC vote on the watershed protection regulations and that they are going back to the State legislature to ~sk for more specific drinking water protecnons 10 be enacted inLo law. The threat to people's health and well-being resulting from inadequate protection of drinking water supplies is real indeed. However, the drinking water controversy also brings to light broad questions about how decisions are made in Nonh Carolina. The Environmental Management Commission is the policy-making board for the Deparunent of Environmental Management (DEM), part of the Depanment of Health, Environment. and Resources. Many of the s1affo~the pEM have.scientific credentials, but their acnons are gwded by the EMC, which consists of lay people, chosen for their influence and political orientations more than their expertise. And chosen not by the people of the state, but by !h~ go,vernor, who appoints 13 of the comm1ss1on s 17 members, and by the lieutenant governo~ and the speaker of the house, who each appoint two. The Environmental Management Commission makes important decisions, as the present controversy shows. These appointed members of a government commission have great power over sia~e policy the future of the land, and the hves of many people. Yet the~ 3:e insulated ~ro.m informed scientific opinion and pubhc input. rn effect they constitute a ruling elite, ostensibly legal and aboveboard, duly . constituted by state law, yet more responsible 10 powerful special interest groups a_nd state power brokers than to any democrauc institutions or interest in the natural environment. The actions of commissions like the EMC are shielded from public panicipation and control, and are carried out largely unnoticed except in cases such as the drinking water proteetion controversy. The public does not often get to see the degree of power wielded by the members of _th: Enviromental Management Comnuss10~ and the others like them, much less to be pnvy to the directives coming from the high officials who appointed them. l~ their ~c~ons ~ere more visible, the resulung pohc1es rrught be quite different. People need clean drinking water. Aquatic habitats need protection from development. And the power of "government behind the scenes" must be broken. - by David Wheeler BIG IVY The hiker moves quietly, in awe of the great trees beneath which she walks: u_ntil she is brought up short by a splash ofbnlban1 color on the forest floor. A small cluster of the rare Gray's lily shine in the dim forest light. A short way down the the trail her eye is drawn by the bright yellow of broadleaf coropsis, and, there! - t~e pale be~uty of~ bleeding heart plant. This clearly 1s a special place. This is Big Ivy. . Located in the Black Mountains beneath the much-visited Craggy Gardens, the Big rvy area is less well-known but. in its own way, equally as beautiful and scientifically perhaps much greater in importance than the popular scenic attraction above. Big Ivy contains large areas of old-growth forest and a long list of rare plant and animal species. Thirty-two rare plants (including 18 listed as "rare" in the State of North Carolina and 14 species that are "watch-listed" in the state) and eight rare animal species inhabit the area. The large patches of old-growth forests, a disappearing habitnt in the Sou.thern Appalachians, account in part for the vanety of unique species in Big Ivy. But an unusual geological formation has given to the area soils that are "circumneutral," nearly neutral in pH, compared to ~e aci<l;ic soils gene~ly found in the mountains. This has resulted 10 a number of plants and plant as~iati~>ns n?t found in other areas of the Katuah b1oregion. Big Ivy is critical to the overall biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians. But all is not idyllic in Big Ivy. Because of its diversity, the area has c_ome under much scientific study, and sc1enus1s feel that conditions in Big Ivy are declining largely due to timber sates, which have caused loss of endangered habitats and rare species as well as fragmentation of the irreplaceable old growth forest. The area is at a critical Drawing by Mich11el Thomp,on Spri.NJ, 1992 moment: there are healthy habitats and populations yet in Big Ivy, but each succeeding activity in the forest m~es new inroads into already-threatened habitat areas and further tips the balance toward irrevocable destruction. The big trees, however, offer an irresistable lure co loggers and the US Forest Service which concrols the area. In July of 1991 th~ Toecane Ranger District rel~ a draft environmental assessment for a nmber sale in Sugarhouse Cove. The assessment designated approximately 2,3~ acres of timber in the project area as ''swtable f~r cutting." Mentioned in the plan altem~nves was the construction of about four miles of new road into a previously undisturbed area. The response from area scientists and environmentalists has been blunt and passionate. Local biologists and botanists in particular, have offered Lhe USFS the benefits of their research and learned opinions about how a logging ope~tion. would affect the rich diversity of this unique area. Among them is Jim Patrenka, a . biologist at the University ofNonh Carolina Asheville, who in a scoping letter.to the USFS informed the agency that his research indicates that every acre that is clearc~t in Sugarhouse Cove will mean the derruse of some 3 200 salamanders, including members of rare ~d threatened species. This is a death rate, according 10 Patrenka, that will ~ a chronic depression of salamander populanons in the area. Biologists in other specialties share Patrenka's concerns. In the past, accord!ng to local activist Haywood Greer, planned umber sales in the Big Ivy area hav~ caused. some friction between Forest Service officials and scientist.s working with the Nonh Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, who objected to the damage that would be done by the logging activities. Other i:e~hers have found lhm p1m timber upc:niu~~~ in the area have decimated local commumues of sensitive plant species, such as goldenseal, whose recovery has been very slow, if the species is recovering at all. Right now the proposed lo~ing in Sugarhouse Cove is on hold.~n~ng further studies of the plant commumn~,; 10 tJ:ie planned sales units. These s1ud1es will be carried out this spring. Hopefully they, combined with the weight of scientific_ opinion, will dissuade the Forest Se~1ce . from carrying out their plans to cut umber m Sugarhouse Cove. AnOLher action being considered by the Forest Service is the construction of riding trails through Big Ivy for the benefit ~fa nearby commercial riding stable. While.some people would be able to have pleasant rides through the old growth f~st areas, they would unwittingly be cau~m~ severe effects 10 the forest they were enJoying. Big Ivy does not need 10 be logged or suffer rides-for-pay 10 be of value. The area is of greater value as it is: This val_ue can be maintained by only one sunple acnon: to leave it alone. Big Ivy is just too special to end up being just another timber sale. • by Emmm Grw1djgger ond David W~elcr ~ �Wblz Wisdom (01' the Two Uggeds DRUMMING DearKatuah, I found your anicles on the past history and possible future desirability of human use of fire to influence Southern Appalachian ecology t0 be most interesting, and l believe that fire could be a valuable tool for ecosystem management At pxescnt we have 100 much early successional habitat in Kauiah, and we should, for now, lay down the tools (such as fire) that reverse succession. Organic matter is a critical element in the regeneration of new forest soil. The soil organic mauer harbors the life of the soil. It is where microorganisms live, grabbing nutrientS and cycling them back into plant growth, instead of losing them to erosion or leaching. Microorganism.~ also attack rock particles, breaking them down 10 create new soil. Organic mauer also keeps I.he soil cool and moist, protecting plants' fine root hairs and giving I.hem a fertile medium in which 10 grow, thus keeping up plant growth and production. Burning destroys organic mancr, and we should be encouraging and conserving it to nourish the next generation of I.he forest There is also I.he possibility that the greenhouse effect will result in massive fires. We need to protect the forest against that as well. Since the arrival of the white man, cool, moist habitatS have been greatly decreased, and xeric, hot sites have been greatly increased throughout the region as a whole. There arc plenty of overgrazed slopes near human habitations which would suppon pines and oaks. If we want pines, let's plant them on overgrazed hillsides. If we want oaks, let them invade our pines. Cool, moist, habitats are under auack in Katuah, while hot, dry ones are all too abundant Don't play with fire. Sincerely, Jesse Jones Asheville. Swannanoa River Watershed Dear Ka11lal1 staff, What I'd like 10 know is this: how do you do it?! lime after time you people keep coming up with inspiring themes and relevant materials and then laying it all out in visually inviting spreads which seem to get beucr and better all the time? David Wheeler's anicles in the recent Fire issue, as is usual with his work, speaks so clearly and comprehensively. Rob Mes~ick's excellent organic artwork produce depth and flow. I can't imagine the tremendous amount of work, much I'm sure donated, going into the production of each Katuah! What a sense of pride it must be for all involved when it finally slides together and goes to print. Being an "outsider" from over in the Ohio ruvcr Bioregion, I find the journal none the less relevant and immediluely meaningful. At our Solstice gathering l passed the latest issue around and many jotted down your address, so expect to hear from Lhem soon. (Raves on Rob's tunle on the back cover). Hoping the coming seasons bring all of you much peace and contentment, inspirations and joy. Sincerely, Dave Ort Phoc,, councsy or lhc Mounl.lDI Hcriiqc Center Dear Editors, l discovered Ka111ah Journal at Mountain Crossings in Blairsville, GA last summer. That well worn issue has been re-read on many occasions - its time 10 subscribe! While I currently don't reside in Katuah, this summer I'll be moving closer 10 Cherokee County, GA. r wani to rap into the Kauiah spirit and become aware of the environmental issues and concerned people of the area. The Appalachians have always been like home for me, maybe because I spent my childhood summers there. Keep up the good work and positive efforts. Piss not into the water, nor on any mother, child, or father. Water is not the proper medium to relieve repeated bladder tedium. Piss off the walk, path, pavement, or road, piss not on flowers, birds, or toads. Piss near, never on, the plants and trees where no one cares, hears, or secs. To kill poison ivy or athletes feet join Latinos: peace on cet. Never piss in the same spot twice, not anywhere that h's not nice, nor within the sight of prigs or wardens. Piss near borders, hedges, gardens. Piss on national, state, jurisdictionnl boundaries on conventional and nuclear weapons foundaries. Follow wolf and coyote 10 the reaches of your domain. Piss on dogturds and cowpies, mountain and plain. Piss not on the trail, campflIC, bed, or nursery, nor writing cursive, cursorial, or cursory. Piss not on any creature, especially fishes, nor hasty love, slow rage, good wishes. Piss not on tools, machines, electrical devices, electric fences, antennae, nor ho1wire splices, not TV sets nor video games, tho' temptation may be great. Piss on prejudice, injustice, hate. Piss on all oil spills and spillers. Piss on dream-, plant-, or animal killers. Piss on soil and compost heaps, never on sailers, flyers, or creeps. Piss on dirtied or painted stones on sca1tered or unburied bones. Put piss little by little where it belongs, nor in sink, creek, spring, or ponds. Give proper pisscrs privacy and honor. Piss on llfe-pissers, messers, conners. Piss on anyone caught on fire with anything less than true desire. Piss not intO Lhe wind nor in the water but on the idea that it doesn't mauer. - version read at Coifee House one night, Fall,1990 by Erbin Crow.from his legacy SPRJNG Sincerely, Nancy Moreland Kasuah Peoples, Another tender, angry, beautiful, and compelling year of Kamalr Journal! This last year's writings and illustrations were exceptionally insuuctive and reverent. In what other publication does lhis combination of an, education, acnvism, and prayer exist? 1 love you very much, Nancy Ligni12. Old winter has retreated 10 the nonh, her snowy remnants wasting into pools that feed the swelling bulbs and heave life fonh • all bursting cells and swarming molecules. · Caroline Rowe Marrens �SAVING WILD SEEDS by Lee Barnes Individuals should sttive to collect, preserve and increase their bioregions' remaining wild and cultivated plant genetic diversity. (See "Seed Saving to Preserve Biodiversity," Ka11,ah Journal# 32). While the best means of protecting a region's genetic heritage is by preservation of large areas of natural ecosystems, we can collect seeds and cuttings of useful wild plants and further increase these plants in our gardens and backyards. The most valuable, irreplaceable, and exportable resource of a region arc copies (seeds, cuttings, etc.) of its unique genetic heritage, the value of which far exceeds any mineral or energy wealth which could be exponed. Talce care not to collect over a quarter of an individual plant's seeds, leaving plenty for wild animals and natural seed disaibution and renewal. Wild-plant seed collection and germination techniques vary greatly from those commonly used with normally cultivated fruit and vegetables. Our cultivated varieties have long been genetically selected and modified over historical times by gardeners who selected for ease of harvest and unifonn germination. It is preferable to collect seeds of wild-plants which grow within one degree of latitude (about 70 miles) and from similar elevations to which they are to be grown. This is to maximize the favorable selection of locally adapted genetic traits which will result in winter hardiness, and other adaptations to local growing season and regional micro-climate. Wild seeds commonly mature and are released over periods of several weeks. These seeds are genetically programmed 10 be released, remain donnant through winter, and then germinate irregularly over long periods of time. This trait serves as generic insurance by preventing all seeds from sprouting at one time and perhaps be lost to a major natural catastrophe, such as major drought or fire. The simplest seeds for the wild seed-saver to collect and save a.re the "dry" fruit seeds (nuts, dry legumes, sunflower, cattail, grasses, etc.). These dry-fruits mature and release relatively "clean'' seeds which can be collected and stored with a minimum of cleaning and processing. Most seeds need 10 be cleaned of any remaining fruit pans (chafl) to reduce disease and insect damage during storage and germination. Most "dfy" seeds need to be dried to six 10 ten percent moisture, then stored at low temperatures and low humidities. Plant seeds which are usually "dry-processed" include apple, pine, spruce, fir, sumac, and grapes. The most important factors affecting seed life are humidity changes and storage temperatures. Seeds for planting should be stored in moisture-proof (also insect and animal-proof) containers. Save only "sound" and firm seeds and nuts. Some seed-savers place a bay leaf in their storage containers to repel bugs. (Anyone know of local herbs for ~is purpose?). Storage in wide-mouth glass Jars with rubber gaskets is ideal. Preferably, store these at low temperarures between Drawing by Rob Messick Spri.nq, 1992 40-32° F. - each 9° F. decrease in storage temperature below 80° F. (to 32°) will commonly double seed longevity. Plants which produce "fleshy" fruits, (such as persimmons, berries, jack-in-the-pulpit, etc.) require additional cleaning and processing. Aeshy fruits encourage natural disaibution by being "tasty" to animals and humans. These seeds often require additional processing by being passed through an animal's acidic gut, or by natural fermentation by microbes to remove the fleshy fruit tissues. Fleshy fruits (especially members of the Solanaceae plant family) can be processed by a honicultural process called "fennentation," whereby mashed-up fruits nre allowed to fennent to destroy pathogens and chemicals that inhibit germination. Then the seeds arc separated from the pulp, washed, dried, then stored. Another technique to separate small seeds from their fruit is called "floatation." Small fruits are "mashed" and soaked in water for several days, so that microorganisms can Stan 10 soften and digest the fruit pulp. This partially digested fruit pulp is then mixed with additional water and processed by being agitated in a blender using short "pulses" (or by rapid whipping with a whisk). Healthy small seeds then settle to the bottom where they can easily be collected by pouring off the floating "pulp" (some plants have seeds which normally float - look for whole, uniformly shaped and colored seeds). For better results, replace the steel blender blades with a shon piece of tire rubber so as to cause less damage to the seeds. This technique is successful with fruits of dogwood, strawberries, persimmon, holly, juniper, magnolia, and sassafras. Most wild seeds of temperate zone crops require additional handling to duplicate the natural conditions of cold winters. These seeds require a cold, moist "stratification" period to overcome genetic and environmental blocks to germination. Temperate wne plantS have biological means of counting time ("internal clocks"), and measuring day-length and "chilling" temperatures. These seeds will not grow until their internal clocks are satisfied with a sufficient number of genetically detennined hours of effective chilling (for example, requiring a minimum number of hours exposure - hundreds to possibly thousands of hours of temperatures between 4S O and 3S 0 ). Examples of plant seeds requiring moist stratification include beech, walnut, many oalcs, and filbens. It is especially imponam if you collect wild nut trees to be sure to collect seeds from areas which have similar numbers of chilling-hours as the location where you plan to grow them. Another factor to consider when choosing to grow plants from seeds is the mnturation period of many long-lived perennial plants (esp. fruit and nut trees). Perennial trees and shrubs must grow through a genetically influenced maturation period before they begin to flower and bear fruit (a son of transition from juvenile to sexually mature, adult phase). These plants are usually propagated by asexual means (not involving seeds, but by cuttings or grafting). Most of these plants produce seeds by cross-pollination, and do not reproduce "true-to-type" (the offspring are not necessarily similar to their parent-plants) from seeds, and may hove long maturation periods. By asexually propagating fruiting trees (cuttings, budding, etc.), one can select superior plants (such as with larger fruit, or tolerance to pests) and produce genetically identical rooted planrs. These rooted cuttings from marure trees will usually produce fruit in just a few years, thus skipping the I ~20 years (or more!) before fruiting if grown from seeds. Seed longevity (defined as the average period during which seeds can survive and then grow) falls into three categories slum-lived (need to be sewn immediately or within days/weeks of collection, and never allowed to completely dry out); medium-lived (months to S-10 + years); and /011g-lived seeds (which may remain viable IS to 100 years, and arc able to survive until environmental conditions are favorable for germination. Shon-lived varieties (spring-seeded maples, serviceberry, paw paw, persimmon, and sumac) - must not be allowed to totally dry or they will die. Some seeds must be sown immediately upon release from mature fruits to prevent funher development of growth-inhibiting chemicals which affect their ability to grow. This group includes Franklinia, trillium and many difficult-to-germinate seeds. Most medium-lived temperate wne plant seeds (most K.aruah native plants) require cold, moist stratification, whereby seeds are stored in moist conditions (in moist peat or sand) at 32-40° F. for two 10 three months to overcome internal blocks to (continued on p. 30) Xatuah Journot P°'J& 29 �germination. Ao easy way to treat these species is by mixing cleaned seeds with i:qual pans of moist sphagnum moss or coarse sand (in a medium that is moist, but not too wet squeeze out excess water!) in moisture retaining conrainers (zip-lock bags work well) stored at normal refrigerator 1emperarurcs (40-45° F). Many long-lived seeds (thick-seeded legumes, water lilies, morning glories) require physical thinning of thick seed coats by microorganisms, or hastened by partially filing, or nicking partially through the impervious seed coats to allow passage of gases and moisture to the donnant embryo. Saving wild seeds for home germination is the first step in establishing wild-food gardens in your back yard. (avoid trying to transplant mature plants from the "wild" - this is rarely successful due to massive root-damage, and also saips the natural habitats of productive wildlife foods and new plants). Native agriculturists first cultivated wild plants which natu:rally established themselves from seeds and discarded roots thrown onto their trash-heaps (original "compost" piles!) and disturbed areas (fire cleared areas, etc.). ff one can provide the proper growing conditions, the low-input culture of these planiS will allow easier plant gathering without excessive demands on the diminishing wild populations. Earing wild and "semi-wild/ semi-cultivated" plants in "season" will provide one with fresh, nutritious foods and a "reunion" with the cycles of nature. Eat weU and give thanks for 1he tasty gifts of our Green Spirits! C.S. Schopmeyer. 1974. Suds of Woody Plants in tM United States Fon:st Service, USDA Agriculture Hnndboolc No. 450. USDA. 883 pp. • TIIE reference for seed handling and gcrmin3tlon of 188 genera of woody plants ruuive or IUIIW'lll'faed in the U.S. Very detailed with additional rcfcn:nccs. fbrry Phillips. 198S. Growing and Propagating Wild Flowers. U.N.C. Press, 331 pp. $14.95 • especially well-written !llld beautifully illustraled rcforencc on seed nnd spore p~tion or native NC plants. Includes calendar of blooming d:ues and commercial plant production timetable. &ccllentl BURNING BUSHES Azaleas, with mouths aflame, Plant Propagation References Ignite the mountainside each spring: Hudson Hanmann and D. Kester. 197S. Plant Propagation: Principles and Practicer. 3rd Ed. Prwlic:c-Hall, 662 pp.• the defmilive text-book on plant propagation l The-Ory and practlcal inro. cry out In tongues no man can claim, lheir ancient message siuling. Michael Dirr and C. Heuser. 1987. Tiu! Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Sud to Tisiue Culture. A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of Over I 100 Spt1cies, Varietit!f and Cultivars. Varsity Press, 239 pp. - TIIE guide 10 propagatlon or woody plants used in Nonh America. Includes prcfcmd l)l'Oll0gation ICChniques (seed, cuttings, cu:.}, as well as. seed treatmc,us and specific rooting percentages, etc. Caroline Rowe Martens ddu of the Big Cove dance tpeak• of traditions and tinp tb.c Booger Danu, Com Dance and • dotCJI 01hcrt with drum and ranle. c...,.n WHERE TIIE Get a set of 10 assorted folding cards with artwork you see in Katuah Journal. (Envelopes included.) byRobW~ck Send $11.25 postage paid to: Rob Messick P.O. BOX 2(,()1 BOONE, NC 28607 RA YENS ROOST ~ Chcrolcce traditional tonp of Wallcc:r Calhoun __,._...,..., CA.11111'1 ANO IOC*UT It WAIL Sil ....,.. ATTil&c:e,ru$JO MOI/NTAJN tlurrAGl ~ Wll'l'Ul< CAIIOUl'IA Utll\llllSITY Cuu.ow11D, NC l87ll (704)227-7129 Spring, 1992 �I•:.,,. tt•· r ,. 9 Sustainable Agriculture and Regional Diet: Annotated Resources These l'CS0W'0CS were nx:ommendcd by KJlumh ConlribulOl'S as their favorites. Price estimates are included for reference and may not be currcnL Most are in print or available from Inter-Library loans. A more complete liSt ( 11 pps. w/ 117 resowces) is available from Lee Barnes (P.O. Box 1303: Waynesville, NC 28786) for S2.50 ppd. or send five or more annOla!Cd resources for a liee copy. Ho! Sustaioab(c Agrirollocc Trauger M. Groh and S.S.H. McFadden. 1990. Farms ofTomorrow: Communiry Supporttd Farms; Farm Supported Communities. Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Associalion. Inc. 169 pp. About $12.00 - begins with several essays on the philosophical underpinnings of CSA's (Community Sponsored Agriculture), then describes 7 successful farms, and concludes with practical info on slllrting and managing a CSA. Valuable to both CSA growers and sharers. Jeavons et al.1983. The BacJcyard llomuttad Mini-Farm. & Garden I.A)g Book. 10 Speed Press. 196 pp., 58.95 • gives economic data about intensive gatdening income profits. Eliot Coleman. 1989. The New Organic Grower. Chelsea Green. 269 pp., $19.95. excellent guide 10 beginning mlltket gardeners, stressing the 8-ycar crop rotnlion developed by Coleman, including inlClScedcd green manure crops, etc. Robert Rodale. 1971. The Basic BOQk of Organic Gardening. Rodalc Press. 377 pp•• a classic (and inexpensive) inlrO to organic gardening principles and techniques. If you buy only one Rodale Book, buy this one! Sustaioabtc Piel t FQQd PcrsccvaOoo Cherokee, 19th, and 20th Century recipes used by sculcr; on Hazel Creek, in Ille Cire.u Smoky Mounmins. Includes information on historical cooking Lechniqucs uulizing mostly regionally produced foods. Jerry Conner. 1991. Eats From IM Peaks Carolina Mountmn lleritage Cookvy. Ridgetop Assoc. Pubt.. 111 pp.• $14.95 - modern adap!Otions of trndilional recipes by n mastcr cheri Delicious! Mary Ulmer. 1951. Cherolc4!t Coolclore. Self-publ. 71 pp.· tradilional Cherokee recipes. Great mush! Stephen Facciola. 1990. Cornucopia: A Souru Book ofEdible Plants. Kam pong Pub!. 677 pp. $35.00 • i.ncrcdibte botanically arranged guide to edible plnnts, the best of its kind! Describes over 3000 edible plants Md lheir commercial .sources. Extensive review of cultivars of over 100 major food planlS. LislS 52 pages of domestic. foreign and commercial sowces for these plants. Exten~ive Bibliography and appendices. Chcclc It out! Lee Peterson. 1977. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Easttrn and Ctntral North America. 330 pp. $9.95 · illustrated with plant grouped by habitat where they can be found. Paul Hlltnel and Mary Chiltoskey. 1975. Cherout Plants and Their Use.s • a 400 Ytar 1/istory . Self-publ.. 65 pp•• reference to 450 plants used by the Cherokee, including botanical names and uses. Noc illustrntcd. Tom Brown, Jc. 1985. Tom Brown's Gui.de to \Vild Edible and Medicinal Plan1s. Berk.Icy Books. 241 pp. S7 .95 • another in a series of spiritually sensitive guides to co-surviving with wildness. H.ighly recommended! Stanley Schuler and E. Schuler. 1973. Preserving the Fruits of tht Earth; How to 'Put Up' Almost Evuy Food Grown in the United States in Almost Everyway. Galahad Books.· 234 pp.· general chapters on methods or food pre.wvation (drying. smoking. brining, etc.) followed by a most complete encyclopedia of foods and tl1eir common preservation methods. USDA. 1977. Canning, Freaing, Storing Garden Product. USDA Agric. Info. Bull 410.86 pp. Free· Excerpt from 1977 Yearbook of Agriculture. Gardening/or Food and Fun. Ovczview or canning and drying techniques • This is representative of nU/ll(l'()us free publications available through your Agricultural Extensioa Service. Be sure to chock out other tax-paid resoun:es available. Bcginnnl Cookbooks t wna-PJ;int Eocai:1011 John Freeman. 1985. Survival Gardening and Survival Gardening Coolcbook. John's Press, 102 pp., $10.95 ea. · excellent guides 10 sustaimtblc. healthy food growing and pre~n. Thorough coverage of human nulriti011:1.I needs and how to meet these using foods from the garden. DW1J1C Oliver. 1990. Cooking on /laze/ Creek: Tlit Best of Southern Mountain Cooking. Sclr-publishcd. 261 pp., $13.95 • ll'lldiLionaJ Spri.tuJ, 1992 Deborah Lee. 1989. Exploring Nature's Uncultiva~d Garden. Havelin Pub!. 195 pp. $14.50 • extmotdinary guide to wild foraging which deals with eastern and west.em philosophy and sensitivity to plants. Very highly recommended! Nccessruy Trading Company: Box 305; New Olstlc, VA 24127. offers wide vllricty of organic glltdcning supplies, naturnl pest controls, cover crop ~.etc. Sandy Mush Herb Nursery; RL 2, Surreu Cove Rd.: Leicester, NC 28748 (704) 683-2014 • extensive Iisling of herb plants, unusual perennials, CIC. (Cat. $4.00) Edible Landscaping; Box Tl; Arion, VA 22920 • specializing in locally-adaptCd, pest-resistant varieties of common and unusual fruits. Qcenoizatioos t Nmslcuccs t blaeazioes The Mountain GardtfU!r Ntwslt!Jtu from Organic Gardening Cooperative; Rt. 3, Box 409-N: Sylva, NC 28779 (ncw/monlhly). sponsors monthly moctings (3rd Wed.ncsdoy, 7:00 pm) at Jackson Co. Library (Sylva). Appropriate Technology Tranefu to Rural Areas. ATTRA 1991. ATTRA l-800-346-9140 -a fedemlly-funded resource organization aimed at tnilarcd information-search for assisling commercial and production-level clients (their funding limits their ability 10 help backyard, individual growers). Have helpful Resource LiSIS. "Videol:/Slides/Tapcs oo Sustainable Agriculuue• (18 pp). "Sustainable Agriculture Organizations and Publication LiSt (24 pp.), etc •• Also produce lnformation Packages on diverse info such as "Green Crops and Gtccn Mllnurcs; "Direct Marteting." CIC. Excellent resource! Writennd thnnlc your officials forconlinued funding of this experienced, J'eSOW'Ceful, enlhuswtic, and dedicated group. The Virginia Association for Biological Farming; Box '252; Flint Hlll, VA 22627 • non-profit organizalion, co-ocdimucs organic cenificalion, seminars, Flltm Held D3ys, and farmer-to-farmer networking. S25.00 year. Carolina Frum Stewardship Association; Box 511; PillSboro, NC 27312 -organic ccnification for both Carolinas. Involved in LISA grnnts, on-farm demos, and annual Farm F'ield Days. The U.S. Dispen.flltory. (any editioo prior 1930.) • invaluable info on plants, their makeup and how olficially used at the tum of the century (avail. for SS0-100 from used boolc dealets). Tennessee Alternative Growers Association; Rt. 2, Box 46-A-1; Indian Mound, lN 37079 Bceioool Sctd aoa r1001 Spoo(i«:cs Georgia Organic Growers Association: 1185 Bend Creek Trail; Suwanee, GA 30174 Southern Exposure Seed EJtchange; Box 158; North Garden, VA 22959 (804-973-4703) • specializes in heirloom varieties adapted to the Central Virginia Mountains. Recently founded "Seed Shares TM: The Gardener's Seed Bank", a project 10 distribute extremely rare plant Cultivars. Also sells Seed Saving Supplies. (OIL $3) ~ R.H. Shumway; Box I; Gmniteville, SC 29829 (C:u. $1.00) • dependable, well established (since 1870) seed house specializing in traditional varieties. Also southern ad:lpted fruit and nut variclies. Kalmia Farms: Box 3881: Chnrlotlc.sville, VA 22903 • spccialiJ.CS in multiplier onions. shallolS and garlic, )C.Qtuafl Journot J)O()C 31 �Parld~ Gardens (con:linocd Crom p. 4) - The (re)integration of needs: not to lhe market for food, the spa for exercise, the doctor for healing, theatre for entertainment, school for learning, studio 10 create, church for inspiration, etc., but to lhe garden for all these ar the same rime. - Enriching the garden with useful and beautiful species and learning to incocporate them into our lives. We begin, of course, with the present and potential natural vege1ation, to which may be added species introductions from similar areas worldwide; then sUgh1 modifications of the environment micro-habitat enhancement - and lhe resultant possibilities for new species: a paleue of plants, a Cornucopia• never available 10 previous generations. - Hand labor. We all have two hands, one lifetime, 24 hours in every day. These are "democratic" factors. Working by hand on a small piece of land we can create a Paradise with relevance for all. Money, and machines can not get us there any faster, in fact can't get us !here at all. They only lead us astray. ••• We live during a narrow window of opponuoity. Having come, at lase, to lhe realization that a revolutionary shift of consciousness and lifestyle is required, we find that we have only a few generations in which to complete the changes, before it will be too late to make a ttansition (environment degraded, resources depleted, species cxtinc1, soils eroded/polluted, population doubled ...). Our enemy is a paper tiger because it cannot deliver the goods. The world waits for examples: to be shown, llOI told, a better way. Paradise Gardening is vastly more meaningful than the 'biodomc' experiment, and anyone can play. We have been putting thls off for too many lifetimes now. Commuaity Sp(IIISC)ttd Agriculture (continued from p. 6) Blowing In the Wind Now we arc told that modem farm inputs make unprecedented levels of production possible. Without heavy spending on inputs lhe world supposedly could not suppon all its people. We have absurd quantities of petroleum and natural gas going into food production, leaving an eroded, salty, toxic wasteland behind. We should know beuer, no matter what our twin "big brothers" of government and industry say. The most basic rule is balance. We want balance between opposite polarities, heaven and canh, silica and Lime, grass and clover, bee and canhworm, give and take. This also means balance between people, plants, animals, microbes, and minerals. With balanced crops and livestock, rhythms and activities build up momentum within the fann organism. This rule implies that the greater the diversi1y the greater the health and stability of the farm. That is something to think abouL In the past five years hundreds of CSA's have sprung into being across lhe continenL It is an idea whose time has come. It is catching on. A few bits of land here and there arc being turned into healthy farms again. Wealth made at the expense of the countryside is seeking its return. In half a century we may no longer see com to the horizon in a toxic cloud. On lhe one hand we face slavery and ruin due to our own hypocrisy and moral poverty - giving ourselves up to the good old new world order. On the other hand more and more people are taking responsibility for their own Lives by way of home birthing, home schooling, alternative medicine, recycling, edible landscaping, and building energy smart, non-toxic homes. CSA's are a natural developmenL We have a choice. geographically and emotionally. Instantly we recognize in each other a shared experience that is purely American. intense, evocative, and yet of which very few people can speak. In !heir eyes I sec bitterness, guilt, denial and nos1algia all at the same time. Many of these ex-farmboys are very successful by city stanclards. They have no more tie to the land than a vague frustration of being tom without emotional healing from their roots. I have often thought that the way we, as a society, raise farmers is a very good way to raise the kind of farmer who so thoroughly hates the land that he would wish to wreak vengeance upon il for not giving him the life he wanted or was told 10 wanL At the very least these fannboys are suffering from heavy psychic wounds. War is a good analogy for what we have done to ourselves and our land. Clcarcuts and plowed prairies are devastated, barren places. Modem, environmental warfare, which threatens the fertility of the land, extends the acts of aggression to furure generations. Some of us have begun to sec the Earlh as sncrcd ground. We realize that whatever our occupation, farmer or not, we are sustained by lhe fruits of the Earth. The real challenge of Earth stewardship is not to rcrum 10 some slavish peasantry, wiling relentlessly upon the soil, but to sec the way (The Tao) in which the rhythms of the needs of man, can fit into the rhythms of nature. My vision of the future farmers of America is men and women who are able to combine the very best of themselves with the cultivation of the Earth. r would like to see farmers celebrate the fenility of the land. I would like to sec the balance between the needs of an individual and the getting of nourishment. I would like to see the plowing of a field done with grace, as an act oflove, quietly waiting for the right moment, then turning the earth gently,,., # reverently. fr llqh lo\lCI is a biodynamic and CSA/ar~r maruting in the Atlanta. GA ar~ At his/arm, Unu,n Agricu/11ua/ Institute; Rt. 4, Box"63S: Blairsvilk, GA 30512, llugh restarchn rtgtntrarive ogricult1Uc and is tk\lC/oping local cu/ti vars of ltafy g r ~ (continued from p. 19) "You see the beauty of my proposal is Jr needn't wait on general revolution I bid you ro a one-man revolution The only revolution tlUJJ is coming" (Robert Frost, "Build Soil") • Corn11COf11a. S. Facciola. Kampong Pub., 1870 Sunnse Dr., V1SU1, CA 92084. Astounding new pubhQltion. Three lhousand edible species, many more lhousnnds of culliva,s, sourocs of supply .ind infonnation for c.ich entry ltH /loll,s mttnds 10 product anothtr amclt dtalmg mL>rt wtth local practice. /It is also dn<tlopmg a ~,.sfe11u b) and/or fJ<fJOnJ, engaged ,n t!M! rtaliuuu,n cf Parodi~ os a gartkn PltOJt stnd ,a-nts. and sugg6tions UJ him at 3020 Wht1t Oai. Cruk Rd : Burn.rvtllt.NC 287/4 l'ho4o COUJ1eSy of Ille Mo11n1ain Hcn1.1sc Ccnll!r :>i:A\hmh Journot JXUJe 32 Spnng, 1992 �o. (continued from page 8) I J !4'1 , •ft -, .,. just keep the meat out in the smokehouse. It was nothing to kill two or three yearlings to make the beef. My grandfather, he know'd how to blister beef and hang it up. He'd bum hickory wood to where it would just be a-making the smoke. We would cure hog meat and smoke that as well. We'd cook a piece of that ham down, and it would naturally-born have brown gravy. Yeah! Not guessed at. I know by experience. We'd always make sure to have greens in the spring, greens in the fall. In August, when we was plowin' the com for the last time, we sowed late greens in amongst the com. We'd sow turnips and rutabagas mostly. As soon as everything was put up, we started fall plowin'. We didn't have these fast tractors that can plow everything in a day or two, so we'd plow whenever we got the chance. We tried to get as much done in the fall as we could. And we plowed in the winter, if we were able. I've plowed many a day and it was snowing. It was a lot of work, back then, growing all our own food. But everybody did it. If anyone wanted to go out and do that now, I'd have only one thing to say ro them: "Get busy!" Halph Garrell is 71 years old, still working as a mason, and still living in his hometown · Sylva, NC in the Tuckasegee Rivu watershed. This article was excerpted from a conversation with Ralph recorded by David Wheeler and Avram Friedman on Jarwary 29, /992. Painting by Susan Adam Kalmia Center, Inc. Sylva, NC (704) 293-3015 Custom tilling, organic fe:rtilli:ers, kelp meal, colloidal phosphate & many more products and services for abundant gardening and healthful living. f'~.~11<\ "I told the Talking ua,-es isa mon1hly JOUfDA) of d~ ecology, inspired pm;onaJ aeriv1sm roo1ed Ill earthen sp,nruali1y. Pa.'il tSSUeS have fea1ured articles by Gary Snyder, Slarbawk, Jobn s-i, Joanna Macy, Bill Devall, Lone Wolf Circle!>, Barbara Mor, ecc. Ta/Jcj11g ua,-es ,peaks for the oarural world and for the rekindling of our oWD wild spmt. Subscriptions arc SI 8.00 one year/ S24.00 outSide U.S. Talking UOl't'S 1430 Willamette 11367 Eugene, OR 97401 503/342-2974 ,prl.n9, 1992 I.lo~. you "' 1n lfflc1 ul!ol9 me lo bllp UI tlluncll II ptOpitOOWIIUlnldol\1Alld I'm ""' ff I OIi lullw lllem I woutan I •Ill IO QIIN'CU!t II 111W datllls f«91' 11 TIii ll\S- IS IIO , - no!'' _.....,,..._'"'- Don't Pay Taxes for War ,fc,tlT'I It I\ 11'\d '"• 0 I! l National War Tex Resistance Coordinating Committee REGIONAL RADIO Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music programs, regional news and information concerning health, education, government, recreation, and the environment. PO Box 774 Monroe, ME 04951 WNCW- FM r.O. Box804 Spindale, NC 28160 12071525-7774 (704) 287-8000 �Si.las ~tcDowen -~n1inucd from p. II , , husbandry supplemented by a woolen cloth fac1ory. Are these the only iu:ms of new indusuies our moumain section is capable of?" He went on 10 suggest one more. "I have recently learned tha1 a man studied Fish culture, constructed him a lhree-acre pond near the city of Atlanta, Ga., and then from Florida procured a can of eggs of the Scaly Trout species." After hatching lhe eggs and raising lhe fish to marwity, lhe man realized an income of fifteen lhousand dollars in one year. Wanting to anempt a similar venlUie with mountain trout, McDowell had a small pond build amid a grove of oaks near his home. ',Oeir feed will consist of lhe waste from the kitchen and table, with all small animals tha1 come my way, chopped up fine, supplemented by a lazy ca1, in an emergency. 1bere is nOlhing but lhe lack of a pure srream and vim to hinder any man having a mountain fann, to do the same thing, and have fat trout for breakfast every day lbe year lbrough." McDowell lived long enough to see lhe impact of extractive industries on the mountain environment. When Western North Carolina's first corundum mine opened near McDowell's farm in 1871, he turned a disaster into a blessing. Thiny years before, a flood had swept across the best portion of his farm, "a fertile bonom field of about 50 acres." McDowell described the damage, " I found !hat field, on which I expected to make forty bushels of com to the acre, to be a miniature Sahara of white sand, and would no longer pay lhe expense of resetting and keeping up the fences." The field had remained in !his condition until the coming of the corundum mine, which was polluting the Cullasaja River. "As the mine was worked by means of a hose-pipe, a red stream of clay and water came running down the mountain's side defiling our beautiful river and Cb8$ing away lhe fish." •" • ·,• ft occurred to McDowell that he could protect the river and reclaim his field at lhc same time. ',Oanks to Sir Samuel Baker for his suggestions in relation 10 redeeming some of the African desens by silting chem with the muddy watc.rs of the Nile. And I forthwilh applied to Col Jenks, who controlled the mine, for leave to run a ditch down the mountain from lhc mine to my sands - a distance of three-fourths of a mile. The next thing I did, was to throw up a dike on the river side off the bottom, 10 hold on lhe sands the muddy waters until they are absorbed - a thing not hard 10 do, as the sands swallow them up very fast and 'thirst for more.' The water of my ditch performs the carrying service of ten dump cans, and does the thing for nothing and we may add, loads itself. This enterprise I view as my last act in life's drama, and I feel ambitious to do the lbing well, and make my bes! bow to my fellow-farmers as the curtain drops." Silas McDowell died in 1879. His life work, promoting agricultural practices appropriate to the region, endures. McDowell brought curiosity, ingenuity, perseverance and humor 10 the task, qualities that would enhance any effons to renew mountain agriculture as we approach the 21st century. 01992 Perry Eury and his wife, Laurel, are the founders of Kalrrua Center, Inc.. an org011iwtion devoted 10 Sfl!Will'dship of the land in •die,u;e to God Kalmia Center is a ,wn-profit organiu11ion ojferiflg sv.ices and produasfor abundant gardening and healthful living. Perry is completing a btx,i, entitled Appalachian Arcadia: Mouniain Fnrms and the _~ ProvidcnceofN31Un:. ~ HAWK'S HOOPS A unique experience in Designing, Creating, and Learning to Play your own Earth Instruments. SPfCIALIZING IN • OE.t}HS 0.:1oqon.,t .,nd Round • f.ATTLE5 Gouto .ind l!••h""' • ftUTE5 I!,,..,, am, and s.,mooo • t.AINHAKEIS c. 11,_1~ Sound l'l.lkm ttJWflUv,,t Rt l So• 2411 O.q,G•, NC 28fila '7041 26:11401 Jenti1ah Journal Pt196 34 REVIEW: "APPLE PIE IN YOUR FACE" as American as you a cassette by Robert Hoyl To paraphrase Edward Abbey, "lf you're going to fight for your country, you have to take on the government." Roben Hoyt remembers one moment that had a profound effect on bis life. He was leaving nonhem California after combatting corporate power and FBI harrassment as pan of the effon to save the old growth forest during Redwood Summer, 1990. A friend met during lhe action gave him a hug and said, "Roben, you're a good American." This insight crystalliz.ed in Roben's mind, and when he arrived back home in Georgia he wrote it down as a song: "All you good Americans read between the lines Help your siblings everywhere w open up closed minds Stand up to those who are ro blame For crimes commi11ed in our name, All you good Americans Things can't stay the same." Roben Hoyt "grew up a child of the military complex," moving from base to base. Yet somewhere along the way he found a vision of hope for a different kind of "American." His vision includes act.ion for peace, racial equality, and the environment; it involves compassion for animals and his fellow human beings. lt also involves outrage that lhe dreamkillers have a comer on the national vision. Roben has launched a personal crusade to assign a new meaning to the word "American." Robcn's original, guitar-driven music is about that struggle against the powers both internal and outside - that want to kill lhc world and stifle the human spirit. His newly-released cassette, as American as you, is a musical treat. The acoustic folk sound provided by Robcn, David Ormsby (bassist), and friends is fast-moving and crisp. Roben's unique singing voice is elecll'ic, charged with intensity and truth. His lyrics, too, are charged particles !hat do not abide a stagnant complacency, and if one harbors secre1 staShes of illusion, prejudice, or selfishness, they can sting. Yet to those whose hearts arc open to the world, the songs of Roben Hoyt arc energizing nnd enlightening. . The S~uth has a new regional pocL W1th his guuar, a paraplegic cat, and a lot to say, Roben is staning to travel more beyond his home city of Atlant3. Lisicn fOr him! We1I be hearing more from Roben Hoyt. -DW 'as American as you" is available on cassette/or $JO postpaid from Folk-the-Boat, 8 ox 2355; Decatur, GA 3003 I Spri-n9, 1992 �Emergency Appeal for European Seed-Saving Groups Political changes in Europe have not only upset govemmems. but have threatened the survival of over a dozen grassroot seed-saving and rare animal pre~rvation organizations. Nancy Arrowsmith, a well-published seed-saving promoter ~ow living in Austtia, repons that the resulung chaos threatens the survival of numerous non-governmental organizations (NGO's) involved in seed-saving projects and the potential loss of irreplaceable varieties of vegetables, grains and rare animal breeds. In her article, "Emergency Appeal For European Seed-Saving Groups"(l 991, Harvest Issue, Seed Savers Exchange), she outlines the activities of over a dozen organizations and provides contact addresses to which donations may be sent. These groups are solely responsible for the preservation and dissemination of open-pollinated, non-hybrid plants and rare animal breeds. For more information contact Nancy Arrowsmith, clo Noah's Arie; Postfach 139: A-3500 KreMU/ Donau, Austria. (DonaJions should bt! by checks made out in U.S. Currency). For a photocopy of the article men1ioned, write to Lu Barnes: P.O. Bo:;c 1303: Waynesville, NC. 28786. "The arc.i's old~ and larg~t natural foods grocery • Bulk Herbs, Spices, & Grains Vitamins & Supplements Wlieat, Salt & Yeast-Free Foods Dairy Substitutes Hair & Skill Care Products Beer & Wine Making Supplies 200 W. King St, Boone, NC 28607 (70-1) 264-5220 Listening to the Military "Save Our Rivers": The Armed Forces Listening Project, created by the Rural Southern Voice for Peace based in the Celo Community, Burnsville NC is looking for "a few good men and women" to survey active-duty soldiers at miJitary bases throughout the world. The Listening Project (see Kanlllh Journal #24) is an open-ended survey designed to involve both the listener and the speaker in a joint vemure of discovery. The Anned Forces Ustening Project is designed to stimulate nationaJ discussion about alternatives to violence, bridge ideological boundaries, and stimulate discussion about issues of personal responsibility and national ethics. Topics for this Listening Project will vary depending somewhat on the location, but will include: solving intemationaJ conflicts without violence; solutions to racial, religious, and ethnic strife, civilian-based defense, and especially questions generated by previous Armed Forces Listening Projects. The Arnled Forces Listening Project was begun at the US Marine base Camp LeJeune, where conscientious objectors to the Persian Gulf war were being court-manialed The Project subsequently traveled to naval bases at Norfolk, VA and St. Marys, GA. The Listeners found that sailors displayed "a strong streak of pragmatism." They were surprised that half the sailors interviewed were in disagreement with the Gulf War. HaJf the speakers also voiced suppon for nonviolent solutions to international conflict But as important as the stanling answers that they heard, were the effects on the interviewers of personal contacts with military personnel. Volunteer Lois Miller said, "The Listening Project was a revelation to me. I had no idea that I would encounter such depth of feeling from big, tough Marines." To take pan in future chapters of the Armed Forces Listening Project, write: Rural Southern Voice for Peace; 1898 Hannah Branch Rd.; Burnsville, NC 28714 or call {704) 675-5933. The Cassette Tape The Town of Highlands, NC_ h!IS obtained a permit to dump half a million gallons of wastewater per day int~ the scenic Cullasaja River. Appeals, both neighborly and legal, have so far proved futile. This river has always been used for recreation. Since ancient times it has been used for the Cherokee Indian ritual of Going to Water. Since 1837 local churches have held baptisms in lhe river. Local musicians have rallied and produced a tape containing original songs by Barbara Duncan and gospel runes sung by the Foxfire Boys. Barbara sings "Save Our Rivers," the group's theme song; "You Don't Miss Your Water Til Your Well Runs Dry," written years ago but unfonunately still timely; "Go Fishin'," "the only real love song she has ever written," according 10 her husband; and the beautiful ''Rainbow Springs." The Foxfire Boys were recorded live in a concen in Clayton, GA. The churches of Macon County, panicularly the Baptisis, have united in the effon to protect the Cullasaja. The tape "Save Our Rivers" is available for $10.00 postpaid from Save Our Rivers; Box. 122; Franklin, NC 28734. FUTONS ETC. ~~ ... the new al temative to the sleeper sofa with over 4,000 years of customer satisfaction built in. ~ ,. r/ 'Thu ~ S aru!JMush Htrb Nur-se,y WREATHS • POTPOURRI NATIVE FLUTES • HERBS • TOPIARY Complete I ferb Catalog - $4 Describes more titan 800 plants from Aloe to Yarraw Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road Leicester, North Carolina 28748 Plione for appointment to visit (704) 683-2014 Sprin<J, 1992 Two styles made of cedar or walnut woods in the traditional manner WHOLE FOODS VITAMINS ORGANI C P RODUCE 160 Broadway Hawk Littlejohn Sourwood Farm Asheville, North Carolina Rt 1, Box 172-l Open 7 Days a Week Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm Prospect Hill, NC 27314 (919) 562-3073 )(.ati&an Joumm poge 35 �The Katuah Tapes TURTLE ISLAND BIOREGIONAL CONGRESS V POPULATION EXPLOSION "ln the next seven years the population of Nonh Carolina will explode. Are you ready? 'The August issue of MaIUTiry Market Perspectives predicted Nonh Carolina will be fifth in the nation as a retirement choice. This is in addition to the regular population movement from Florida to North Carolina. "Seeking to escape from a nightmare of pollution, high crime, water shonages, and traffic congestion, these re-retirees are heading north ..." This is not a warning to county commissioners and planners to have their 1.0ning ordinances in place. This is a call to action for developers and real estate investors from Green Watch, an environmental newsleuer for the real estate indusuy. (Environmental? Yes, "the financial environment of real estate." as the paper's masthead proclaims in green ink.) Another word of environmental wisdom from Green W01ch; "Remember, they aren't making any more Nonh Carolina." - - life's nec1:Ssitiesfarlas - - Tara Clayton, a long-time friend of the Kat1wh Journal from Rougemont., NC, is May 17-24 Camp Stewart, Kerrville, near San Antonio, Texas Every two years people gather from all the bioregions of the Turtle lsland continent 10 communicate and celebrate the bioregional movement at the Continental Bioregional Congress. This year the event is being held in south central Texas. The focus of the 1992 Congress is on Circles of Change. These are levels of work ar the gathering and in people's home bioregions: - Mapping and Organizing - Links of Communication - The BioregionaJ Story - Living at Home, and - Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration There will also be time devoted to sharing biorcgional cultures, men's and women's gatherings, and young people's activities. Admission will be by preregistration only and all registrations must be received before May l. Registration is $225-300 for adults, $100 per child aged 3- 11. All food and lodging are included for the entire week of the Congress. Checks should be made paynble to "Realistic Living· TIBC V." now recording the contents of each issue of the journal on cassette Ulpes "for the purpose of reaching elderly Native Americans in the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham and for nursing homes as well." Others who are interested in procuring recorded versions of the Katuall Journal may be able to purchase tapes from Tara. Anyone who would like 10 send n donation to help this idea along is encouraged 10 do so, as funding for the project is limited. ConlOCt: TaraClayr.on Box461 Ballama, NC 27503 Mail to: Realistic Living; Box 140826; Dallas, TX 75214. FRENCH BROAD Fooo Co,oP 90 Bn.TMOR£ A ~ ~ AsKEvu.LE (704)255-7650 your community grr,«ry•tou ....,.,....,...... 10,_.. ....,....... ,,.. .................... EARTH KIN Programs to 81'1COU'oge 58lf and Earth oworeoess. celetl<allon. kl~p and hope O~<::?Jto c\....., S c ~ s l'\UI\"\..$ to""°'itlG- t.ool(.S CA.~~s ~086~ 1804 ~-\)~'l, M.c. Q.871$- • You1h Camp& • School Program, • Fam,ly Camp& • Teacher Tnalning • CommUOlly Union Acres Programs • Camp Slal1 Tra,n,ng • Ou1door Prog,.m Conl\Jllong An Alternative j PO 800C 130C> Gottinbl.fg. Teme~ 37738 61 S-43o-6203 NATURf\L MARKET WHOLE FOODS • BI.Jl..K FOODS • VITAMINES • HERBS • FAT FREE FOODS• TAKE OlJT FOODS • SNACKS • NO SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL 265 2700 823 Blow,ng Rock Rd Boone, NC 28607 Acrolgtfur Salt - Smoky Mountain living with• focus on spiritlllll and «ologiclll tlQ/ues For more information: Contact C. Grant at Routt 1. &x 61/ Whittier, NC 28789 (704) 497-4964 whole earth grocery • NATURAL ALTERNATIVES FOR HEALTHFUL LIVING -146 c J>.lrkway cr~ft center • suite 11 g;,tlinburg. tcnn~ 37738 615-436-6967 �ECHOES OF AVERY • a cassellC recording or songs writlen and performed by Avery Q>uniy, NC elementary school Sllldcnts with artis1 in residence Thad Beach. Historical songs with II regional flavor, lyric reciiaLion and singing. Casscuc liner includes lyrics. Send $4 .95 (includes posiage} io: Thad Beach; RL 2, Box 422, Waynesville. NC 28786. THE RJVER CANE RENDEZVOUS 1992 • is on April 28th - May 3rd a1 Unicoi Staie Park an Georgia featuring in-depth canhskills training, tools & techniques for living in the natural world. Over a dozen top.ranked instructors including Snow Bear, Dany Wood, Doug Elliot, Tammy Beane, Jim Riggs, John & Geri McPherson. Scott Jones, Sieve Wa:us and Oierolcee elders Walker Calhoun, Eva Bigwiteh and Eddie Bushyhead. $145.00 regisualion includes meals. For more info eontac1 Bob Slack c/o Unicoi SLalC Park; Helen, GA 30545 (404) 878-2201. BEGINNING CHEROKEE LANGUAGE BOOK· supplemenled with two casseues. Slll:Sses alphabet & proper pronunciation. The first textbook wriuen for use in IC8Cbing and learning the Cherokee language. (346 pages) S39.95 plus $5.00 shipping. Catalog also available with ca.~ . books. pipes, dance slicks, drums, feathers, furs, buffalo products and more. Craft supplies also available. (plcaso specify). Send $2.00 to the Muskrat Trader; P.O. Box 20033; Roanoke. VA 24018. HIGHLANDER CENTER - is a community-based educational organization whose purpose is to provide space for people to learn from each other. and to develop solutions to environmenlal problems based on their values. experiences. and aspirations. They also publish a quarterly newsletier called Highlander Reports. For more info contact Highlander Cerucr; 1959 Highlander Way: New Mankel, 1N 37820 (615) 933-3443 PCEDMOm' BIOREGlONAL INSTITIJTE · For those who Ii vc in the Piedmont area, there's a biorcg.ional effon well undc.way. Join Us! We would appreciate any dooalion or Lime or money to help meet opcra1ing expenses. For a gif1 of $25.00 or morc, we will send you a copy oCJohn Lawson's journal, A New Voyage to Carolina. Also come find ou1abou1 the Lawson Project PBI; 412 W Rosemary S1ree1; Chapel Hill, NC 27516; Uwharria Province. (919) 942-2581. EARN $200-$500 • wcclcly mailing travel brochures. For informal.ion send a siampcd 3ddn:.sscd envelope to: Galaxy Travel, lnc.; P.O. Box 13106; Silver Springs, MD 20911. I WV£ TH£ EARTH - a casseue recording of environmental songs by the GrcaJ Smoky Mo110U1ins JnsLi1u1c at Tremont in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Eanh Day. Includes "SCAT rap," "Tho Garbage Blues; and morc. S9.95 plus $2.50 shipping for each tasSellC. Mail Otder plus check to Grea1 Smoky Mountains N&1uml History Associauon: 115 Park HcadqWlltCrs Rd.: G11Llinburg, TN 37738. NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIALS Hnndcrafled Native American Ceremonial supplies, include Drums. Cus1om Pipes. Medicine B3gs, Swcctgnw, Sage, Feathers, Rawhide R:ur.Jes, Tobaccos. Pipe Bags, Native AuteS, and more! For free catalogue write: P.O. Box 1062-K Cherokee, NC28719. • Spf1,n9, J992 NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIAL HERBS • we offer a lllrge variety of sages, sweet gross, natural resins, and evcsything necessary for smudging. Native smoking mix1urcs, 0ute music, pow-wow tapes, and ceremonial songs. EssentW oils. and incenses specifically made for prayer, offering, and meditation. For catalog call or write: Essencial Dreams; Rt 3, Box 285; Eagle Fork; Hayesville, NC 28904 (704) 389-9898. SUMMER APPRENTICE WEEK JULY 3·9 Weekend opt.ion, July 3·5. Wtth Wise Woman Tradition leacher Whitewolf. Workshops, weed walks, harvesting medicinal hetbs, Moonlodge, Women's Spiri1uali1y. Beautiful location one bouJ from Asheville. Cornfonable dorm or tenting: vegelari3n meals included. Sljding scale. work-exchange avai.lable. Write: Wolf, P.O. Box 576; Asheville, NC 28802. THE ALTERNATIVE READING ROOM· is an unconvenlional library, free and open to lhe public. Our collection interests include lhc envll'Ollllleni. social and poliLical issues, lhe media and peace. We have over 200 magazine suMCripLions. The book and video collections also emphasize the environmcot and political concems. Books and VCR's can be checked OUI. A VCR player is available for watehing films in lhc reading room. Located 812 Wall St #114: Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 252-2501. Mon/Wed/Fri 6-Spm • Tues/Thur 1-8pm • Sat/Sun l-6pm COHOUSING COMMUNITY BEING FORMED· in lhe Asheville area Residenis organize, plan, and design a cooperative community where individual homes cluster around a common hoUS8 with shm.d facilities- laundry, workshops, children's room, dining room, cu:. Opponunitles for energy efficient, ecologically sound land use. Inquiries invited. Contact: John Senechal; P.O. Box 1176; Weaverville, NC287&7 (704) 658-3740. A VIDEO ABOUT LAND TRUSTS • has been produced by lhe Land Trust Alliance to explain in layman's tcnns what a land trust is. 2.7 million acres of land have been saved by nonproli1 land trust organizations in America, This video documents this movement's successes. Cos1 is S2l.00 for individuals and $14.SO for LTA members (include $4.SO for J)OSl3gc). Contact: The Land Trust Alliance; 900 17th SI. NW Suite 410: Washington, DC 20006 (202) 785-1410. HAWKWIND EARTH RENEWAL COOPERATIVE - is o 77 acre wilderness reucot locatcd on Lookout Mountain Parkway in norlhcm Alobama. Easy access, safe family camping, year round weekend programs fealUring Nalive American elders and earth teachers from around lhc world. Strong spiritual foundation with Earth Renewal emphasis, membership discoun1 co-op. There is no charge for Native American ceremonies; rescrvali.ons rcqu.irod for all visits please. Childcare often available. Wriie: P.O. Box I I; Valley Head, AL 35989 (205) 635-6304. For quancrly ncwslcuer 1111d program updlucs send S10.00. TURTLE ISLAND PRESERVE· Summer Youth Camps nre a unique cnvironmcnlal education experience_ Learn primitive living skills, Appalachian Mountain living skills. ond Eanh awareness. • Boys Camp (ages 11-17) June 28 -July 11. •GirlsCamp(ages 11- 17)July 12-July 18. • Junior Youth Camp (ages 7-10) June 14 • 20. For more info conlaCt: EuslllCC Conway; RL I. Box 249-B; Deep Gap, NC 28618 (704) 265-2267. LIFETIMES & AGES - a new release from Bob Avery-Grubel full of new age vocal music ~ploring lhe mystery or life - lyrics included. Available on casseuc for SI0.00 plus :SJ.00 shipping, and oo CD for S 15.00 plus $1 .00 shipping. Send to: Bob Avery Grubel; Rt. I, Box 735; Floyd, VA 24-091. DAVID & CATifY BROWN • known by lheir friends as Ahwi & Wohali arc looking 10 network wilh people who live in lhe Katuah area and who wan1 to form o community along tradilional Cherokee lines as closely as possible. They are both of Cherokee-Scots hcricage. They have lhree home-schooled boys who would like some pen )'31s. If you are inierestcd in ne1WOrking conlllCt: Ahwi & WohaU Brown: 1915 Buckley Sireet; Chattanooga. TN; Chickamaugan D1striel 37404. • Webworking costs! T~re is now a charge ofS2.JO (pre-paid) per entry of50 words or lus. Submit entries for Issue #35 by May 15th 199210: Rob Messick; Box 2(,(JJ; Boone.NC 28607. (704) 754-«>97. Alternatives ... The Diuctory of ln1tntio11al Conumu1111e., is lhe product or 1wo years of intensive rcscarcil, and is lhe mosl comprehensive and accuraic dirccLOry a,ailable. II documcnis the vi~ion nnd the daily hfc of more than 350 communi1ies in Nol'lh America, and more than 50 on other continenL~. Each community\ listing includes name, address, phone, and a dcscnJ)tlon of lhe group. Ex1CDs1vc cross-rclercnc mg and imkxmg makes the information =y 10 access for a wide vanc1y of users. Includes mnps, over 250 addiuonal Resource listings. and 40 rel3tcd a.rucles. 32!1 P3gcs 8-1/]:,.l l Perfectbound Ocwbcr 1990 ISBt,; Number: 0-9602714-1-4 $16.00 Adil S2.00 postage & h3Jldling for first book. S.50 for each additional; 40% discount on orders of 10 or more. Alpha Fann. Deadwood, OR (503J964--5l02 ... �18 GIU".AT SMOKU:S PARK ·Gourmc1 Gnvin' in Ille Great Smolucs· class will le:leh edible pl.int ID and preparation Pre-register S30. For mfo on this and other field courses, comact Smoky Mounlain Field School, Un1v~1y of Tcmiesscc, Non-Credit Programs, 600 Henley St.. Suite IOS, Knoxville, TN 37902. (800) 284-8885. 21 ASHEVILLE/CLEVELAND National Day of Outtage Against the US Forest Service. Let the forests live!! Demonstrations wiU be held at 11 am al Forest Service offices in Asheville, NC and Cleveland, TN. For infonnation about the Asheville action, call (704) 299-0860 or (704) 586-3146. For information about the Cleveland action, call (615) 524-4771. GREAT SMOKIES PARK Spring WildOowcr Pilgrimage. G u,ded walks to the bcs1 wlldOowcr Siu:.s in the Parle. lntcipretative prcscnllllions each evening. Conl3CL 23-25 evencs SWANNANOA, NC Annual Western North Carolina Environmental Summit will be hosted by Warren Wilson College and include infonnation on current issues, workshops and a legislative update. Pre-register: contaet WNC Alliance; Box 18087; Asheville, NC 28814. (704) 258-8737. BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC "Facing the Automobile Crisis" cransportation issues conference will examine NC's ttansponation priorities and feasible alternatives. Man:ia Lowe, senior researcher with Worldwatch institute, keynote speaker. Workshops, panels. Ar Camp Rockmont. Pre-register: $75-125 includes meals and lodging. Contact WNC Alliance (704) 258-8737 or (704) 689-5988. 4 28-5/3 MARCH 4 18 FULL MOON/ WORM MOON 21 SPRING EQUINOX 21 SWANNANOA,NC Foll Moon Sweat Lodge beg.ins at noon. Fat info about participaiing, and dau:.s of GSMNP; Gatlinburg, TN 37738. (61S) 436-1262. 24-26 Oilier monthly full moon lodge ccn:monies, con1a0t The Earth Cenlcr, 302 Old Fellowship Rd., Swannanoa, NC 28n8. (704) 298-3935. 27-29 BOONE, NC African Drumming Workshop, presented by Rhythm Alivcl at H1l11Dp Haven Rctrc3t Center. Prc-rcgi5uauon rcqwred: drums available eo rent for lbe woricshop with advllllCC notice. Coniac1 Akal Der Shatonnc 01 (704) 264-1384. for info on Olher dlUmming workshops and events, con111e1 Rhythm Alive!; Box 3331; Asheville, NC 28802. (704) 255-8020. KNOXVILLE, TN River Rescue - cleaning up the fLTSt 50 miles of the Tennessee River. Help the Clean Water Project clean up the river! For infonnation, call the Center for Global Sustainability at (615) 524-4771. 9 18-29 VALLEY HEAD, AL ASHEVILLF.., NC Forestry Commission Forum w1U Seventh generation Cherokee herbalist, Medicine Bear (D. Walt Burchcu) will :Juw knowledge abou1 lhc use or plants during a 1wo diay workshop. Pre-rcgisier: $125. For info on lhlS and n~~.ct WOllcshops, comact Hawkw,nd Eartb Renewal Cooperative; Box 11; Valley Head, AL 35989. inv11e di5cussion of forest use and wildlands preservation. Co-Sl)OnSOl'Cd by Sierra Club and other group~. Contact Nick Stcfanou at (704) 685-3881. (20S) 635-6304. Environmental and Earth Skills Famil)• Gruhcring, with Hawk and Ayal HW1'1. Fire by friction, uacl:ing and $Ulll<1ng, sptnt animal journeys, plant and medicine walks, llinllulapping, cordage nnd hide 13ruling. Adults: $80, chi~: S70. Contac:1 Long Bl'OIICh Environmcnwl Education Center: RL 2, Box 132; Lc1ces1cr, NC 28748. (704) 683-3662. APRIL 3-5 SWANNANOA,NC ApprcntJce cias:; with Morgan Eaglcbcar will e.tpl~ IJlc proper use of herbs and other '1calmg tools from the Native American perspective. First clllS.~ in a four-pan series. For info on Lhii and other classes, con1ae1 The Eanh Ccnlet. Sec 3/21. Xouiah JournaL p~ 38 ' 10-12 17 LEICESTER, NC HELEN, GA ''Rivercane Rendezvous" is Eanhskills !raining, tools, and techniques for living in the natural world. Instructors include Snow Bear, Drury Wood, Doug Elliott, Tammy Beane, Jim Riggs, and Cherokee elders Walker Calhoun, Eva Bigwitch and Eddie Bushyhead. Pre-register: $145 includes meals. Contact Bob Slack, Jr., Unicoi State Park, Helen, GA 30545. (404) 878-2201. MAY 1-3 TANASr RIDGE Bchane (May Day) Gatbc:ring BJ Morningstar Farm. May pole, song, dancing. Celebrate High Spnng! For informntion and uavcl directions, call (704) 586-3146. 1-3 ROAN MOUNTAJN, TN 34th Annual Roan Moun111m WildOowcr Tours and Birdwalks. Con111e1 Ro:in Moun111in Sl3le Park at (615) 7n-3303. Fl;LL MOON /PTNK MOOS Drawing by Rob Mel.Sick Spr~»9. 1992 �··:KATUAH 2 WFSTF.RN NORTH CAROLINA Clean SIJ'Callls Day will involve coordinated clean.up in Buncombe, Madison, Henderson and Transylvania counties. For info and lrnShbags, contac1 Quality Forward. Soc 4/6. MARSHALL, NC Spoon Carving WOl'kshop is an introduction 10 lmditional woodworking IOOls and rcchniqoes, iaughl by Drew Langsner. Pre-regis1cr: SISO includes meals and camping (dormilory also available). For info on this and other woodworking classes. conU1C1 Country Workshops, 90 Mill Creek Road, Marshall, NC 28753. (704) 656-2280. KONFUSION =· Rob Messic\<. coniact Great Smoky Mount:1ins lnslltulc at Tremoni; Rt I, Box 700; Townsend, TN 37882. (615) 448-6709. JUNE HOT SPRINGS, NC "Taoist Medilation for Beginners" will include instruction, group mcdiuuion, and periods or silence. Led by Linda Gooding Md Sllaron Reif. Pre-register: S145 includes vegan meals Md lodging. For info on this and other retreats, conLaC1 Southern Dhnrma Rctre31 Center. RL I, Box 34-H,: H01 Springs, NC 28743. (704)622-7112. 5.7 16 FULL MOON / FLOWER MOON 2·3 9-10 VALLEY HEAD, AL Earth Slcills workshop with Darry Wood. "Wilh a knife. on axe, and a saw, I can mnke a life in lhe woods.· R~l and undcrsianding are what allow us lO live ligh1ly on lhe land. Hawkwind Earth Renewal Cooperative. See 3/28-29. 14-18 CHEROKEE NF Sou!hPAW Spring Council. Join the region's biocentric environmental group to plan forest rescue and !he Kan1ah evolutionary preserve. USFS appeals, paving moratorium, Earth skills, non-violence training for direct action, and more. At Jennings Creek area. For travel directions and info, caJI (615) 543-5107 or (704) 299-0860. GREAT SMOKIES PARK Spring Naturalis1 Wccl(cnd is a chance lO lewn about the natural hisiory oflhc park Crom local cxpertS. lnstruciors will include Dr. Mike PellOn, Dr. Fred Alsop, and Dr. Ed Clebsch. Pre-register: S75 includes meals Md lodging. For info on lhis and other progrnms, 15-17 KERRSVILLE, TX The Fifth Tunic Island Biorcgional Congress. Bioregional people from across the continent will gather 10 celebrate and sll':llCgi1.e an ecoccnlric way of living. Pre-register: $225-300 includes meals and lodging. ConlllCt: Realistic Living; Box 140826; Dallns, TX 75214. (903) 583-8252. 17-21 The Black Mountain Festival. Four days of great music with Goose Creek Symphony, Norman and Nancy Blake, Ada Korey, The Chicken Wire Gang, Brooks Williams, songs and stories for children wiLh Bob Rosentahl, Ian Bruce from Scot.land, Steelorama reggae, the Flying Mice, other performers, and more dancers than ever before! $65 for the duration. For more info, call (704) 669-2456. CHEROKEE, NC Sieve Moon, shell engravings. and Joel Queen, s10ne sculplUl'C and pouery, in a two-person show at lhe Musewn of lhc Cherokee Indian. 30 WAYNESVILLE, NC Bead Weaving workshop: me peyote stilCh for medicine or spirit bag weaving. Pre-register. $30 plus materials. For info on this and olhcr programs, conl3Ct Sl.il-Ligh1 Theosophical Retreat Center; RL I, Box 326; Waynesville, NC 28786. (704) 452-456 /, - Spr~. 1992 - ' Kaluah Province 28748 For more info: call Rob Messick a1 (704) 754-6097 PO Box 638 Leicester, NC Regular Membership ........$10/yr. Address Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contributor.....................$50/yr. State Zip FULL MOON 20 SUMMER SOLSTICE AMONG THE TREES Katunh Rainbow Tribe Solstice Gathering. Somewhere in lhe national forest brothas and sisters will gather 10 create a magical village or love and lighL Location Md exact dates 10 be annoWlCed. For information wriie lO HO! Newsle11er, Box 5455; Allania. GA 30307, or call Allanta Rainbow Light Line, (404) 662-6112. 17(?)-21 Enclosed is $::----- to give !his effort an extra boost 12-14 MASSANETT A SPGS., VA 6th Annual National Forest Refonn Pow Wow will include group discussions, workshops and field trips 10 view several forest management techniques. Pre-register: $76-122 includes meals and lodging or campsite. Contact Forest Reform Network; 5934 Royal Lane (Suite 223); Dallas, TX. 75230. (214) 368-1791. 3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-27, 29-33 - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - Ke°UA~OURNAL Name 15 23-24 - -- -- - -- -- - - -- -- - --- - --- -- - -- City JOHNSON CITY, TN "Places and the Displaced" is drama inspired by lhe quinccntcnninl of Columbus's voyage, written and performed by The Road Company. Box 5278, Johnson City, 1N 37603. (615)926-7726. 22-25 BLACK MO UNTAIN, NC BACK ISSUFS OFKATUAH JOURNALAVAILABLE 34 9-13 ---- Back Issues; Issue# __@ $2.50 = s.--Jssue # __@ $2.50 = $•--Issue# __@ $2.50 = s.--lssue # __@ $2.50 = $____ Issue# __@ $2.50 = $_ __ postage paid $_ __ Complete Set: (3-10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-32) postage paid @ $50.00 = $_ __ Phone Number XA~ JournaL page 39 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource 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 34, Spring 1992 Description An account of the resource The thirty-fourth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on sustainable agriculture and regional diet. Authors and artists in this issue include: Joe Hollis, Hugh Lovel, Ralph Garrett, Peter Bane, Perry Eury, Allison C. Sutherland, Bear With Runs, Mark Schonbeck, John Ingress, Lee Barnes, Charlotte Homsher, Rob Messick, David Wheeler, Emmett Greendigger, Michael Thompson, James Rhea, Dawn Shiner, Troy Setzler, Erbin Crow, Caroline Rowe Martens, and Susan Adam. 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 1992 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Paradise Gardening by Joe Hollis.......3 Community Sponsored Agriculture by Hugh Lovel.......5 "If You Didn't Grow It..." by Ralph Garrett.......7 Eating Close to Home by Peter Bane.......9 Silas McDowell's Vision by Perry Eury.......11 Poems by Allison C. Sutherland.......12 Native Foods by Bear with Runs.......13 Cover Crops by Mark Schonbeck.......15 Plan for Tomorrow: Hemp by John Ingress.......17 Katúah Cultivars by Lee Barnes.......18 Blowing in the Wind by Charlotte Homsher.......19 The Web of Life: A Katúah Almanac by Lee Barnes and Rob Messick.......20 Good Medicine.......22 Natural World News.......24 "Whose Rules?" by David Wheeler.......26 Big Ivy by Emmett Greendigger and David Wheeler.......27 Drumming.......28 Saving Wild Seeds by Lee Barnes.......29 Resources.......31 Review: "Apple Pie in Your Face".......34 Webworking.......37 Events.......38 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 Sustainable agriculture--Appalachian Region, Southern Appalachians (People)--Social life and customs--History Community-supported agriculture--Appalachian Region, Southern Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs--History Cover crops--Appalachian Region, Southern Permaculture--Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s Agriculture Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Congress Black Bears Book Reviews Cherokees Community Ecological Peril Economic Alternatives Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Good Medicine Habitat Health Katúah Permaculture Pigeon River Plants and Herbs Poems Radioactive Waste Reading Resources Stories Turtle Island Water Quality Western North Carolina Alliance Wilderness https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/501565e7337d54952a1f1a4f817e1d07.pdf e2930310495291405c931b80c288e056 PDF Text Text $ 2.00 ISSUE 35 SUMMER 1992 ..:··.:·'. .. .... ·· ······· ...... ....... ·..······· ·-·-:.··········· ····,. ..~.. ··..··,. �Drawing by Rob Messick ~UAHJOURNAL PO Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 287 48 Postage Paid Bulk Mall Permit #18 Leicester, NC 28748 f .,c.\ e o,. @ C, ,l {IC () r. Printed on recycled papcT ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED �eoNrENTs0 Consensus........................ 1 by Caroline Estes Decision-Making Process....... 4 by Joyce Johnson Problems with Consensus...... 5 by Rob Messick Tribal Council.................... 6 by Bear With Runs Elda................................ 9 by Lucinda Flodin The State of Franklin............ 11 by David Wheeler Where the Trees Outnumber the People.................... 14 by Stephen Wing In Council with All Beings..... 16 by Lee Barnes Steve Moon: Shell Engravings............ 17 Good Medicine................... 18 Natural World News............ 20 A Look Back..................... 23 by caroline Estes by Will Ashe Bason Are Bioregions Too Big? ....... 24 by Rob Messick Practices for Full Self- Rule... 25 by Clear Marks Drumming........................ 26 Jury Nullification................ 28 by Karen Fletcher Review: Beyond the limits............... 29 by Rob Messick Events............................. 32 Webworking..................... 34 Summer, 1992 Consensus is based on the belief that each person has some pan of the truth and no one has all of it (no matter how mui::h we would like to believe so) and on a respect for all persons involved in the decision that is being considered. ln our present-day society the governing idea is that we can trust no one, and therefore we must protect ourselves if we are to have any security in our decisions. The most we will be willing to do is compromise. This means we are willing to settle for less than the very best - and !hat we will always have a sense of dissatisfaction with any of our decisions unless we can somehow maneuver others involved in the process. This leads to a skewing of honesty and fonhrighmess in our relationships. In the consensus process, we start from a different basis. The assumption is that we are all truscwollhy (or at least can become so). The process allows each person complete power over the group. The central idea for the Quakers was the complete elimination of majorities and minorities. If there were differences of view at a Quaker meeting, as there were likely to be in such a body, the consideration of the question at issue would proceed, with long periods of solemn hush and meditation, until slowly the lines of thought drew together toward a point of unity. Then the clerk would frame a minute of conclusion, expressing the "sense of the meeting." Built into the consensual process is the belief that all persons have some part of the truth, or what in spiritual terms might be called "some part of God," in them. and that we will reach a better decision by putting all of the pieces of the truth together before proceeding. There are indeed limes when it appears that two pieces of the truth arc in · contradiction to each other, but with clear thinking and auention. the whole may be perceived which includes both pieces, or many pieces. The either/or type of argument does not advance this process. Instead, the process is a search for the very best solution to whatever is the problem. That does not mean that there is never room for error - but on the whole, in my experience, it is rare. This process also makes a direct application of the idea that all persons are equal. If we do indeed trust one another and do believe that we a!J have pans of the truth, then ac any time one person may know more or have access to more information • but at another time, others may know more or have more access or bett.cr understanding. Even when we have all the facts before us, it may be the spirit that is lacking and comes forth from another who secs the whole better than any of the persons who have some of the pans. All of these contributions are impo11ant. Decisions which all have helped shape and in which all can feel united make the canying out of the necessary action go Oraw111g by Rob Messick (contirwed on page 3) Xatimh Journat page 1 �~UAHJOURNAL EDITORIAL STAPH TIHS ISSUE: Maria Abbruzzi Lee Barnes Heather Blair Chris Davis Judith Hallock Charlotte Homsher Willow Johnson, lheQuwcctor Thanks to Jim Rob Messick Nancy Odell Michael Red Fox James Rhea Rodney Webb David Wheeler Houser for inspiring the "Councils" theme for this issue. COVER: by Rob Messick ©1992 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE PUBLISHED BY: Karuah Journal Here, in the Katuah Province of these ancient Appalachian mountains where once the Cherokee Nation lived in freedom between the Tennessee River Valley and the Eastern Piedmont between the Valley of the Roanoke and the Southern Plain on this Tunle Island continent of Mother Ela, the Earth PRTNTED BY: The Waynesville Moumaineer Press EDITOR JAL OFFICE TI TTS ISSUE: Billy Home and Gardens, Asheville, NC WRITE US AT: Kattwh Journal Box 638; Leicester, NC; Katuah Province 28748 Here, In this place we dedicate ourselves to remembering our deep connection to the spirit of the land. We bring this connection into the being and the doing of our daily lives When the land spealcs, we listen and we act We tune our lives 10 the changes, to the seasons We respect the limits of the land We preserve, defend, and restore lhe land We give !hanks for all that is good TELEPHONE: (704) 754-6097 Diversity is an important clement of bioreg,onnl ecology, both runuml and social. In accord with this principle Karuah Journal irics to serve as a forum for the discussion of regional isrucs. Signed articles express only the opinion of the authors and arc not necessarily the opinions of the Katuah Jounial ediun or staff. The Internal Revenue Service has declared Katuah Journal a non-profit organiuition under section 501 (c)(3) of the lntemnl Revenue Code. All contributions to Katuah Journal arc deductible from personal income lllX. Ham1ony with the land is no longer an ideal; it is an imperative. The land is a living being. She is sacred. As the land lives, so do we. As the spirit of the land is diminished, our spirits are diminished as well. Articles appearing in KaJuahJournal may be reprinted in other publications with pcnnission from lhc Katuah Journal struT. Contact the journal in writing or call (704) 754-6097. Kattwh Joturwl sends a voice... with anicles, stories, poems, and artwork we speak to the spirit of all the living, breathing inhabitants of these mountains in hopes that we, lhe human beings, may find our place in this Great Life. 'LN VOCA.TLON - Empowering the Cowu:il Feather Great Spirit, Divine Mother, we know this feather came to us from you, we know it's first purpose in lhe Oeation is to fly empower it so !hat each of us who talces it in tum may look down as the great eagle circling over our Council, empower us so that each may speak as the wind speaks from our own comer of lhe Creation, looking down over the long shoulder of the horizon The Editors KATUAH JOURNAL wants to communicate your thoughts andfeelings to other people in the bioregional province. Send them to us as letters, poems, stories, articles, drawings. or plwtographs, etc. Please send your comriburions 10 us a1: Katuah Journal; P.O. Box 638; Leicester, NC; Kan,ah Province 28748. OUR NEXT ISSUE will be about the role of wood in lhe life of the mountains. Please send anicles evaluating the present timber industry. logging stories. and visions of ecological and sustainable ways to cut and use wood. Please also send pictures and drawings of trees. wood, and woodworkers. Deadline is August 8th 1992. - Stephen Wing/ '\'"' ..... ~ •1 \ • • t.,1 I • I •• J ' .. ... THE WINTER ISSUE will be an assortment including stories for good winter reading and possibly renewable energy systems. Deadline is October, 30th 1992. 8 ti b"• .\Jo/ I ~~~·/~~ �(continued from page I) forward wiLh more efficiency, power, and smoothness. This applies L persons, o communities, a.nd naLions. Given the enonnous issues and problems before us, we need LO use the ways thaL will best enable us to move forward Logether. The above is an ucerpt/rom an essay in Home: A Bioregional Reader, tdittd by Van Andruss, Christopher and Judith Plant, and Eleanor Wright (New Society Publishers, 1990). (First printed in The New Catalys1, 1tJ. Spring. 1986) Speaking with CAROLINE ESTES: A Phone InLerview - May, 1992 Kanwh: When you are faciliLating, how do you see yourself acting in the group? CE: As a servant LO the group; to help them come 10 the best decision they can make wiLh those present. Katlltlh: And 10 do that you have to be assiduously neutral. CE: That's right. Katuah: But it also goes beyond that, because when you are working at the Bioregional Congress, I feel you are putting out a lot of energy to...cemer yourself spiritually, could you say that? CE: Yes, you could say that. The way I put it is that when I am doing consensusmaking facilitation r try to keep myself as a clear stream. I am noL impeding; I have nothing in me that is directing. and yet l am there, in the spiritual sense, LO be as much help as l can possibly be. Ninety percent of facilitation is knowing your group on that level. Only te n percent of iL is knowing the subject matter and understanding the words and all of Lhat. MosL of what you are working wiLh is totally subjective and understanding the "vibes." l don't have all the new age tenninology down, but it's definitely true that as a facilitator of large groups. you have to be in tune with the group. If you're not, don'L facilitate. Karuah: It's not a mechanistic thing at all. CE: Absolutely. That's the reason I get slightly hysterical when people say anyone can facilitate. Katttal1: What is the most difficult job you ever had LO facilitate? CE: I can think of times when it didn't work, bu1 the one thot strained the group the most and we actually got the group Lhrough it, was at the second Bioregional Congress at Lake Leelanauw, Michigan when the group tried LO pass a spirituality statement. A resolution on spirituality was brought before the group. Everyone was favorably impressed and, I think, was preparing to Sum mer, 1992 i\...) . adopt it, when two people who had been on the fringe of the Congress all week moved forward 10 say that they blocked it. That was very hard 10 hear because they had not been integral Lo the Congress, and yet they had been there, and since the Congresses are open groups they had the right 10 do this. They were not articulate, so we could not figure out easily what Lhey wanted or why they were blocking it. I asked the . patience of the group for two or three minutes so I could dialogue with them directly, and in doing so after a few minutes it started 10 emerge that the problem we were looking at was the separation of church and state, which no one up until that point had thought about. Once that was articulated in a way that people could understand it. a numbc!r of people rose. including some who had been on the commiuee, and said that they would withdraw the statement. Others wanted 10 sign it in order to show support for it, but it could not move forward in the group. It was blocked. That was one of the most di fficuh ones in that we had a block from inarticulate people who "'eren't integrally pan of the group and were holding up a group decision that until then looked like it had a "go." l think that was the most lenmin& a group has done on why we have blocking. h also tested the paoence of the group the most. It showed a lot of things. It showed that sometimes Lhe facilitator needs 10 step in to try to find ouL what is really going on. It also tested the group in whether they re:illy believed in the consensual process enough that they allowed the time for it to happen even when it was at the end of an incredibly pushed day. . r,_ It got very emotional, but...the system worked! We hadn't thought about that point., and we needed to think about it before rushing into a decision that might have been 100 hasty. Kattlah Whar do you think is the imponnnce of the continental bioregional congress doing its work by consensus? CE: It's incredibly important. In a sense we have been co-opted by the larger society. Bioregionalism is now an accepted word. For instance, California is now looking at bioregionalism governmentally. They are starting to look at how they could break down the state into sub-regions, instead of towns, cities, and counties. And part of it is, 1 think, the power that goes behind any decision of any group that works consensually. You just have a lot more power behind what you say. Even if it doesn'L get into the mass media, it intrinsically has more power. when everybody in the group is behind a decision. Ka11tal1: That leads to the clincher question: which is the most imponant., the process or the result? CE: (Pause) I'd say Lhe process...if your process is flawed, your decision is going to be flawed_ When people don't want to use consensus it is usually because they are attached to their position. And they are right: if they are attached ro a position and unable to see or allow a better position L be brought o Drawing by Rob Messick (continued on next page) Xat.uah )o"i-l'IQ[. P<J9C' ·3 �(ron11nuoo from p;,i;c 3) resen·ations. Proposal is altered after reservation:, are considered, or it is accepted as is. forth, then they can't work within a consensus process. The resuhing position is not going to have the ~ame power. bu! that\ what's going to happen. I understand It. And I think that a second rea.~on that people don't use consensus. and I really . believe this, is that they don't understand n. Every time I teach a course, I'm teaching it 10 people who have used consensus for years, and they are just learning what it means. So I think that lhose are two points that people are blank about: they're attached 10 a position and/or they don't know the process. ,1greement with reservation recorded - Caroline Estes is a fo1utding member of the i111entio11ai community Alpha Farm in the Cascadia Bioregion of the Pacific Northwest. She lwfacilitated al/jive Turtle Island Bioregional Congresses held co date. People watching her ac work are awed by her strength and clarity. It has often been said that the ability ofthe continental Bioregio11al Congresses 10 operate on the basis of consensus has been due to Caroline's ability as a facilitator, a claim which Caroline vigorously denies. This will soon be put 10 the test, however.for Caroline has said that next year, when she 111rns 65 years old, she plans to discontinue facilitating the Bioregio,1111 Congresses and begin to actively ,,# organize in her bioregion. j7' Disagreement or reservations arc considered. Proposal is altered or is accepted, and reservations arc recorded. Unable 10 write - If one individual is unable to unite with a proposal and is unwilling to stand aside, then the chairperson must decide whether to delay action on the proposal or to ask the individual if he or she would be willing to be recorded as opposed. At the next meeting, very often. agreement is possible after more time 10 reflect on the proposal. Recorded by DW CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING PROCESS by Joyce Johnson Purpose: The group must have a unity of purpose and must clarify the purpose 10 all in the group. Everyone involved must have a clear understanding of the group's purpose. Members of the Group: The group must know and trust each other. That is essential for trust-building. Members must be willing to listen 10 each other with open minds. Willingness to learn from each other; participate in cooperative problem solving and conflict resolution if necessary. Members must believe in the consensus process or be open 1 the process if 0 unfamiliar with it Proposal: An individual or the chairperson can phrase this for presentation co the . group. Adequate time should be taken m order to ensure thorough understanding of the proposal. The proposal might not be clear at the begiMing. It is the responsibility of the chairperson to state the proposal so that everyone understands it. Responses to the proposal: Agreement - Agreement without reservation; consensus reached and proposal accepted. Agreement with reservations - Proposal is generally supported, but there are some Xotuofl Journot page 4 \'· j ,I f 1 I • 1 111/l,t Possible Decisions on Proposal: Accepted - Consensus with full agreement reached. Committee discussion - More information is needed before a decision can be reached. Those with strong opinions should attend this discus:;ion. Sometimes a commi11ee can be empowered 10 act. Usually it will then bring the proposal back 10 the whole group. Delay decision - Group not ready to make 1h1s decision now. Discussion tabled to later time. Dropped - Not enough interest at this time by the group 10 discuss this issue. Chairpcr~on (or "facilitator" or "clerk"): Good guidance is very 1mponan1 10 the consensus process. A good chairperson is very often the difference between a meeting working well or not working at all. There are a lot of tools that a chairperson can learn to use, but only experience can tell a chairperson which tool will work best in a given situation. issue warr.ints, cspec1ally if making a major policy change. • Discipline - Ask someone to cut shon 1hc1r comments if they arc repeating themselves or talking too long. Can also ask someone who has spoken on an issue to wait until others have had a chance 10 make comments. Diplomacy - Chairperson must be responsible for dealing with a chronic objector. Deal with this person considerately. This might be the time to say that we are aware of your disagreement, but it seems that the sense of the meeting is 10 accept this proposal. Be gracious but firm. Dialogue - Members should speak 10 the clerk and not dialogue with each other. Silence - Allow time 10 pause after decision before rushing on 10 the next agenda item. Call for silence if there is need 10 pause when there is conflict over an issue. This gives members a chance to think of a way to-.ephrase a statement or to cool off if angry. Clearness - It is sometimes important to ask the recording clerk to read back the decision to make sure it is clear to everyone what has been decided. Clearness Process - The clerk might ask for individuals 10 meet outside the meeting 10 resolve conflict or misunderstanding. Judging What Is Important - Be careful not 10 be so goal-oriented that the decision becomes more imponant than the process. Some decisions might need more time. After some discussion, the chairper~on might say, "I feel that the group is ready 10 make a decision of this proposal." If some feel that they arc not ready, this will give them an opportunity to say so. The Most lmporram Role of the Chairperson or Clerk is 10 judge the sense of the meeting. lt is the clerk's role 10 aniculatc the unity that he or she discovers in the community and to facilitate the formation of that unity. Consensus Does not Mean Unanimil): Consensus means reaching unity or concorda11ce. Tt has been described as a pianist blending complemenrary notes into a chord. It does not mean that everyone encl~ up on the same note, but 1ha1 complementary notes are blended into a chord. Consensus is not reaching the "lowest common denominator." It is instead the,_# "highest collective consciousness." fr Rt!.fources: Judith Webb and John Olsson, A Consensus Dccision-Makrng Model Miduzel J. Sheeran. Beyond t\.1ajority Ruic: Vo1clcss Decisions in the Religious Society of Friends Responsibilities of Chairperson: Agenda - Put issues in order; do not leave imponant decisions until the end. Try lo set time limits on each agenda item. Group can aid this process. Frame the question or proposal with neurrality. Elicit comments from silent members present. Have show of hands so that those members won't be intimidated by more vocal members. Poll participa111S - Go around the circle for comments from each member present if the Joyce Johnson is a ml!mbcr of the Ctlo CommUJJity and the Ctlo Fritnds Mteting. She i.r currtnily working a.rdevt!lopmtnt coordinator for tk Arthw Morgan School. Slrt has/ocilitated many meetings/or the Meeting and tilt! Arthur Morgan School and help.r the students there practice the consen.fu:r proce:rs 01 thtir sclu,o/ meetings. Joyce conducts workslu,ps on the con.•tnsu.f process/or inJtrt.fted groups She may be reached through 1hr Arthur Morgan School: 1901 /JanMh Branch Rd.; Burnsvillt, NC 28714 (7{},I) 675-4262. Oraw.ng by Rob M~s,ck Sum.mer, 1992 • . • •. ' ,'J, �Problems with Consensus I have finally found the major beef I have with the Consensus Process of group decision making. Namely il revolves around the fact that consensus can too easily boil down to Minority Rule, and this has a specific way of frustrating the proceedings wilhin a group or council. When one person or a minority can block consensus, or in effect decide an issue for Lhe group, then that is Minority Rule. How does this differ from Realms, which in truth are not councils at all but Monarchies? The struggle in human life between inLegrity and the corruption of power has raged for centuries, and we have yet 10 find means of reconciling the two into a process 1hat is both just and livable for all concerned. Consensus is often touted as a solution 10 the many problems of Majority Rule voting systems, such as Congresses or Parliaments, yet it seems co me tha1 this emphasis merely replaces one useless fonn of council with another. It is clear 10 me now that both Majority Rule and Minority Rule forms of council usually result in splintered groups. Is there any way to maintain unity among people or various groups in the human family? Perhaps noL It makes sense lo me that an oppressed individual or group would be attracted to a consensus form of council. Such people have surely been under-represented in the politics of the United States of America and elsewhere. Thus they seek compensatioR in small groups where they can insist that their position be adequately represented. or in some cases OVERLY represented. _l d<? not think that rigid Majority Rule or Minonry Rule systems of council will work in the long run in human group dynamics. I say lhis because we as a species have nasty hisLorical habiLS of not being able to share the power of decision making when people's opinions crystallize. There seems to be a much_ stronger potential for many people 10 ge1 behmd a mob, and get lost in it, than there is for individuals to think for Lhemselves or act on their own conscience. Majorities have a tendency to disregard the righls of minorities, often feeling justified in de~9!uing those who contradict the majority opm1on. How then can people participate in a form of Council that can accommodate the multiple concerns that modem human beings have? Scale becomes important to the accuracy of the decisions being made. Geographical size is also an imponant factor. A council 1hat is too small may nol have enough influence, yet a council that is too large may be irrelevant l0 local concerns. The village, which is composed of a limited number of households, is one of the best examples of an appropriate or workable scale of human council. When Lhese village groups are slable then larger councils can evolve that involve a limited cluster of villages, such as a county or shire. Consensus may have worked better in eras where villages were primary to a given cultural way of life. The consensus process may also have worked beuer when times were not as complicated, or when there were fewer decisions to be made. The Summer, 1992 consequences of decision making in the dislant pasl also were no1 as far reaching as they have become in the industrial era; wilness the existence of plutonium and television. It seems lo me that many small or medium sized groups of today could benefit from having a formal Mediator lo help guide the process of decision making; panicularly when difficulties emerge or when a group becomes deadlocked. This form of mediated debate would differ greatly from an ingrown strain of politics that has stagnated due to a few dominant inclividuals. Instead of bec_o~~g compl~tel~ i_mmersed in battling maJonues and nunonues, a good mediator or facilitator would remind participanLS of their common interesLS and emphasize the an of compromise where it is appropriate. Compromise is a learned skill that individuals in a small or medium sized group can develop to auempl to work out solutions 10 problems in a wa~ 1ha1 does noL leave out any responsible adult who wants to participate in the decision making process. In the case of family disputes a facilitator could assist in clarifying the rights of children as well as the rights of parems. Issues of fairness in a setting where no weapons are allowed would naturally become an ongoing concern. A valid council would not allow weapons a1 their proceedings. It is clear lo me now, Lhrough a beuer understanding of human behavior, thal there are some approaches 10 forming council that work beuer than others. Finding ways that panicipants can let go of the spirit of conquest and still be a pan of the group is primary to working toward a successful approach. There are cenainly no guarantees that this process would work over time, yet adequate spans of time seem to be necessary to forming councils that link people at least as much as they divide them. Most of the politics of today are 100 rushed and inconsistent to even begin to consider susLainability or future generations. Good facilitators would have the skill of being able to suspend their judgements enough, or be sufficiently impartial, to mediale lhe vested interests within a given group. A good facilitator would also be skilled in ways of building truSt among members of a group or council. Once such an atmosphere of trust has been created the various secret and obvious agendas touted by people within the group can be identified, slowly brought out into the open, and confronted. Even though solutions or decisions may not emerge spontaneously, at leasl a good faci.litator can provide a forum in which all posilions are aired. Members can go away from a meeting and contemplate the meaning of these positions. which become imponant lo dialogues in future meetings. Those individuals who are most auatched to their own agendas would probably balk the loudest at having a facilitator or "outSidcr" come into their group process. But, as is often the case in human psychology, it is those who refuse good medicine or good _ ,# council the strongcsl who need it most! J!7' · Rob Mes.sick Dnwing by Rob Messick X.Otunft Jouniat PIUJe 5 �TRIBAL COUNCIL • I n the center of each of the larger Cherokee villages were the square and the town house. In the larger villages the 1own house was buiJ1 in10 a large earthen mound. Seating areas were dug into the mound, so 1hat if you looked at ii from the top, without the roof on it, it looked Like a spiral coming up out of the ground. AI the bottom and !he center of the spiral was the sacred fire and !he seven poles that supported the building. The visible walls were only four feel high, and !he whole building was covered by an immense thatched roof. Some of the town houses at the major villages were enormous. The town house at Old Echota, for example, had 900 poles. Many of !hem were 18" through. A lot of them were locus1. They used the seven-pole construction all the way around and made 1he building very strong. But not every village had a town house. The smaller villages used the square for !heir mee1ing place. There would be seven arbors, traditionally called ''beds," arranged around the square, one for each of the clans. Four of !he beds were localed at the cardinal poinis, and !he others were loca1ed around 1hem. During meetings, all 1he members of the clan sat in their clan bed. In each village there were people who spen1 a lot of lime at the town house, in the square, or n1 1he chunky (a popular gambling game - ed.) grounds, which were locaied just to the side of 1he town house. The old men, in particular, spent a good deal of 1heir time there just talking. Thus, 1here was an ongoing meeting around the town house that was happening more or less all 1he 1ime. Sometimes the meeting got mor..: intense when everybody came to the 1own house to talk about some mauer of importance to the village, bu1 01her times ii was just the old men continually discussing the village affairs. When the whole council met, the meetings became more fonnal. Twelve of the elders sat around the sacred fire at the center of the town house. (In the smaller villages there was one representative from each clan.} The rest of the people of the viJJ~ge sat in the seats by clans. One member of the council represented "The Unborn Yet To Be," and spoke for their poin1 of view. II was important 10 the council tha1 in decision-making The Unborn Yet To Be were always taken into account. They don'1 do that any more. I wish 1hey would. They would talk about problems the village faced, like a bad com crop that year or another village which was requesting theuhelp to make war on the Creeks. Consensus was the way decisions were made. The old people in the center spoke first They did not give commands. They would make suggestions based on their wisdom. And oflen the people would follow that wisdom Part of their wisdom was taking into accoun1 the Unborn Yet To Be. Anyone could speak in the council, but it was done respectfully. The old people spoke firsi, 1hen the 01her people could speak. They had to wait until 1he conversation at the center was done, then they would Xati1nh Jo;ucnnfriP'-90i•i111X stand and wait to be recognized by one of the elders in the middle. They didn't scream or wave 1heir arms, they jus1 stood 10 be recognized. Women could speak in the council. Even a child could speak. Everyone had a right to speak their heart. Once I was privileged to sit at the ceremonial grounds wilh a group of old Cherokee men in Oklahoma while they talked about a problem in their village. l saw an example of how lhe old tribal councils made decisions by consensus. There were 12 or 15 old men in the group. The younges1 one, besides myself, was about 73. These were the people who used the Council House. They 100k into consideration The Unborn Yet To Be. The problem ai 1he time was not really clear to me, bu1 I remember tha1 everybody spoke. They sinned off with the younges1 man and went around the circle, each man speaking his piece and saying wha1 he had 10 say. It wasn'1 a "meeting" the way whi1e people run a meeting. They didn'1 hammer out a decision. In fact, 1hey did not come to any specific conclusion a1 all. If any white people had been presen1, 1hey would not have known tha1 a meeting was taking place at all. To a white person ii would have appeared 1hat some old men were silting in a circle talking casually about a mauer of common concern. They just talked aboul it. Each of them spoke abou1 the problem from his own point of view. The world tru1h among these people was the same, so they already shared a broad agreement By 1he time they went around the circle the silua1ion was so clear from every angle tha1 the answer was obvious. and the old men just got up and lef1. There was a consensus. It was all over. It was decided. I fell very fonuna1e 10 ge1 a glimpse of something that rarely happens anymore, With 1he advice of the elders, the council chose the chiefs, called uku's, for the village. There were two chiefs: a peace uku and a war uku. A person was chosen as an uku because he had a lot of personal integri1y and made good decisions. He was a person the people chose to follow and also a role model for the young people. A chief held his position until he made l01s of mistakes, and the people would choose 10 follow someone else. But if he made wise decisions, he could be chief for life. The war chief was probably the mos1 popular person in 1he village, bu1 he was also the mos1 vulnerable. ff he used bad judgmen1, his mistakes could cost many lives, and his career would be ended. The chief was a leader, bu, he did not tell people what to do. h was no1 like "OK, we'll all go 10 war 1oday," or "Everybody go pick com." Like the elders, a chief could only make suggestions. White people do not know anything about democracy and freedom until they know 1he way tha1 the native culture worked. by Bear With Runs Another important person chosen by the council was 1he Beloved Woman. She was chosen for the same reason as an uku: 1ha1 her character, as a woman, was highly regarded by the men and women of the village. Like an 11Jr.u, she would have to show in1eg:ity and personal power. At one time every village had a Beloved Woman, un1il after a 101 of white influence there came 10 be only one Beloved Woman for the whole tribe. The Beloved Woman could no1 start a war, but she could stop one. She decided what happened 10 captives. She spoke up when !he village was lllinking about moving i1s location, and she had a say on 1rea1ies. Other women came to her frequently for spiritual advice and help with everyday mauers. The Cherokee are called a nation, bu1 the word "nation," in the Western sense of the word, does not explain how the people saw rhemselves. They saw themselves as "The Human Beings" or "The People." In the early days of white contac1, the "nation" was only a very loose federation of individual villages. Each village was a power 10 i1self and could follow i1s own hean to a great extent. The tnbe had red villages (war villages) and while villages (peace villages}, and there were also special sanctuary villages. A person 'Yho committed a crime of passion in his own village could find safety if he could gel to a sanctuary village before being caught. He could s1ay in the sanctuary village without being molested by anybody until the following Green Corn Ceremony, when judgments were decided, and compensations were paid. People would have to make retribution for mistakes they had made. They might pay in com, or sometimes a person would indenture himself for a time of service to make retribution. The sanc1uary villages and the "cooling off period" were probably good ideas, because they allowed people's personal passions to wane somewhat, and judgments were made out of reason instead of hot anger. The Katuah village was a sanctuary. and also 1he Nikwasi village in Franklin, North Carolina. I believe tha1 the seven oldest, "mother" vilJages of the Cherokee were sanc1uary villages, although I am not sure of the status of Echota. There were a lot of warriors based 1here in la1er times. While the villages were self-determining political unilS, it was the shared ceremonies, lifestyles, customs, and world view that kept the tribe together. And there was also the influence of 1he clans. There were seven clans in the Cherokee tribe (ahhough a long time ago there were 14). PeOple were born in10 their mother's clan, and tha1 was 1heir clan for life. The women kepi crack of the lineages. Each clan had its own rules and i1s own taboos. The clans 100k care of 1heir own (tonhnucd on P•&c 8) Suni'ttttr, 11992 "" , �• DnWllli by James Rhea �(continued from p;,gc 6) members. They specialized life within the villages somewha1 and k:PI people ~rom marrying too close 10 theLr own family. A person could not marry within the same clan. Incest of any sort, eilher biological incest or clan incest, was lhe worst crime a person could commit The clan system kept out inbreeding. It also helped 10 govern lhings. Besides lhe family cornfields and lhe communal aibaJ cornfields, each clan would also have large clan cornfields. Any excess com from lhese fields would be given to the old and the elderly of that clan, if their families could nor provide for them. The clans also had somewhat dlfferem functions. The Wolf Clan was the warrior clan - the military and the police if that function was needed. The Wild Poiato Clan was more into agriculture. The Paints were interested in crafts. And the Bird Clan was probably hunters - birds, deer. Each clan had different rules and different taboos, depending on their function in lhe community. While the clan system did serve to sepanue things and provi_de some stru~rure within the village, on a different level tt also served 10 hold the tribe together as a whole. Clan members were obligated to care for each other. This was the basic rule of the clans. A traveler could go 10 a small outpost village up in Kcnrucky that he had never seen before and could find clan relatives who would take him in and care for him. lt held the people together. Even though the dialect they spoke might be different, they would still be clan relatives. They would still be Cherokee. And 1hen there was clan justice. This is often misunderstood. Any time the rights or person of a clan member were viol~ted, then everybody else in that clan was obligated to make swe retribution was paid for the cnme. For instance, if someone murdered a member of another clan, all the other members of that Xotimfl 1 ~ n l:1,.\ 'hll(Je 8 • 101m,nt ,f \""l~'T'!m 1,t I ~·1~,1..., (I i,1111 'lnn:mol 1lrilll \ clan helped 10 hunt that perso~ down and take his life in return. If the offending person ran to a sanctuary village. he could stay there, but if lhe clan members caught him first, it was au over. This was not revenge. This was the clan being responsible for its members based on our reality. The clans kept a balance between each other. That kept a balance wilhin the whole aibe. group - but at the same time they were ~iven tremendous freedom. There were areas m which an indjviduttl could get glory and personal recognition. Someone who was a great hunter was revered. and a gOO? provider was sought af1er by the lad1~s. There was glory for the young males 1n warfare. However, if someone did not conduct him- or herself properly, they did not receive any approval. People would just ignore them. In most cases, their behavior would be modified in a very short time. Native people wanted at all cost 10 avoid losing face and being shamed. Depriving someone of attention or ridiculing him or her was a powerful way 10 get a deviant person back into accord with the group. The ultimate threat of force was banishment from the village. An action that serious was carried out by the whole village council, because it required the support of the whole community. In that situation, somebody was put 0111 of the circle instead of into a jail or prison. The idea of cagin_ up g somebody's spirit was a totally alien idea. The purpose of this village justice was not 10 punish people, but tO change them. The Cherokee did believe in vengeance, but only against other aibes. fn the whi~e. people's system, people who caus<: mJury are punished. They are made to suffer m an equal amount to the harm they have caused - either by years of imprisonment or by ouaight execution. The dominant culture of today is actually a lot of confused culrural biases which share very little consensus as to what is true culture. Within our culture it was clear. There wasn't anything else. It was either this or nothing. If you didn't belong. it was terrible. The urge to belong was so str0ng, it governed the people's actions. Our consensus was based on a world view that was shared throughout the whole aibe. Because of that the Cherokee needed no couns, lawyers, judges, or prisons. We had very few laws. They were mostly just rational, reasonable rules.based on observation. There was a law agamst urinating in the river. There was a Jaw against defecating around the village. There was a law against talcing 100 many deer, because everybody knew thar if they killed too many deer, there would not be any left the next year. There were clear and obvious reasons for laws like that They were based on common sense rules that nature laid down in front of us. One of the biggest barriers between us and the white people was that we did not have any concept of privare property. • Possession meant that "when you were there it was yours." But the white people did a good job of teaching us differently. The word "fndian-giver" came from the fact that a white man would give some Indians a load or goods for their piece of land and the next day the Indians would be back. The Indians had not realized they ~ad sold their land. They had never had any idea of owning it! They took the presents because it would be rude to refuse gifts of friendship. It is hard for white people to understand our ways and how they worked, because they do not understand how the old Cherokees related 10 the aibe. The old culture was holistic. The tribe was the whole, and the loyalty toward the whole was very strong. The desire to contribute to the whole and to move evenly with the rest of the group was ingrained by many generations of cultural reinforcement ll was so much a part of the culture that it was quite abnonnal to ~ an individual. Cooperation was t~e governing force within the community, and m the old days, before we were too muc~ influenced by the whites. our personal integnty meant a lot more 10 us. People were rewnrcted for their cooperation by approval and love from the In the Cherokee aibe, spiritual life was not split a pan from the political l!fe of the village. It was always there. but It was not recognized as something separate. Because of the emphasis on character and personal integrity, the elders tended to be te~chers and spiritual leaders as well as leaders m the council. At one time there was a religion and a priest society in the Cherokee aibe. I ~ave heard stories about this from several different sources. My own thinking is that in !he tribe's early history when we first migrated south, we encountered the late stages of the deteriorating Mississippian culture. The Mississippian culture "."as ~ on M_ayan and Aztec beliefs. Tht1r pracoces, beliefs, .1l ,'J:n :, 1odcr_ 1..1~ · ~1111o•('to'(Q1 DrawinabvlamuRh~• r.r. ~ :),ill ra~, -..-UJ 1 U w • (Continued on page 30) ,.,, ,,r·.4a1, .JU i ~ ..1:~~ ,.'"1~-''·"M"" O\.\TnJ'TUrr"", l!J:J~ tll t1 ' l )~UHI • �O,.wing by Rob Messick © 1992 by Lucinda Flodin Maybe she's the reason I came to live in the mountains. I know she's the reason I swp when I'm near that panicular place. Sometimes I stop nowhere near that place because the feeling comes over me, and I stop. After all this time I still fookfor Elda ... In 1974 I spent the summer with friends in Limestone, Tennessee, recovering from a shattered romance. I would sit on the porch watching the mountains, but more often I would drive to the mountains and hike through long afternoons. On one of these hikes I became absorbed in following a liule stream and lost track or time. When r stopped to rest, I realized that it was getting late. Night came quickly in the forest and I found myself unable to negotiate the path, I finally stopped in a small clearing only to realize that r was now losr. Around me were trees and darkness and ever-increasing fear. A sound sent me into total panic. I had visions of bears and mountain lions and snakes and bugs! l tried 10 get a grip. I smacked a mosquito who was definitely out for blood. My hean started pounding wildly. I'd probably have a heart auack before a bear could even find me. I was hungry ... so thirsty... but there was no food anywhere... not a bite 10 be found! I leaned over to drink from the stream, but I had no idea where I was or what the origin of the water was. I knew I shouldn't drink any water in the wild unless I was at a spring head. How thirsty I was and I couldn't even drink the water! 1 sat and cried - no, yelled - at the trees around me about the unfairness or it all. Finally I ran out of energy and sat down. Just then the.moon came shimmering through the su-mmcr, 1992 ELDA trees, and I rudn't feel so alone. As I looked across the clearing, it seemed that if I just walked around the big tree in front of me, I could get a clear view of the moon's face. As I pushed away the low branches to duck around the tree, the Earth s11dde11/y fell away beneath me. There was nothing gradual about this moment. One second I was on the ground, the next I was in space - learning gravity as I'd never learned it before - tumbling, falling, rolling. It happened so quickly I had no time 10 fear as I bounced through bush and briar. I tried 10 clutch the Earth, but I wasn't sure where it was - sometimes above me, sometimes below, pounding at me wherever we met. Eternity was caught in a single moment. Would it ever stop? At last I became more of the eanh than the sky, and I rolled into a resiing spot in a patch or briars. Pain and eanh grJbbcd me back from space. My last thought was wondering if the spinning would ever cease ... Warm sunlight on my face, my bed felt so good. The dream had been so real. I'd never dreamt so vividly. I decided to grab the journal at my bedstand and write it down . before the memory faded. It was the reaching for this journal that brought abrupt physical pain. I tried to open my eyes. How I hurt! Oh, no! This wasn't my bed! This wasn't a dream! Hope crashing, I opened my eyes to the canopy of young tree growth above me. It hun to look ouL lt hun to breathe. The thought of moving hurt. Maybe I was dead. lf not. I surely would be soon. A tear burned down my face. I could feel my fingers. l could feel my toes. Pain filled them all and soon a strange sleep enveloped me. A sense of not being alone brought me back 10 consciousness. Was this the mountain lion I'd feared? As l tried to move, pain seared through my body. A voice like music. or was it the wind through the trees, said, "Don't move, young one, and don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." As I struggled tO tum toward the sound, r felt movement around me until a woman came into my sighL First I saw her hands, veined like the gnarly roots of an oak, yet wonderfuJJy supple. My eyes moved up to a face which surprised me with itS ancientness; somehow it didn't match those capable hands. The face was an intricate mnzc of lines and wrinkles - there were no flat planes. Then our eyes met and I felt myself falling int0 an ocean of blue clarity. Never had I experienced eyes like those - clearer, yet deeper, than a child's. Suddenly those eyes and her whole incredible face broke into a smile with more facets than a prism in sunlighL And that music - no, it was her voice. "You arc amazed, young one. Good, that amazement will help you to heal yourself." "Are you an angel? Am I dead?" Again that smile, followed by a laugh that would have made me laugh, too, except for how much it would have hun. "No, young one. I walk an Eanh path. Some call me Elda. I answered your frightened call in the moonlighL" I realiz.ed that I no longer was lying in briars. Hadn't I landed in briars? My eye caught a thiclcet of them a little way from when: I lay. (continued on ow page) )(.Qtimh JoUf'tlat PQIJI'- 9 �(CQitinued f'rom pego 9) "Briars don't make for sweet dreams; soft pine needles and grass make for more comfon. You'll rest easy in this baby forest, and the Eanh will help your healing. You have strong bones, none are broken. Your muscles are strained. Only a few of your cuts are deep. This gash is deep for it bleeds stil1, but it has bled enough. Feel it closing and healing in your thoughts, little one." She reached into a pouch at her side and took a pinch of some powder and blew it into the CUI. "What's that stuff?" "A pinch of puffball to stop the blood. It has bled enough now. You are curious? That is good. I like curiosity. I will teJJ you of the plants." I grew anxious at all these answers to unasked, sometimes uninfonned questions. "And you are afraid. Are you always afraid, little one? Breathe or hum a song. It will help." She took a bowl -1 think it was a bowl, though it may have been a hollowed-out tree gnarl - and with a feathery leaf began to wash my cuts. "This is yarrow, cooked in water in the sunlight. It will numb your pain and let us work on your injuries." As she gently washed them. I could feel the pain numbing, lessening. "Th.is will allow us to bathe them again." With the numbness, I was able to move to see myself. Everywhere I could see my skin, it was covered like a roadmap with scratches. The skin around the scratches was deepening as bruises formed. I wanted to throw up, but that would have required movement. "Skin mends, young one." "I'm not that young, and my name is Lucinda." "To me you are very young, Lucinda." As I looked at her ancientness, f felt silly at having snapped at her. Throughout the day as I moved in and out of sleep. I felt her near me. Her words wafted through my consciousness as she washed my legs with chickweed, little star woman, comfrey, burdock, more yarrow. She helped me sip red clover from a bowl. It all was like a confused dream. Sometimes r would hear her talking. Actually, it seemed that she was having two-way conversations with the plants. / must be mad' And then I'd doze again. "Are you magic?" I asked in a moment of lucidity. "No, child... Lucinda. I am a child of the Earth, like yourself. I've tended this forest garden, and it has tended me, for longer than 1 can even remember. We take care of each other." At dusk, a drink with a strong taste... "Skullcap, 10 mke the pain for a deeper sleep." I did sleep - deeply - and without fear. I could hear her voice as I drifted. "You are safe under the trees, on the Eanh, with the stars. Sleep sweetly. Dream wellness." I awoke to the twittering of birds. I stiU hun, but I could move. Again I wondered a1 ~~~ J?~~~. p~!Z ,10 ~e.reality of Elda. then she stepped into my v1s1on. Yes, she was really here. It was like she was invisible one moment and there the nexL Yet I knew she had really been there. She was real. I was overcome by the wisdom I sensed in her presence. "Today you might feel hungry. I've brought you food." She opened a giant leaf which I later learned was burdock filled with violets, clover blossoms and sweet-tasting leaves and berries. She would name them. "It's so much. I'll never remember them." "You don't learn them all at once, dear one. You learn one plant at a time. Each is your teacher." I contemed myself with the nourishment I felt pervading my body. AU that day Elda fed me and I told her of my journey. She only laughed when 1 got to the part of being so hungry and so far from food. She found that delightfully funny, and I felt foolish. But then r looked around, and I, too, was struck with the humor of it. Somehow it seemed that all the plants around us also laughed, but I wouldn't swear to that. Moving became easier as the day went on and I was amazed at how much better all my scratches were. Elda made a poultice (I remember her using that word) of plantain and elder for my bruises. I could feel the soothing relief and the healing begin. 'Tomorrow you will be able 10 travel," she said as the sun was gold in the west. We sat with a bowl of salve which tasted full and thick as soup. "I will show you a shoner route." I didn't want 10 go, but suddenly I thought of my friends, Dan and Ruby, and I knew they must be panicking by now. "I would like to know more about plants, Elda." "Well, talk to them, dear. They like to be remembered." I went to sleep imagining myself in conversation with a fem and wondering about my sani1y. Walking down the mountain \l.ith Elda in the morning was an adventure. It was a completely different path, I think. I wasn't really payiog much auention on the way. She pointed out plants, talked to them as friends. and treated them with re:;pect. Before I knew it, we were at my car She laughed, "Ah, just the friend you need now." And she told me to pick the sticky flowers growing around my car. "Calendula. Make them into a tea to soothe your wounds." "How do I thank you, Elda?" "You don't, dear one. You pick the flowers and make yourself strong." It seemed like just a moment later when a state trOOper stanled me. I looked toward Elda, but she was gone. My friends had reported me missing. He had been looking for me and had found my car. "Did you see that woman?" "No, miss. Just you here. No one Jives up in these pans. I'll drive you." I went home and healed up, though one scar remained on my leg as a reminder of the adventure. But 1 still thought about Elda and wanted to see her again. Several times that summer I returned to that area, but I could never again find that exact spot where I had met Elda. l asked campers and hikers, and I stopped at every house in the area. No one had heard of anyone sounding like Elda. They sent me up 10 Granny Pierson who was the oldest person around and who reponedly became confused at rimes. We talked. She drifted in and out of memory, a sharp contrast to the clearity of Elda's mind. She couldn't recollect much at first, but finally she began, "There was this old woman. What was here name? Something like that, but, Lord, hooey, hit's bin since l was a girl An old 'erb woman. She was old when I was a child. Lord, she'd be in the grave more'n seventy year now. J remember her, though, but my mind's leavin' me." My friends listened patiently, trying to be supponive, but occasionally suggesting that maybe I'd dreamed it. Maybe I'd made her up to keep myself alive. I don't know. Could I have made up the richness that was Elda? Her wiseness? I couldn't have made up her eyes! Thar was sixteen years ago. I live in the mountains now, in the same county tlwugh miles from where I met Elda. I dan't ask abolll her now, excepi when I meet old people. But as I walk tliroughfields and woods, gathering plants and learning abolll them, Ida think of her. In fields where flowers seem to be laughing, I sense her presence. I feel tit.at if I could just turn more qt~ickly, I'd see her there ware/ting me - her wise face full oflife, giving nouris/unent. . After all this time I still look for Elda. # P' There are stories from cullurcs around the world and from ns far back ns the Stone Ages about lhc elderberry. UsWllly lhey involve o woman who lives in the tree and ha~ powerful medicine 10 heal Iler children. (I created the feminine fonn Elda for !hi.~ cho.roclCJ'.) But she con be dangerous at times when she is not shown re,.c;pcct. Old supcn;lilions maimain lhat cuumg elder without pennission or the plant brings illnes,~ nnd/or death. Lucinda Flodin lives with her family in Katuah Province near Hampton, TN and is. among other things, an herbalist and a Mory!Alllcr. The story "Elda" is included oo a new audio tape cnlled Mountain Spirits available for SI0.00 ppd. from: Lucincm Flodin: Rt. I, Box 726; Hampton. TN 37658. �THE STATE OF FRANKLIN Land, Liberty... and Mastery by David Wheeler "A beautiful valley and the almost boundless West lay before them, beckoning all to adventure themselves. The thing most worthy of remark is the far reach and wide range of the vision and the plans of the people of Franklin, and the projective power that gave them and their descendants a very considerable mastery of men and measures througlwut the generations that /rave followed." - Samuel Cole Williams in The Lost State of Franklin they could hunt. They built their own log homes, provided their own clothing, and made their own whiskey. Work parties of neighbors built and maintained what roads !here were. The presence of the tax collectors was !he main evidence of the Norlh Carolina state government. The settlers were poorly represented in the state legislature. They had to cross the mountains to find a court in (1933) In the years immediately following the Revolutionary War the runnoil of the war years continued almost unabated in the former colonies. These were heady times the imperial power of England had been defeated, new theories of government were materializing, and a new continent lay open for the taking. In !he new nation, talk of politics was on everyone's lips, and "libeny" was the watchword. But in the minds of many people was the thought of land - land to be the material basis for their hard-won right to "the pursuit of happiness." In spite of such lofty hopes and dreams among the European settlers, however, the new country was in a shambles. The government of the State of North Carolina, in particular, was pauperized. The war had taken a heavy toll on !he personal resources of the former colonists, and !here had been much destruction and ill-feeling. The central government was weak: and in debt for promises made during the pressing struggle for independence. By its original charter, the jurisdiction of North Carolina extended west 10 the sea, but under the prevailing conditions it was lit lie wonder that those closest to the capital at Hillsborough received the most attention. The mountains of the Blue Ridge were still a formidable barrier at that time. Settlers following the Great Valley of !he Tennessee River had established a bastion in what is now the northeast comer of Tennessee. During the war they had shown themselves to be stalwan pattiotS, pro<ecting North Carolina's rear from hostile attacks by the Cherokee and Chiclcasaw tribes and turning the tide of the war in the South by surging over the mountains to play a decisive role in the battle of Kings Mountain, But now, not only were the wartime claims of these soldiers being ignored, but Nonh Carolina was levying heavy taxes on au its citizens to rebuild itS shattered infrastructure and restore its government. To the settlers in the west, this was blatant "taxation without representation" - just what they had fought 10 end! This feeling was justified. The lands west of the mountains were self-supponing, living off the crops they raised and the game summer, 1092 which to setlle their differences. Although constantly threatened by hostile natives, their state government would send no ll'OOpS across the mountains for their protection. But the worst blow came in 1783. In order to capitalize its recovery, the State of North Carolina passed a law offering land west of the mountains for sale to setllers and speculators. The bill put up for sale the land from 20 miles south of the town of Jonesborough 10 the French Broad and the Big Pigeon Rivers, conveniently ignoring the fact that this land had been guaranteed to the Cherokee in the Avery Treaty of 1777. This made the natives understandably restless, and in 1784, largely to avoid the expense of sending a military force to defend the western settlers from angry Cherokees, North Carolina passed a bill giving up its claim to the lands west of the mountains and ceding !hem to the newly-formed national Confederation Congress. Congress was too weak and 100 far away to protect the settlers over the mountains. Nonh Carolina had reneged on the task. The seulers were used to protecting and providing for themselves. A decade before, earlier settlers had even established the Watauga Association, the first "free and independent community on the continent," in the words of Theodore Roosevelt On August 23, 1784 delegates from the counties west of the Blue Ridge gathered and declared their area a free and independent state. Their declaration was immediately challenged. Norlh Carolinians were surprised and angered at this tum of events, and when a new legislature convened that autumn, North Carolina rescinded the C.ession Act and restated itS cl.aim to the western lands. It was a vain attempt. On December 14, 1784 a second convention at Jonesborough decided to name the new state after Benjamin Franklin and set about the work of drawing up a constitution. The following March, that work was continued, and John Sevier was elected governor of the State of Franklin and David Campbell was chosen as its chief justice and given the task of setting up a court system. John Sevier (pronounced se-VEER) had been at first reluctant 10 become involved with the movement for independence, but from 1784 he was a moving force in the history of the State of Franklin. By all accounts he was brave, charming, and handsome · a charismatic leader. He was a hero of the battle of Kings Mountain and was a renowned "lndian fighter." Instinctively, Sevier was a consummate politician. He knew the value of diplomacy and the power of force. In his dealings wilh whites he could use a winning smile and charming words to win his way; with the native people he was rulhlessly violent Although he was educated and articulate, Sevier's strongest support was always among the rough settlers on the frontiers of the whites' territory. These were his comrades in arms, the mythologized pioneers. It was moslly from these people that Sevier drew the militia for his campaigns against the natives. The backwoods whites loved and trusted Sevier. They counted on him for their defense, and he never let them down. For three years Sevier led the State of Franklin. In that turbulent era the exact powers and role of a state was unclear. Whether the states were to be semi-autonomous republics or divisions of a strong central government was as yet undecided. One thing was certain: "Liberty," meaning self-government, was the overriding ideal. During the three years that the State of Franklin existed, it set up its own govemrncntal scructure, electing delegates and appointing commissioners. It established a judiciary; minted coins; provided for schools; and, of course, designed a "great seal" and a flag. The frontiersmen were already organized as a de/aero militia, but that arrangement was officializcd. The State also began collecting taxes - frontier Style. "Be it enacted," decreed the state's first General Assembly, "that it shall and may be lawful for the aforesaid land tax, and all free polls, to be paid in the following manner: Good flax linen,... woolen and cotton linsey,...good, clean beaver skins,...cased otter sk.ins, ... rackoon (sic) and fox skins, ... bacon, well curcd,...good, clean tallow,...good, clean beeswax,... good distilled rye whiskey,...good peach or apple brandy,...good, country made (maple) (eontinucd on nc:ll page) Xati4af1 Journal: page 11 �(continued from page 11) sugar,...deer skins, ...good, neat and well managed tobacco, fit to be prized, that may pass inspection,..." In certain instances, Franklin also acted like a national power. The state made treaties wilh the native tribes, which in those times with the central government so weak and ~ id~ of self-government so strong in the mrnds of the people, was not unusual But in 1788, when the effort to maintain their ind~~dcn~ was falling apart, Sevier began a ~non wtth the government of Spain. w~ch held the mouth of the Mississippi River. To the Spanish representative Oardoqui, Sevier hinted that the citiuns of Frank.I.in might ally themselves with Spain in exchange for protection, money, and weapons. It was almost assuredly a bluff, but. even in those times, it was a bold bluff indeed. • The foundation of the "Liberty~ of the white immigrants was the very material ~sidcration of land. From the beginning of its history, the acquisition of land was the other driving force in the remarkable story of the State of Franklin. That the native inhabitants had clear tide to their lands that o~ten went back 1,000 years made no ~erence. The p~ure of the migration of whit.e Europeans from over the mountains was irresistible. Also, disagreements over the authority of the different states, the Confederation Congress, and the State of Franklin to sign treaties and ma.kc agreements added 10 the confusion (which was no doubt exploited when convenient). . Always ready 10 make agreements., the whites did not prove so willing to keep them, and the Cherokee in vain pointed to tteaty )CQtuQn )oumQC PQ<Je 12 after broken treaty. On the Cherokee side the Chickamauga villages, under the leadership of the war chief Dragging Canoe, believed in no treaties made with the whjtes and honored none. Their disbelief was quite correct but their actions gave the Europeans ample' reasons for reprisals. It was a war, 10 be sure, and each side could point 10 outrages and depredations committed by the other. But in this war the treaties were meaningless; the real power was in the superior numbers and weapons of the European occupiers, and they would take whatever their military strength could win. A fine tract of land in the Great Bend of the Tennessee (or "the Bent of the Tennessee"), near the present-day city of Muscle Shoals, Alabama was a lodestone to white investors. In 1784, a company of speculators, including John Sevier and prominent men in Nonh Carolina, arranged a "purchase" of the land from some of the native residents, although the area was deep in the territory guaranteed to the red people. Fro~ then on Sevier's eyes were always looking toward the south. It is felt that his initial opposition 10 the establishment of the State of Franklin stemmed from concern about the future of his investment in the Great Bend. When he came around 10 favor the s~ssion, he began to think that the new state could help his venture, and under his leadership the policies of the State of Franklin were always expansionist and pointed toward the south. Franklin encouraged immigration by whites, even when the government knew that the only available lands lay in Cherokee country. ~igration meant profits, yes. land speculanon was a booming industry in the ne.wly-opened lands to the west. But, more unportantly, immigration was crucial to the very survival of the fledgling state across the mountains. Cleared lands and dense settlements were the best protections against anacks by the natives. The Nonh Carolina Act of 1783 had violated the terms of the earlier Avery Treaty by !f!OVing the boundary claimed by the whnes down to the French Broad River. However. the act strictly prohibited entry or surveys by whites south of that line. But as soon as the State of Franklin was formed, settlers began 10 move south of the French Broad. They were encouraged by the state government. In fact, the State of Franklin had a land office in Jonesborough that raised revenue by taking purchase money for land claims granted south of the French Broad. Sevier felt that this siruation needed formal recognition, so he called together a meeting of Cherokee chiefs in May of 1785 and laid out the Treaty of Dumplin Creek, ~h~c~ moved .the ~undary south 10 the ridge diVJd1ng the Little River and the Little Tennessee River watersheds. However, it was only six months later that the United States' Confederation Congress felt that the central government should assert its authority and negotiated the Treaty of Hopewell with the Cherokee. This treaty moved the line back 10 the north . so far nonh that the town of Greeneville, which had just been named the capital of the State of Franklin, was made pan of the native territories! The treaty specifically repudiated the Dumplin Creek agreement and the Great Bend land purchase. It was intentionally vague about the status of the settlers occupying the lands north of the French Broad River, but it clearly stated that all other trespassers would have to leave in six months or lose the protection of the central government. lt appears that the State of Franklin simply ignored the Hopewell treaty. Certainly their defense of the settlers south of the French Broad was no less diligent. After fruitless appeals to the national government, the Cherokee took matters into their own hands and in the spring of 1786 began attacks on the settlements in ll)eir rightful territory. The FrankJinites responded by burning the Cherokee towns in the Hiwassee River Valley. Later in July, Sevier and 250 men revenged the killing of two other white men by b.uming another town. They then camped outs1de the central Cherokee village of P.chota and called the peaceful chiefs Hanging Maw and Tassel (Com Tassel) to make another treaty. Sevier minced no words. He told the chiefs that the whole country nonh of the Tennessee River as far west as the Cumberland Mountains would be setded by the whites who would take it "by the sword, which is the best right to all countries." Though the treaty contained ample references to peace, love, and brotherly friendship, it was obvious it was obtained under duress. Wiuh such a large armed force outside their gates, the chiefs had little choice but to sign. The historian Williams says in his book: The Los1 State of Franklin, "No act of the State of Franklin is Jess creditable to her than this Treaty ofCoyatee." During this time, the Franklin government was constantly pressing its case Summu, 1992 �; I I for recognition as a s1a1e before the Confederation Congress. Champion for the cause was William Cocke, a backwoodsman, marksman, and a fierce fighter, who had put himself through law school and had found a gift for inspired oratory. By all accountS he gave brilliant. impassioned presentations on behalf of 1he Sta1e of Franklin, bu1 it was no1 enough to shake the political support mustered by North Carolina to block Franklin's recognition. By 1786 the strain of carrying on the border wars single-handedly had begun to tell, and the firm resolve of the Franklinites began to waver. North Carolina cleverly exploited this shif1 in sentimenL Under the leadership of John Sevier's archrival, John Tipton, North Carolina attempted to hold an election 10 send representatives from "the western counties" to the state legislature. The Franklin government answered the move by holding their own elections for the North Carolina legislative seats. The Franklinites won overwhelmingly, but this recognition of North Carolina's authority proved 10 be the first stroke of the wedge that split open the Franklin government. Tipton also sponsored North Carolina couns, which operated parallel 10 Franklin courts, often in the same county. Vigilantes from both sides broke up court sessions and took valuable papers. There were angry public meetings, and some brawling took place, involving Tipton and Sevier themselves in one instance. The situation was fast deteriorating into civil violence.. John Sevier made several valiant attempts to save the faltering State of Franklin. Knowing the unifying value of war against the native people, he proposed one idea that would hopefully save his government, win the coveted Great Bend area for the_whites (and his investment company), and gain some respite for the settlers on the southwest frontier. At the time, the State of Georgia was continually at war with the Creeks. Sevier proposed 1ha1 in the spring of 1787 soldiers from Georgia and Franklin join together in a punitive campaign against th111 tribe, which jus1 happened to control the Great Bend are-a. Instead of cash payments, the soldiers who undertook the expedition would be rewarded with land grants in the Great Bend, which they would afterward help 10 retain. The plan never materialized, as Georgia made a temporary peace with the natives. Early in 1788 the sporadic hostilities between the two factions in Franklin flared up. John Tipton seized several of John Sevier's slaves under a Stale of Nonh Carolina court judgment and transported them 10 his home for safekeeping. Sevier was in the las1 few days of his governorship and was tired and discouraged, bu1 rhis was a slap in 1he face that could not be ignored. The separationists surrounded Tip1on's house in force and, although Sevier urged restraint, a melee erupted. Two men were killed and Sevier's two sons were capiured. Tipton wanted 10 hang the young men, but was persuaded to release 1hem. Sevier subsequently lef1 for the border wars on the frontier, "where no writs ran and lhe rough seulers were devoted to him," as John summer, 1992 VIRGINIA --------~.~~.r~ttf)lfWl~if1}r-------------..:::~-,.R-... 1-&KLiN·:·,::"' .. NORTH .-,::.\(}iY:.:\~f{/· CAROLINA _, ~,-- - - - ·- -.,, - - - - - - ------7,.... ' , '------,... ' ',, ' ', \ ' ', 11SS Map Preston Arthur commented. This is generally marked as the end of the State of Franklin. It was in 1790, with more wars with the Cherokees looming, that North Carolina finally gave up and ceded control of Franklin to the United Srates Congress as part of the "Southwest Territory." Franklin was finally admitted to the Union as pan of the State of Tennessee in 1796. The first elected governor of the Staie of Tennessee was, no1 surprisingly, John Sevier, and he la1er served as a congressman as well. appeared as I.he stubborn independence so admired in the Appalachian mountaineers. At other times, however, it appeared as 1he will for mastery, whether over the land, events, or those who would oppose them. Even today, we still see traces of this, the tangled legacy left by the early while seulers of the mountain region. Special thanks to Barbara Wickersham for the valuable research work she contributed to this article. Resources: The wild Appalachian lands brought out both the best and the worst in the firs1 Europeans to inhabit the Katuah Province. They were fiercely devoted 10 ideals of freedom and justice; they were at the same 1ime greedy and ruthless. A deep-seated detennination drove them. Sometimes this Gerson, Noel B.; Franklin: Atrurica·:r Lost State: Crowell-Collier Press (New York, 1968) Williams, Samuel Cole; Ilistory of the Lost State of Franlclin; The Press of the PiollCCIS (New York. 1933) Cornstalk Dreams Poverty is living in a shotgun house with chimney bookends Listening to rain tapping on a cheap tin roof Huddling around the fireplace like a dark medieval clan. Poverty is running barefoot through a maze of corn fields Splitting open a watermelon just for its heart Worrying until payday if we would be fed at least with butter beans and cornbread - Sandra McClinton - .. X.Otimh )ournnt page 13 �WHERE THE TREES OUTNUMBER THE PEOPLE: I<atuah's Regional Rainbow Gatherings In the Mtigical U1nd of the Rainbow, a neo-tribal culture is teacl1ing and learning the arts of Cooperation and Commu,1ity by Stephen Wing "Welcome Home!" The implications arc enormous. Somewhere back in the mythical mists of the Scvenries, a tribe of multicolored folJc called the Rainbow Family began to hold a "Gathering of the Tribes" every summer deep in the wilderness, where the trees oumumber the people. They were "Family" because they considered all people brothers and sisters; they were ''Rninbow" for the harmony of their many colors; and they called out "Welcome Home!" because wherever they gathered on the Mother Earth they were home again. Every Fourth of July lhey observed a silence, praying for Peace and Healing, each in their own way. They fasted and prayed and danced and drummed, and many magical stories have come down 10 us. In the nco-Plcistocene Eighties, our tribal ancestors founded the Katuah Rainbow clan and began to bold a solstice gathering every summer in the meadow below Sam's Knob. Because pan of their inspiration was lhe 1980 Rainbow Galhering in West Virginia, it became one of the first of many regional Rainbow gatherings. It carried on the Family consensus to be free and non-commen:ial, open to everyone, dedicated to cooperative, ecological living, without leaders or rules. It grew and flourished, and Xatuah Journal Pac.Je 14 was known as one of the strongest and most spiritual in the land of the Rainbow. Now at age 21, the Rainbow Family has grown into a large-scale, long-term, worldwide experiment in living out the ideals of the mythical Sixties: a full-fledged al temative culture, woven of many different spiritual, political, and philosophical strands. Outwardly. perhaps it imitates the Nntive American tribes; mwardly, it taps the biological vestiges of one million years of oi baJ ancestry. Everyone involved in Rainbow has their own vision of what it is and what it could be. The vision that is crystallizing for me lately is of a school. Everyone has something 10 teach in the magical land of Rainbow. And somcLhing to learn. Many of us are teachers of something already, perhaps, or know a special craft or skill or even a livelihood worth passing on. You learned your first rai chi step or bcadworlcing stitch from someone. Why not bring it 10 the gathering _and offer a free,. informal workshop? Think of the gathenng as a kindcrganen, not as a university. Even if you feel you have nothing 10 learn there, each of us has something 10 pass along to those following in our footsteps. But there's a deeper level of learning. 0..wUl&J by Rhea Ormond Running away like a bunch of kids playing hooky in the woods is like school turned inside out - a space in which we can a.U enter a kind of second childhood and re~ate ourselves. We heal ourselves instinctively by re-imagining society in a sane way, becoming each other's long-lost extended family, learning how to love and accept each other, and feel loved and accepted in turn • some for the first time our lives. It is incredibly therapeutic just to be in a place where it is okay to love. But in order 10 maintain this magical healing space, we have to work together 10 feed everyone, deal with sanitation, medical needs, children, authorities, parking, drinking water, and camp security. We have 10 make decisions that acknowledge everyone's poinl of view, including the trees, the streams, the wildlife, the genemtions 10 come. This is a yet deeper learning. We are learning to come together as a community, a circle, a tribe - rather than a collection of self-centered individuals - and act for the best interest of the whole instead of our little part. Few of us had the benefit of a tribal upbringing. Ninety percent or more of the ordinary families out there arc dysfunctional, studies now say, producing dysfunctional people. Our tribe is made up of refugees from that world; we cannot create World Peace without some healing. Most of the problems that plague the "national" Rainbow Gathering are problems of scale. But a few stubbornly show up al regionals, too. They are the chronic dysfunctions of the dominant culture, "Babylon": abuse of alcohol and drugs, scamming, inflated egos, male-female imbalance. These arc the things that we cannot leave behind when we leave our cities and cars. l ust4 to worry about them. But then l realized that it is okay. Rainbow is a school. These are our assignmenrs. That is why we leave all the civilized disu-actions behind: to focus on what counts. At the scale of a regional gathering we can do that - but not without a conscious commitmcnL I have seen miracles happen when the wisdom and the will of the people have been summoned to a serious council. Through the magical ans of passing a feather in a circle and listening, of communication and compromise, I believe we can learn 10 resolve any conflicL But we have to practice. And the presence nnd guidance of people who have done some of the inner work themselves is invaluable to those who might otherwise stumble over the same mistakes. Becoming a Tribe may not be an idealistic fantasy from the mythical Sixties forever. We are learning how to live without money, lawyers, governments, police· even gasoline - because it may soon be necessary. We arc learning it, 1 believe, because the future of our families down 10 the seventh generation depends on our learning 10 live together as a functional Family. I hope we are learning it in time. For dirtetioM to tM Ka11,ah Rainbows-, Solstiu Ga1hviltg, JUM 12-22, son~p/ace where the trees OUIIIUl1IMT IM people, coll the A1/a111a Rainbow Ughllillc: (404) 662--6112 or write 10 /IOI. address below. To help out In adllOIICe, contact Katu.ah Roillbow direc1/1 clo l.ulit Wagenheim: 996 Yellow Breeches Rd.; Cosby, TN 3m2 (615) 428-4633. Summu, l!IN �warp ancl "We Call It a Gathering..." At first sight, it seems to be pure magical anarchy in the woods. But there are levels you learn to see. Just under the swface is a layer of hard wolk: people who are not immediately vi~ble because they are in the kitchens, out hunnng firewood, al the parking lot, on a supply run. They carry lhe whole thing literally on their shoulders, often to the point of straining. As soon as we realize we are the tribe and volunteer, the whole thing is easy. Underlying everything we do is the consensus of the council, a periodic circle to pass a feather and listen 10 each person's perspective in turn. Daily councils are a chance to share what makes us different and what we have in common. When something comes up that requires a decision, we enter that siate of unified undersianding called consensus much more easily if we have been practicing. (If ~ere is no co~~cil,just ~u.t up a sign. "Main crrcle at noon 1s the tradit,ion.) Invisible everywhere are the Shann Sena - all of us who are conscious of health and safety and alen for trouble, who have learned to keep the peace in loving ways, deal with emergencies, communicate with authorities - and anyone willing to learn. You can pretend the gathering is a free ride or a carefree utopia; you can avoid the problems and still have a wonderful time. But "sister" and "brother" really begin to mean something when you accept responsibility for the well-being of the folks around you. Then there are the people who are praying. Our circles before meals, sweat lodges and Sufi dances, ceremonies at equinoxes and solstices, etc., carry the natural sense of community one step higher. Participating in the Divinity of each moment helps focus the natural srate of awareness called a tribe. Underneath it all is the root-system of our friendships. Slogans of peace and love do not make us brothers and sisters; a Family forms out of time spent together, real time. Year after year we work, eat, council, and celebrate together, between gatherings we live and travel together. We gather in the parks back home. Travelers come through. We grow 10 know and to trust each other. The Rainbow Family is a vast network of relations. a fabric woven by the physical s,unmcr , 1992 .. , 1 , ~pfrhtlal ~efi-of our•~n& tOgethet. . ruo ~!1-nrr . .-.- {·n· ~ rr·,77-,v.z We have over a generation of history between us now. We are much more than just a "counterculture.'' Traditions have developed, a slow evolution of consensus agreements, along with a tendency to keep evolving. Naturally we have our elders of the tribe - but in this tribe each one of us chooses our elders. Listen for the voice of experience. But don't take anybody's word for iL Look under the swface, and watch who's doing the work. People will be noticing the same about you. To some of us baby-boorners it's news, but work is necessary to survive anywhere. Babylon sacrifices the daily labor of millions to feed a privileged few; a tribe shares the work equally out of Jove for one another, so no one has to do too much. The people who created this magical village in the woods are working hard, making sure you will be safe, warm, and fed. But many of us grew up in middle c~s households where that much was a given we were the privileged few. Don't take it for granted in the woods. Join the dinner circle, pay attention to announcemenrs, spread the word! Go to council; remember to listen before you speak. Say your peace. And if you want to join the tribe, just find a place 10 piteh in and help. As for the panhandlers at our gate, the ego-wrestling and ripoffs, the truckloads of rrash, the bliss-ninnies and rainbozos - it's helpful to remember that compared to most tribes we're still in our awkward adolescence. Most of us weren't born in the Rainbow Family. We were,bom in Babylon. A lot of us got pretty messed up out there before we found our way Home. A lot of Babylon's mess got tracked in on o~r heels. Much of our effort to heal the Eanh 1s an ongoing struggle to heal ourselves and our relationships - to learn how to really be a "Family" - and to raise truly.healthy ki~~Meanwhile for better or worse, Its our Family. As Einst~in's mother put it, "Everyone is a relative." Getting to know o n ~ another over twenty-one years of gatherings ,,: has tended to substantiate the theory. Council Fire Pilgrimage to the old power spot, our abandoned council circle I meet all the pilgrims packing out their tents and trash-bags I find a giant fire-pit dug here since we counciled hard for three hours in the sun to move the council closer to the center of camp Three pilgrims rest here on a log: they too casually join the council of all vanished tribes around the coals of the original fire - Stephen Wing (E.xurp1ed. with "visions by the awhor.from 110!. a ~wsllove /mer to the Rainbow Tribes of the Southeast, Spring 1992 iss~. Contact llO! at Box 5455; At/0/lla, GA 30307) Sun, evening shadows, mist that drifts to rain: the food is ready and we join hands. It's only the clear day's light refracted through the wet nights that makes this Rainbow on the ground. Our circle makes a hole in the ground spirit rising like water in a well, falling like the light on a po11d, the round earth and the rolling sky joined in a circular kiss ... The Circle makes us Whole. Oraw,ng• b)I Ray Ramcs Poems wriuen by Stephen Willg at tire 16th a111111ol Rainbow Garhering, Nanw/,a/a National Forest, Kataoh Province, J11/y, 1987. ~ti1nfl )durnat pnqe IS �In Council With All Beings ;,· , -,r,~ :: •. 3TE by Lee Barnes Human(un)kind's ability to council with All Beings is limited by our human egos, our historical fall from Oneness-WithAJJ. Several "en-Lighten-ments" have aided my personal path towards council with All Beings, including accumulated personal experiences and insights from several books. Council comes to me when I rest my active brain and allow thoughts from All Beings to enter my mind. (Term this as you may - telepathy, insight, second-sight, etc.) We humans have not evolved in limbo from All Beings; rather, we have become insensitive and unconnected from our relations with the great Webs of Life which sustain us. From long experience, I realize that my thoughts (and deeds) do not remain restricted within my bony skull - we can and do touch other Beings with our thoughts. managing to interconnect, apparently without regard to time or distance. Time, mauer, and space appear to be complex illusions created by our physical and spiritual perceptions, historical and modem cultures, mammalian senses, and personal experiences. l totally accept the iraditional beliefs that all things (All Beings) a.re alive and interconnected. We can relate to the other Beings of the world with either an expansive or contractive "attitude." With an expansive "attitude," we can expand our consciousness and encompass All Beings within ourselves. A series of physical and spiritual experiences while hiking over 4000 miles in Katuah forests (and in other regions) has auuned my personal council with All Beings. Usually after about three days in the forest, away from modem "civilized" life, I find myself more in tune with the "real" world. l more closely follow changing day-lengths; more carefully realize the moonlight's effect on animals; better understand the words in the wind; hear the many voices in falling waters; feel the energy of metamorphic and igneous boulders; and recognize the individual tree within the con1ex1 of the forest. I am an unashamed tree-hugger, for trees, especially the forest giants ("wooden Grandfathers") do share energies, and focus Earth energies (although l have felt "indifference" from some trees... ). I have (infrequently) attuned with animal energies by watching hawks soar above, and suddenly becoming "one" with them, glicling over the valley. This was not empathetic daydreaming, but rather I was there in the sky, soaring on wings! I have shared the scene of the land through the eyes of another, equal Being! A specific experience that occurred within a guided group workshop influenced my insight into council with All Beings. During an early morning circle and council based on guidelines from the book Thi11king Like a Mountain: Towards a Cou,rcil of All Befogs (by John Seed and Joanna Macy, 1988, New Society Publishers), I was Xatuah Journnt pnge 16 greatly moved and led 10 a greater appreciation and communication with All Beings. Tllillking Like a Mountain is an inspiring collection of meditations, readings, and most imponan1ly, a guide 10 interspecies communications, which has led humans to greater empathy and union with All Beings. The workshop is usually led by a facili1a1or who guides individual participants 10 "voice" their (telepathic/etc.) thoughts from whichever Beings enter their minds. Typkally in these guided workshops, specific Beings are allowed to voice their cries and frusira1ions wilh human destrUction of their environment and 1be lack of human care about their council. In this particular circle, a "Talking Stick" (brought by a reacher and missionary from African cultures) was passed and used 10 designate each individual speaker. ln council, we heard from several Beings · circling hawks, lowly slugs. and even the voice of the Mountain bcnemh us. 111ese Beings were in anguish, voicing their ~uffcring at the hand of modem human "civilizations" - spoiled waters, fouled air, and their pained existence due 10 human(un)kind's actions. This council would have aroused great disgust towards our human selves, except for the positive counsel offered as 10 how to rcconnec1 with All Beings. While each instance of this method is unique, depending upon the specific seuing and the different panicipants, it remains a powerful personal experience. We two-lcggcds muse seek better council with the universe and with All Beings. We must open our hearts to council, reduce our wasteful over-consumption, and halt the destruction of our fragile planet. Live simply; use only what you need; recycl~ and in all decisions think how the next seven generations of All Beings will be affected. Give thanks 10 the water spirit.~: thanks to green spirits; thanks to the living soil spirits! Give prayer and thanks to All! And then you may learn through council witl1 AH Beings. I encourage all of the two-leggeds, especially the city-shocked brothers and sisters, 10 go simply into the the depths of your existence, leaving your egos (and every restrictive training) behind. and 10 seek open and unrestrictt.'<I council with All Beings. Be open 10 new insights and experiences: be rcspec1ful of all other Beings (whether, stone, fire, water, air...); and offer thanks for council with the rest of Creation. Voice prayers, offer thanks, and continue 10 seek council with All Beings.j - ' # Drawing by Mich11CI Thompson Ho. Sum,ncr, J 992 �STEVE MOON ·1 , " SHELL ENGRAVINGS" The Southeastern Ceremonial Complex, a distinctive culture of the native First People, flourished from the east coast to Texas between 500 and 1600 AD. The culture was marked by mound building and elaborate rituals and ornamentation. Among the primary items produced were carved ceremonial drinking vessels and gorgets (chest ornaments hung around the neck) made of shell. Designs were often engraved on the concave or inner side of the shell, which is naturally smooth and glossy. They were sometimes rose tinted. These anifacts are now highly prized by collectors and many of the old mounds have been looted by avaricious grave robbers. Steve Moon is an artist and a defender of the native grave siteS. Descended from a Cherokee-Shawnee great-grandmother, he is proud of the native branch of his bloodline and works in the spirit of the ancient native artisans. He creates museum-quality reproductions of the old shell engravings and also creates original designs based on traditional motifs. "I just sit around and things come to me sometimes," says Steve. "I don't know why, but things pop into my mind, and 1 draw them on the shell and carve them. "It's like closing your eyes and letting the tool do the work. There's really no way to explain it. I just go down into the shell until the color looks right, and r don't go any further. Sometimes rcan control the color all the way around. "I may pick up a shell and it will look like an ordinary mussel shell; another time I will be able to acruaJly feel with my mind down into the shell. The shell gorgets and drinking bowls found in old grave sites were ceremonial objects carefully placed by the body during burial. 'They are sacred objects,'' says Steve, "and it's wrong for people to dig into graves to go after them. The old people were put in their graves to rest. They were not put there to be excavated. "On my father's side, 1 had some ancestors who served in the Civil War. I would be real mad if someone went to Flat Shoals Baptist Church and staned digging them up 10 get the buttons off their coats or something. "In Spiro, Oklahoma during the l 930's, grave robbers dug up a burial site. They were taking stuff out by the wheelbarrow-load to sell to the private collectors. When they found out that the State of Oklahoma was going to stop them, they packed the central burial chamber full of powder and blew it up. The chamber was made of cedar logs, and it had preserved cane mauing, textiles, even textiles made from woven rabbit fur. All of it was blown 10 smithereens. "I've talked 10 looters who went in with burlap bags, and I've talked to looters with doctor's degrees. What's the difference? They arc doing the same thing. 'The bowls and ornaments from the ancient mounds were grave goods. They were not lying around in a plowed field. TI1ey were taken off a skeleton. I think they should be left alone." For Steve, this is a hean-felt commitment. Ile offers 10 donate his work 10 collec1ors who will acc~pt reproductions in return for replacing shell artifacts in their original burial silcs. Steve Moon's reproductions and original carvings arc things ofhl!auty. They shine with a luster and a depth that photographs cannot convey. Their varying textures satisfy the hand that touches them. They truly are representations in tangible form of the spirit that moves Steve Moon 10 his creative work. the spirit that inspires his sense of mission. Stev,· Moo11 can /,c co11tacte,J at Rt. 1, Box 256; Cm,011, CA 30520. -DWA' ~ Original from Moundville, Alabama. Carved in the shell of a lightning whelk. Originals with this design were found in Tennessee, Missouri Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Carved in the shell of lightning whelk. Original from Carthage, TN. Carved in the shell of a lightning whelk Orig111al from Spiro, OK. (The design y, as also found at sites across Tennessee, Alabama. and north Georgia ) Carved in Mankillcr pearl shell. �visiting my grandparents occasionally. "MEDICINE TRAINING" (PARTII) These are the words of a traditional Cherokee medicine person. My gr.mdfather would direcl my training by saying, "You need 10 go spend some rime with this guy. You need to go see him." I would go sec that person. and he wouldn't even know I was going 10 show up. would have no idea at all why I was supposed to be there. I would show up, and I would jusl stay 1here for awhile. I would learn just by being there. It w~n·l at all structured, like lhis guy had Course Three for me or something, but after awhile l could tell when they were aclually going out of their way to teach me something. Some people were more theatrical than others, and they'd make me do crazy things. The strangest one was lhe chicken house. J had gotten 10 where I thought I was real special. I felt that I was really imponant, thal everyone ought to bow and scrape and just be honored lhat I was near them. J was making an ass oul of myself, and. ahhough I never recognized il, everyone else did. And my grandpa 1old me il was time 10 go stay with a man named George. He said that l would have to stay there for awhile. When I got to George's, I asked him, "Where am I going 10 stay?" and headed toward the house. He said, "Hey! C'mere." And I looked and said, "What d'ya want?" He said," You can't stay in the house. We've got lots of guests, and lots of people come by, and we need room for them. We should give 'em the best we have. You stay there." Xatuah Journat page to And he pointed toward a funky old sway-backed chicken house that had a patched-up roof and was about to fall down. r just looked on past it. All f could see was lhc rhododendron thickel behind it, but I thought maybe he had ano1her cabin or a building back there. He said, "Righi there. Goddamn chicken house. Yeah," "Chicken house?" He said. "Yeah. Lislen. that's all I can do." We walked over there. ll was about l5 feet long and about 10 feel wide, with big cracks between lhe boards, and chickens running all about He said, "These chickens are renl 1mponant lo us, we get eggs and meat from them, so I want you 10 use that pile of old lumber out in back, put up a partition, and fix up a room for yourself in the chicken house." I just couldn't believe it. A person of my caliber, my standing, in these conditions! Then I thoughl to myself, "They're trying 10 teach me something," but it was nol until a couple of months Inter that I actually realized what it was. Nobody lold me I was egotistical. I found out myself that I was egotistical. r found out after r had dug tons of chicken shit out of there, put up a wall, split shingles, fixed the roof, got lice. I was absolutely inundated by lice. Sol made lye and covered the whole chicken house with it to kill all the lice. I fixed that chicken house up beuer than it had ever been before. Heck, I didn't have anything else to do. In lhe process of fixing up the chicken house, I became the world's greatest expert on chicken conversation and habits. No one knows chickens any beuer than I do. I spent more than a year in that chicken house, I did chores and helped out, and rhat was the way I paid for my keep. Then people started asking me 10 doctor - small things like wounds and scrapes. After awhile, though, they would ask me questions like, "Johnny, he's off someplace, do you think he's okay?'' And I'd say, "Well, I need to think about this.'' And J staned to give them advice. I had seen the other men do it. 1 had seen Owl do it. I had seen how lhey lalked lO people and consoled them. I soon learned to separate true knowledge from knowledge that you pick up just by hearing things. True knowledge is something that you intuitively know from inside. My grandfather would call it "true knowledge magic." Knowledge that you hear on lhe side like you might have heard some other people lalking about how Johnny was al some whorehouse or in the county jail - thal klnd of knowledge I call "side knowledge." And I knew how Owl took that information and used it to make himself more powerful. He said that he only used medicine in one percent of his work. He said information is much easier to come by. He said that the more knowledge, lhe more magic, and the more power you have, lhe less you use it. When the elden; who had been training me thought I was prepared, they sem me out 10 spend time alone in lhe woods. When I relurned, they beld another nnming ceremony and gave me my true name, my medicine name, my spiritual name, that l never have told anybody. It was done at a campfire way out in the mountains, at sunrise on the new moon, a beginning time. We rook the black drink, vomited, and then we plunged in the creek. They collecled the woods and set the fire, smoked everybody who was 1here, then they sang songs and did different things. Then my true name was whispered in my ear, and I walked to each corner and the elder called the relatives. They would come 10 me, and I uttered my new name in my mind. It was hard lo remember, and I had to get used 10 it. These were men who had hand-raised me. They were all of lhe same generation. They were all old. I think the youngest Sumrm:r, 1992 �pi:rson of th:it group was .50, and he was ai I think that in anybody's hfe there is a the bouom in the pecking order t)f age. I le ~en!ie that things arc se1 out for you. The \\ns a fc1d1er and .i carrier. people who raise you have cenain They were very spiritual in the sense expec1a1ions of you, and if you have a that they followed the t.rndition. They lived loving, caring. nurturing, mutual son of everything that they believed. They had their relationship. you want 10 do everything in own son of reality, like they would leave your power 10 meet their expcc1a1ions. food for the Little People here and there, and You might have long fingers, so mama they talked 10 the spirits regularly. They thinks you ought co be a piano player, so she would all be holy people compared 10 the drives you to the piano. If she goes about it Cherokees of today, but they weren't like our in a good way, you might end up to be a Hollywood concept of a medicine man at au. concen pianist. But you may have been belier They were not what the anthropologists suited 10 be a plumber than to be a pianist. called "priests." They were a different group. You could go on until you are 50 years old The "priests" and famous medicine men lived and srill playing in honky-tonks before you closer 10 town. But these old people were all realize that the piano is not your calling. members of the Katuah Medicine Society. I received a lot of my understandings about Katuah from them, things that l am not ever at liberty to talk about. Because they were in the society, they considered themselves better than most people. They were actually arrogant about tha1. They considered themselves the true Ka1uahs, and there's probably pans of me that still feel a lirtle smug, because I grew up ,-: - with that cenainty. They had signs. Back then, everybody ~ wore a little feather in their hat. But the \ \ ~ ) Karoah people would take the marrow out of 1' ::,J\..... '• the feather, so that when they walked, the ( .r,,., feather would make a fluttering motion. That -\. was a sign. \., \\~. Another sign was a linle silver snake. Owl said his snake was made by Sequoyah. It could have been. Several 01hers had little \. silver snakes. They frequently wore old suit coaLS, welfare clothes donated by white people, and would carry the snake under the lapel. When Karuah Society people from Olclahoma would come, I would see old Owl lift his lapel for the briefest second and let ii fall back. And the other people would make an acknowledgment with their eyes without winking or doing anything obvious. I can't tell you how they did it, it just was I acknowledged. ' Then, without any other invitation, we would go back to the creek. and soon four or five of these people from Oklahoma would just show up I.here. They'd talk and smoke pipe and do Katuah ceremonies together. This would go on all night. I would usually fall asleep, because I was young then. But l am amazed about how much I learned by just hanging out. "Be invisible," grandpa would say. "Be invisible." When I look back at the good and the bad in my life, I always feel incredibly fonunate and content. Despite the pains and sufferings that everybody goes through in Life, I have aJways believed that I have affected my own destiny more than most people do. Sometimes l interfered in the process, and other times I just let the process happen to me. 1 give credit for that to the fact of my growing up experiences, all the things I learned from that strong circle of elders. If the spiriLS had not had another intention for me, I probably would srill be living near my childhood home among the offspring of those old people who raised me. I would either have been an alcoholic or struggling inside the system. '-I ·) i''\,-, ~mmcr, 1992 Drawing:, by Troy Sc,ILlc:r Jn my case, my grandfather saw ~omc physic.11 signs and m:1de an interpretation based on the sign5 and his knowledge. But it was still someone else's in1erprc1.1rion. Back when r was 10 years old, my grandfather taught me how 10 carve little animals out of soft basswood. I can remember that l was fascinated with that for a year or so. Then I went on to other things. That was the extent of my early carving career. The figures I made were crude, but a seed was set for something 10 come. The seed lay donnant until a few years ago when ! saw a carving on a shelf in a house I was visiting. I picked it up and held it. It didn't feel right. It seemed disproponionate and out of shape. The man said. "Can you carve anything?" I said, "I used to fool with it when I was a kid." After I left the house, I said to myself, "I can make something better than that." And so I made a bear. It was 001 very good, but it still was a little bener than the figure I had seen. I fooled around making different kinds of animals for a year, experimenting with different styles and expressions. The animals I made then aren't anything like the animals I carve now. They were somewhat similar in design, but not in quality. I went through the whole process. A lot of the techniques I learned were already known by people all over the world. I probably reinvented the wheel several times over. But I also developed a couple of ideas that, as far as I know, no one else has thought of. And when J finally made an animal that looked like it was alive, it just blew my mind. I said, "Look at this!" The next one I made came alive in my hands, 100. ! said, "Look at this! 1 did this! Mc! No one else! No one set me down and taught me 10 do this. No one told me." Now I am staning 10 get thunder from my carving. Thunder is when other people acknowledge your ability, and it's absolutely wonderful. But what has made all the difference is that r feel an inward drive and detcnninarion 10 do this that I have never felt about doing anything else. I have been detennined 10 accomplish other goals before, but this is purely an expression of myself. II is a force coming from inside of me. This was not/ preordained by anyone; this is the real -: person. Xatuah Journat JIOIJC 19 �BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS The j9b of t ~ government o(ficials is to protect the health or citiuns and or the environmenL At best. they have displayed an attitude or unconcern about their responsibilities. Al worst, they have wilfully misled lhe public about a matter of grave danger. Such disregard or Ille lives lhey arc supposed 10 protccl is unconscionable. This 1s a Sillllltion thnt needs to be thoroughly investigated at both the state and county level. Such flagrant irresponsibility must not be allowed to conunue. Nanni World New, Service The Burlington Industries CIIIJlCI plant at the hClldwaa.ers of lhe Little Tennessee River in Rabun County, GA is closing iis doors. That is bad news and good news. The plant employs about 425 people in Rabun and Macon Counties. The plant closing is bad news for~ people who will be summarily dismissed and left wi 1h no means of li vclihood in an increasingly competitive job marlccL However, &ho Burlington pbnl has long been a major polluter of lhe Liu.le Tennessee River, and Ille factory's demise will mean beuer heallh foc lhe river's aquatic ecosystem. '"The plant has been a severe, but not an acute, polluter," said aquatic biologist Dr. William Mcl.amey. '"There have been no fish kills, foe 111s1811CC, but cit tensive sampling of both fish and insect populations have shown that the plant has definitely had a negative effect on the river." If another company buys lhc Burlington plant, it will be regulated by stricter environmental laws than lhosc in effect when Burlingion staned diacharging into the river. Also, a newly-initiated citiun's monitoring group will be traclcing lhe wat.er quality al lhe planL "We will continue to lake samples above and below lhe Burlington plam until there is no noticeable difference between them.· said Mcl.amey. As long as our industrial system operates environmentally destructive means of production, Ille closing of worlcplaces will be at once bad news and good news. RAPE PREVENTION Natural World Newi Scrv,cc For the first time in the Southern Appalacluans, a federal lawsuit has been filed on behalf of biological diversity, challenging the Land and Resou= Manngerncnt Plan proposed for the Cherokee National forest by lhc US Forest Service. Representing a blood coalition of conservation groups. the lawsuit nled by the Southern Environmenl3l Legal Center (SELC) contcstS the Forest Service practice of below-cost timber sales. The suit also contends that Ille Jogging progrnm outlined in the pbn would do urepruablc domagc to native habitat and result an a corresponding loss of biolog,ical diversity in the Cherokee. D:ivid Carr or the SELC rcporis that the CWTCnt plan opens up 60% of lhe national forest to logging and ro:ld construction • much of it on steep slopes and mac=iblc terrain. By FOfCSI Service estimates, there arc presently 80,000 acres of potential wilderness in the forest; more than half of this vital lnnd b:lsc is open to desccr.mon under the plnn. By promoting rood building and cle:ucuumg, the Forest Service 1s practicing t.hc ecooom1cs or extinction. Peter Kub)', regional director of the Wildcrnc!..s Society, note~ lhat the Chcrolcc Plan threatens the extraO(dinary natur.il diversity or the foreM. Kirby points out that tl1e Cherokee Nauonal forest 1s home to 1,000 ~pccie., or flowering plants, 400 species or vcnebr-.uc,, and appl'oxm1atdy 13.S sp<lC IC$ of (hh, "[Ilic fore:,1 plan) calls for the logging of over one-hair of the cove h:lrdwood forcsis. an ccol<'lg1cal treasure trove in the Southern Appalachrnn,; he said. The new Fore.,t Plan wuuld also va.,tly mcn:..1~ rood density (which already exceeds lc(:111 guidelines) providing OC.CC.'i.~ for o greatly mclC:l.<cd amount of commcrci.il and recn:;itional :ict1vi1y - not to mention illegal poaching. Th~ Asheville Citizen-Tunes and Green Line - ~ r s provitkd ,nfor""11ion for this ortk~ USFS TO STOP APPEALS Nanni World News Service BUNCOMBE LANDFILL SCANDAL Nanni World News Environmental sleuihs from lhe Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League blew the cover olT what was apparently a conspiracy of silence among Sl8tc and local governmental officials about leaking contamination from the Buncombe County landfill. In October. 1991, investiga10rs from the Environmental Protection Agency sent a rcpon io Buncombe County saying th:11 u:st results showed "elevated coneentmtions or numerous volntile organic compounds and metals" in lhe groundwater around the Buncombe 1.nndflll. TheAshcvll/c Citiun-Timu reponed that monitoring wells showed six to 3S times Ille legal limit of live indUStrial solvenis - tnchlorcthylcne, benzene, dichlorelhane. methylene chloride, and dichloropropane. Water quality cxpen Richard Maas of the University of North Carolina Asheville told the newspaper lhat the contamination levels were "higher than several Supcrfund sites in the area. In my experience the.~ levels are surprisingly high." An estimated l,125 people living within four miles of the landfill site drink wnter from wells. Yet neither the State nor the county government made any public announcement about lhe landfull lenk or possible hazards to residents' drinking water. At an April 10, 1992 press conference, BREDL activistS dlSJ)layed papers they had dug out or state liles 1n Raleigh that proved that the l:mdlill wns leaking. This W$ the first word given to the public that anything wa~ amiss. Why did government officials not inform residents about the groundwater conUlmination1 County Manager Steve Metcalf blamed 11 on M.uvin Waddey, who w:is Director of County Engineering Service:. al the time. MclCOlf srud that he ju.~t pas.scd on Waddcy's assurance that there were no problems at the l:andlill. W:lddey has conveniently moved out or ~cue. Stale hydrologc.t Bob Lufty said that the ,utc h.id not informed anybody of lhc trouble< because of undcNtnffing. He wW Grun Line ncwspapcr that 1hc st.1tc hrul a two-person hydrology \taff to monitor 150 landlills, Half or thc.sc on: leaking wor;c than Buncombe's. he said, and the re.,idcnts of those commumues do not know nbout the danger.;. either. Now the ch~rn1cals arc moving toward the Fn:nch Broad R111i;r. 'The C,11:en-lim,•., stated lh:n l.ulty s:ud lh:11 lhe subl,unccs would reach the nvcr, · 1,c diluted and evcntually dcSU'oycd." llle solvents 111110l11cd are deailly and per:;islCIIL It may be hundreds of yc;tr.; before they nre ·eventually de.woyed." The US Forest Service has chosen to sell more and more of the last remaining virgin and old-growth fOl'CSIS to the timber industry. But concerned citizens have bad the right to challenge lhese sales through an adminis11'8ti..e appeals process. Many people have fe:irs that to continue ovctCUlting our forests will mean irreparable ecological harm. The appeols process has helped to bring some measure of accountability to the management policies and practices of the Forest Service. However. on Morch 20. 1992, Agriculture Secretary Edwnrd Madigan announced that the Forest Service was proposing to eliminate the appeals process. In ltne with the Bush administration's announced plruls to eliminate "unnc.cded" federal regulations, these appeals were deemed too time -cor.swning and costly, and it was decided that lhey would be replaced wilh a toothless •30 day pre-decisional notice and comment period.· The Forest Service is trying to ignore the fact that most of the appeals filed have resulted in improved dccisons, better management or the fOtcSts. and often citposc inodequat.e environmcnllll analyses. TI1e agency seems to think that any decisions it makes should go unchallenged, and the public should have little or no voice in how Ille Mlional foresis arc managed. ForesL~ arc more than vettical logs. It is insane to continue to cut our last few old-growth stands of timber and destroy native habitat communitlcs to feed the ever-hungry saw mills. The Forc.,;t Service often needs IO be remanded or this. PROTECTING AQUATIC HABITATS Nmural World News Service April 23. 1992, the Nonh Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NC WRC) held a public hearing in Boone, NC to consider a proposal origill3ting within the agency to dc.~ignatc 33 wawrshcds m IO of Nonh Carohnn's miuor river ba.~in.~ as critical habitat for species of mollusks and fish endangered m the Slate. The plan would offer protection a.s "High Quality Waters" 10 portions or the New. Watauga. Little Tenncs,;ce, Johns. and Linville nvcrs and the Warrior Forl; 111 the mounlaln area of the si;uc. Env1ronmcnt:1I acti'lsts present at the hc:iring IO support the mca~urc, commented that 11 was a pl~surc IO appear at a hC'..mng to compbmcnt the m1ua11vc of a ,1a1c ngcncy tn\lC.'ld or nJ1P(Xing iL llic comment J);nod on tl11! WIIJhfe Comm1ss1on's proposal extends until July I. Lener.; of suppon may be sent m: North CtJro/1fld ll'i/dlife RcJo:,ru; Commimon 512 N Salisbury .St. Raleigh. NC 2760-I .. . S11111111cr, lll!IZ a 6 t t I I 8 �.,. .. • WOLF' FLUNKS PILOT TEST Na.tural World News Service One of the four led wolves (Canis rufus) released in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in November, 1991 was recaptured and penned, according to Park spokesperson Bob Miller. Red wolf Male (#219) was recapwrcd in JanWIJ')' because he showed undue tameness towards humans, and because he caught and killed a chicken in Cades Cove and several domestic turkeys just north of the Park. The livestock owners were reimbursed for their losses from an indemnity fund created specifically for such contingencies. Male #219 may have been a poor choic.e for release s:inc.e he had spent seven years in zoos, where he had become unnaturally tame. He was selected because he was sterile 10 ensure that a bl'eeding population was not established in the Park prior to the completion of the iniual study. He w :J most likely spend the rest of his life in captivi•y. Two new adult wolf pairs arc cum:ntly being acclimated to the area by being held in large pens for the next six months, and may be released in the Park in November. Members of the IVesttr11 North Carolina Alfiance gagged by the US Forest Service. The Alliance prot,:sted removal qJ the Forest Service's appeals process at a press conference held outside the USFS Ashevitte offices on April Phoio Laura Dcaton/WNCA 17.1992. ONE H O NEST MAN N.i1ural World Ncv,,s Sen ice When Dr.William Reid signed on as oncolog1st (cancer specialist) at tlic Mcthodi!il Medical Center in Oak Ridge. 1N early in 1991, he knew little about the production procc.-.scs al the Department of Energy\ nuclear weapons plants and less about the nuclear politics of Oak Ridge. But he did know a sick p:iticm when he saw one, and he saw four Cll'iC.'> of a rare kidney c:inccr, an unusual concentration for such a small popul3tion sampling. I le also saw a ~ignificant number of people exhibiting auto-immune system disorders. Exh of the p:mcnts wilh kidney disease h:id ~n exposed to ·major radiauon." Dr. Reid rcponcd. and the p:itients with auto-immune deficiencies showed "n consistent p.,ucm of blood irregularities." In August, 1991 Reid approached Dr. Daniel Conrad, the medical director for Martin-r-.1:uiCU3 Energy Systems, the priw1c conlJ'3clor for virtually all the opcrauons at the Oak Ridge Rc.'iervauon, 1uking for access to c.lal.l about pos.~ible metal toxicity al the Oak Ridge plants. "Th<.,rc are no problems wuh Mattin-Marictl3 employee~." Reid was told 1111d 11,~1~ ahruptly shown out of the olfice. The young doctCII' wa~ surpnsed ut the brush-ofr he n:cc1ved from Conrad, t>t11 he was more surpnsc-d ,;everal months btcr m December, 1991 when he w1Ls called before a medical review board at his 1nsu1uuon for "treuung pauent~ 100 aggressively," •spending too much money in the treatment of cancer patients." and :illcgcd complaints of incompetency. A<; a rcsult of the review, Dr. Reid WIL~ served ummcr, 1992 an ultimawm: either to pack up and leave Oak Ridge or have his name entered on the national medical black list known as the "National Pr'.icutioncr Data Bank for Adverse Information of Physicians and Other Health Pracutione11>." Since the review hearing. the hospital has p:iid to have another physician monuor all of Dr. Reid's cancer ueatments. Instead of caving in lO this blatant blackmail, Dr. Reid filed a lawsuit challenging the allegations agamst him and comc.~ting the consmutionaluy of the National Pr'dctitioner Dalll Bank. "Tilesc actions arc a ~ham," said Lewis Lcvm, Reid's attorney, of the hospu.1J's measure.~. "The)' were perpetrated again.,1 Dr. Reid only aft.er he refused to be intimidated by threats." And in the te.lt of I.he lawsuit, Levan st:ucd, "He (Reid) opposes the prcvuilmg lct-them-d,e attitude toward cancer puticnts. lie oppo5es dcni.31 of treatment even when 11 1s nOt fully covered by insurance payments. He oppose.~ those who refuse to seek the c.auscs of bi7.arrc patterns in the quality and quantity or cancer seen in Oak Ridge.• The lawsull goc, on to say, "The physicians and hospi111I who benefit from 1he generosity of tlJC Martin-Marietw health c:irc pl.ln 11.ant him to lc:ivc. 1hs p31icnts want him to st:ly. • Reid reports that he has nxc1ved many fate-night pl1one tj1lh from anon>mous supporters. Other caller.; have offered mfonn:iuon lo help llllCk down people suffcnng from health problems clue to radiation and heavy metals tox1C1l)·, His work· and the late-night lips. have shown results. Dr. Reid has found pockets of 1mmuno-supp,cs~ive disorders in the Oak Ridge area and even downstream as far as Kingston. TN. A NOTHER ONE FOR THE GOOD OL' BOYS NawnJ World News Service Yet another example of govcrnmenrav bureaucratic arrogance and insensitivity: the North Carolina Dcpanmem ofTranspocuuion (NC DOT) decided in May to postpOne public hearings scbcdulcd in May on the 1 Transponation Improvement 992 Program (TIP). While this mecis the leuer of the law requiring public hearings, it keeps citizens from having any input on 1992 transponation priorities - in effect canceling any value the hearings mighl have. Without public hearings, citiuns arc effectively blocked out of the decision-malcing process. This becomes even more dist.urbing when one realius that lhe Board ofTransponation iS appointed by Governor Jim Martin on the basis of political favors. It is the plum of state political appointments. Noticeably missing from the Board of Transpoltlltion arc tranSit advocateS, individuals with rail background. environmentalists, and reprc.senrativcs from communiLy groups, neighborhood associauons, and minorities. Perhaps the reason lhe DOT has decided to dispense with public hearings is that the importanl decisions have already been made. Journalist Barry Yeoman has produced a thoroughly researched s1udy publi.shed in the lndependem thal shows a close relationship belween the sources of large political contributions and where highway construction projects are built in the Srate of North Carolina Do you want the NC Department of Transportation to hold public Juuuings? Write to: Larry Goode: ChiefEngiuer (Programs); NC DOT; Box 25201; Raleigh. NC 27611. Reid ha.~ nlso received support from the 03k Ridge Envll"Ollmcntal and Peace Alliance (OREPA), which has accumulated experience in dealing with the authorities and tmcl.ing tOxiC emissions nt the Oak 1 Ridge Rc...crvntion. Stc,·e Smith ofOREPA and the Foundation for Global Sustain1bili1y. said, "This is the first lime a medical doctor within Oak Ridge ha.~ stepped forward 311d begun to identify :idvcrsc h~th cffCC1S in and around the Oak Ridge facilities. "When Dr. Reid first saw these pntu:ms emerging, he was acompletely di~inten:.stcd observer. He had no axe to grind with the DOE. He had no conccpuon of what he was getting mto when hc ~tarted work 111 Oak Ridge." Under pressure from the St:ltc of Tennessee, the DOE 113.S funded a panel of health e.\J)CttS to study cxpo:;urc to radiation among people Ii ,·ing around the Oak Ridge facilities. Dr. Reid has been appointed to that P3ncl, and will reveal hi~ tull fi11ding.q in the cour:.c of that invcsllgnti()n. Hiscao;e i, also under scrutiny by Sen. John Glenn's Government Affairs Commmcc and Rep. John Dingle's lnvcsugauon Subcommlltcc m the US I louse of Rcprc.'iCntJllvc.~. A rccC11t anicle in 1,me magazme c•uvmg H11ppdy ~eat a NuclearTr.ish Hc.ip," 5/l lfl2) ten1'ring on Dr. Reid nlso called aucnt.ion to the situation al Oak Ridge. Now thai the hd of secrecy 1s orr I.ht\ lode history 01 the Oak Ridge Reservation, 11 seems likely that dccJ)CI' probing will n:~ cal more c:uimplcs of abu!iC of the health of hum:ins 11ml the envllQnmcnL II L~ startling lO think that tl1is whole furor began because one person v. 1th true compa..sion entered unawwes mro the heart of the sordid nuclCJr we.1pons industry. It shows the pov.er ol one honcsl man. XGtuoh Jounmt pnqe 2 1 �REGION O'RAGIN' ,: ,. .. •, Nanni World News ServiClC April 21st brought not only a healthy dose or rain io 1.he region, but also a healthy dose of reality people in K:m1ah are outraged with the US Forest Sc,vice! As p:in of a national Earth Firsll effort honoring John Muir's birthday. protCStS organiz.cd by the environmental grollP SoulhPAW and il.S cohorts in Asheville, NC, Atlanlll. GA. and Oevel:md. TN were among lhe more than 30 prou:sts held ruitionwidc. Activists at the Forest Service Regionnl Hcadquaners m Allant.a mllied behind a 4S f00t banner that read: "Environmenlol Assessment of the US Forest Service- Finding of No Significant lnl.Cgrity." Twenty-five dcmonstraoors gathered outside lhc Cherokee National Forest HeadqumterS in Cleveland. while in Asheville 50 people chanted and hollered ouLSide the Pisgah/Nanlllhala National Forest offices. In each city, the message rang ou1. loud and clear: decision-making proc:essc$ which destroy thousands of aaes of habitat come from little cubicles inside concreie and Slecl office buildings. //'you'd liu to wim your frusuaJions with IM Fores, Service in a concerted effort, conJJJcl SowhPAW: Box 3/4/; Asheville, NC 28802. SENATOR WAFFLES Nau,,al World News Scrvia SenalOI' Terry Sanford is threatening lO give in the mauer of the Fontana road, the famous "Road IO Nowhere" in the Great Smoky Mountains National Palk in Swain County.NC. Sanford bas ptOp0.5td legislation I.hat would include aSl6 million payment to Swain County and allow consuuction of the comrovcrslal road. The road would destt0y the possibility of wilderness design:11ion for the southern end of the Parle and open the isolated area up IO possible (ulllrC developmenL Sanford stalTer Alan Thornbwg said 1h31. the Senat0r "just wanLS to pol lhis ITlllller behind us. He is willing lO do w~ver lhe county commissioners dcs1te in lh is local issue.• Sanford apparently does llOl undel'Sland that it is not jost a local issue any more. The s111tus of several thousand acres of h3biw and an imp0Clllllt wildlife migration routc are at stalce, and there are many visilOrS co the Parle who each year apprcciatc the qmet and rcl:ll.ive isolation of the north shore of Lake Foruana. Sanrord's move seems LO be an election year ploy to brcalc Helms' enclave or powct in Swain County. That he would scll out I.he future of a critical habitat area for a palll}' handful of VOies shows a skewed sense of values. lO Senator Jesse Helms' inll'BllSigcnce in To con1ac1 Stlllltor Ttrry SOft[ord abou, his proposal, write him QI 716 llart Senate Office Building: Washington. DC 20510. WE PAY FOR CLEARCUTS! Nlllnl World New• Serv~ Once again the U.S. Forest Servicc has issued a report stating the amount trutpaycrs pay tO subsidize timber sales on North Carolina na11onal foresLS. In 1991 U.S. citi7.ens paid $2.4 milhon ID order lO have roads buih and plOIS of national forest land clcrucut to the state. Even though less limber was harve.~ted in 1991 l.h:m m 1990 (there was a loss or S2 million in 1990), we paid even more to keep Congress nnd the timber IDlcrestS happy. Xnt(iari lournnt ,.,- r, l Z2 nmm lf ll f • If •r 6 t = • ~-WHEELERS ~AT POR&ST Nanni World New, S<tvicc All-terrain vehicles (ATV's) are a pcoblem in lhe region's national forcsLS. In lhc view of the US Forest Service. the desires of different human inteteSt groups lake precedence over protcetion of the rorcs1 ecosysiem. Thus, ATV joyriding is seen as a legitimate "mulitple use· of the forest, and the little bull-bouncers are permitted whetc no mot0ri2cd vehicles should be allowed co chum. Case in point: lhe Wayehutta (locally pronounced •worry-hut") Creek watershed or the Nanlllhala National Forest in Jackson County, NC is riddlcd witlt A TV irails. Sixtccn miles of old logging roads have been given over t0 the mud-slingers for their fun. But that is not cnoogh for the wheel jockeys. Now the Forest Service is considering a plan to add 20 more miles of ATV trails, pcneuating two more water.iheds. Internal combUSlion engines, especially obno11iously loud ones over four knobby-treaded tires, are incompatible witlt deep forest habiw needs. The acres that woold be impacted by the noise, debris. and massive erosion from ATV's are needed much IIIQle desperalCly by wild animal and plant life as homespace. or However, Uie ltanquillily lhis JX)rtion of wild land is tltrca1encd. Adjnce.n1 lO the city uact is the CliITs of Gla.\sie development, a 1,000 acre golf rcson. The Cliffs wants to buy 134 acres of 1bcciLy's propeny 10 expand their domain. The Greenville City Council was agreeable to the sale. but when local conservation groups he:lrd of the proposed transaction, tltey unilCd in vehement opposition. The local Bartram Group of the Sierra Club described the property and revealed the details of the sale in a televised press conference. The land had never been inventoried, said the group, and lhey insisted 1h31. a sludy of lhc area be done before any sale was considerod to dcterminc if it was habilat for any rare or endangered species. The TV broadcast provoked a flood of letterS from local citizens apposing the proposed sale. Under I.hat pressure, the city council bacud off. TI1ey agreed to inventory the 134 acres proposed for sale. Moreover, they have decided to study the biology of the whole watershed to consider a mnnagemcnt plan for the entire traeL The city might still try to sell tho area when the study is completed, but public pressure has proved co be a powerful LOOI. The Highlands Ranger District is scliciting commurls on the proposed A7V trail expansion. Write them 01: Rt. I, Box 247; Highlands. NC 28741. BUYING BAD AIR Namral World New. Scrvice The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is baying 10,000 cons of coxic nitrate and sulfaie compounds rrom the W l ~ Power and Li&hl Company co release inlO lhe air over the Tennessee Valley and the Soulhcrn Appalachians. Docs that sound LOO bimrre to be true? Not at all. Under a clause or the much-toulCd Clean Air Act or 1990, companies that are in •over.compliance" (companies that exceed the minimum smndnrds for air cleanliness set forth in the act) can seU "pollution credits" to polluting companies who don't want to clean up their operations. This provision is a safeguard bw11. into the law ID see that the air does not get cleaned up beyond a minimal level apparently on the theory lhal if air geLS too clean iL is bad for business. Money can buy off the legal system, but it cannot bring dead lJ'eeS back to life. nor can it make polluted air any hcallhicr for those organisms who have lO breathe u. "Pollution crcdiLS" may make TV A think that it has license tO pollute, but 11 will only worsen lite situation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where 96 plant species ore already in doclinc from niuogen•gcnerrucd owne and other atmospheric pollutanl.S. The grealeSl irony may be that rai.epaycrs puchasing power from TV A will now know tltn.t, instead of investing in air pollution controls, they ore buying themselves an extra helping of air IO~ichy. Comnu!nls may be stnt 10 the Ttnntssu Valley Aulhoriry; Norris. TN 37818. GOLF DESERT OR WILD WOODS? Nanni World New. Service The City of Greenville. SC own.~ 25,000 acre.\ of land in nonh Greenville County. The ll'3cl is a rugged and beauuful alC.'.l at the foot or the Blue Ridge CSClllplll(nL Bought bad ID lhe l 920·~. lhe land has not~ a bulldo1,er or a chain saw in 60 years. i4 D ACTIVISTS RALLY FOR CLEAN AIR N11unl World News Service A raucous crowd of about 50 people and one coswmed bear demonstralCd beforc the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Suga.rlands VisilO( Center in GatJjnburg, TN on May 18. 1992. This time the activists or the group SolllhPA W were not protesting government actions, but ~ galhcrcd IO support lhc Dep:inmcnt of the Interior's policy of opposing any new insl.allations within 120 miles of the Great Smokies lluu would add lO air pollution -particularly low-level ozone - in the Park. Signs welcomed curious visitors lO the "Great Smoggy Mouniains" and decl3rcd "We Support the No-zone!• The dancing beat grophically demonslt3llld what happens when wildlife take on overlo:ids of air pollution. Atlanl.8 folksinger Robert Hoyt serenaded the Monday morning crowd with copical songs about the state of the environment and our society. The Soul.hPAW ac11v1s1.S wcce JOined by 20 eighth grade s1udcn1.S in the KARE (Kids Agamst 'Recking lhe Environment) Club at Bridgepon School m Newport, TN. The studcnl.S, who live in the watcrShed of Ilic Pigeon River, knew lin;tband about lite effects of waler pollution, but came 10 learn what air pollution docs co C(()~i.tems. They m:ide tl1c connections quickly and were soon parudpat mi; cntltus1asucally in 1.hc dcmonst.111tion. Su mm.er, ){192 uu �The first building constructed at Sycamore Branch was the community center. It had a large kitchen and dining/meeting area upstairs and ample bathing and laundry facilities downstairs. The next project was a complex that came to be called "the apanments." These were twelve good-sized rooms, each with a couple of sleeping lofts, arranged in two tiers going up the hill above the river. Many families lived for several years in the apartmenrs while they worked on their houses. Today the community rents them out to young couples, the elderly, and visitors. The people decided that most of the houses were to be built in a cluster near the community center. These houses were built by the homeowners who organized themselves into a masonry crew and a carpentry crew. Some homeowners hired replacements for themselves because they had jobs that would not allow for the necessary rime off. These clustered homes were connected by a common water, electrical, and sewer system. They were arranged and landscaped for maximum privacy, set into the hillside, and turned a little this way or that so that each home could have a small private garden. There were many outdoor decks and patios. Another eight homes were built in various places around the property. These homes were simple and designed to be low-impact, most of them lacking in conveniences. There was widespread unemployment as the old international economy collapsed. Many families who lived at Sycamore Branch lost their livelihood and the community started businesses to help. Soon after forming, the village started a cooperative that owned and ran a sawmill, a woodworking shop, and managed the community's garden and kitchen. People could belong to the cooperative that ran the garden and kitchen or they could buy meal tickets. Many people from outside the immediate community bought tickets and some joined the cooperative. Members of the cooperative are currently required to work 14 hours each week. In practice, about one fourth of the people chose to work these hours themselves, one fourth chose to pay, and half chose a combination, doing farmwork during the planting and harvest seasons. This arrangement allowed some people to make a liveli.hood almost entirely from farm or kitchen work. The Village Cooperative kept a small herd of cows and ran a small dairy that also A LOOK BACK by Will Ashe Bason processed milk from local farmers. A village bakery supplied fresh bread that was sold locally. Tofu and tempeh were made from beans that were obtained in trade from a community in a neighboring county that had a better season because of lower elevation. Twelve acres of blueberries were cultivated and most of the berries were dried and sold. There is a blueberry festival at harvest rime, and the entire community helps with the picking. One hundred fifty acres were planted to a mixture Lhal included chestnuts, black walnuts, black locust, and bramble fruits, and this has proved to be a very valuable asset over the years, with chestnut flour becoming a major source of income. Many local farmers and landowners planted blight resistant chestnuts that were supplied by the village and brought tons of dried chestnuts to the sheller and mill. Toe village woodworking shop produces drums, harps, dulcimers, guitars, and flutes. These products have gradually gathered a fine reputation among musicians far and wide, and the shop employs about one third of the people in the village. Sycamore Branch was of vital imponance to Floyd County during the economically unstable rimes of the late '90's and the primary years of this century. It helped formulate the plan for the decentralization of the county's schools and social services. The community has set up four small band saw mills in various parts of the county and organized a crafts collective that markets area crafts on a mail order basis through the satellite communication network. The community has provided blueberry plants, nut trees, shiitake mushroom spawn, and vegetable StartS at low cost (and sometimes free) to local farmers. Sycamore Branch gave technical assistance to many local communities that were creating their own power systems after the breakdowns of the late '90's. They powered several other villages directly and gave assistance 10 many more. There were many economic refugees in the late '90's, and Sycamore Branch offered a plan by which these folks could mostly house and feed themselves. They were influential in Habitat for Humanity's decision to build ecovillages with their own economics instead of isolated homes. The community produced a video series tilled "The Owner-Built Village" which was used by thousands of new cormnunities. The goals of Sycamore Branch, as stated in their by-laws, included not only being of service to the larger community in Floyd County but also reaching out on an international scale. This was accomplished through a sister community program that linked the village to other small communities around the world. Especially close tics were made with the Mayan village of Yonin. Young people from the communities were exchanged every year and sometimes older folk would go down for a year or so. Sycamore Branch marketed xylophones, weavings, and dried fruit from Yonin. Sycamore Branch has cooperated from the beginning with the UN's efforts lo set up international community-to-community trading and cultural contacts. The village has for years sponsored a team ofteehnicians who work to help upgrade poor communities by providing better water sources, waste treatment, and health care. Villagers from these communities are trained to run the solar satellite link and to access weather, health, and technical information in their own language. This gives them access to world markets within the limitations of the distribution system. There is an emphasis on self-sufficiency and the development of a few trade items that can be transponed to the nearest world irading center for shipment to irs ultimate destination through the UNPS network of freight dirigibles, trains, vans, and donkeys. The village of Sycamore Branch was a leader in the move by small communities to take over the economic role of the corporations. We now take it for granted thar small communities work together economically for their common betrermcnt. and we forget that there was a rime when this was an unusual pattern. The breakup of the corporate economy in the '90's left a vacuum that was naturally filled by small communities. The pauems developed in Sycamore Branch and similarcommuniti~# were a vital part of this process. fr Reprinted/rem Tek:iah newsleuer, which is available from the ln.sritwe for Sustainable Living; Windswept Fann; Rt. 1, Box 35; Check.VA 24072. Will Ashe Bason is a farmer and visionary who lives in the Floyd County, Virginia community. Mountain Counsel Blackberry bushes, heavily leaved, Bow as I approach; Offer bounteous gifts Deep black, soft and sweet. Yet remind me of the need To pick with gentle care Or else be pricked by thorns That spring from everywhere. And so it is with friends. - Taylor Reese DnlWUl& by Rob Mcs11ck Summa- , t 992 Xatoofl Journa! JIQ9C 23 �BUlTERFLY In a lazy larval state I ate Everything Fresh and green That lay before me Until I could consume No more DRUMMING Dear KaJuah, This is the sound of Nonh Carolina. ll is the voice of Kilmer Forest - it is the New River Gorge - it is the Haw River - it is ML Mitchell and the Black Range. Little Santeetlah Creek and the French Broad River also speak here. I am Native Choctaw-Scot-Nonh Carolinian and l dare speak in their names. From the mountains to the coast, I see areas rendered unrecognizable due to overdevelopment and misuse. It huns - the street lightS that ruin night vision, the litter, the washed out sides of previously pristine lakes due LO motor-boating. This is not the state I grew up in. What was attractive then is now the money maker of the day. Why do those who come here to "get away from it all" need LO "bring it all" with them? Back LO Nature? My family raised me that way - my grandfathers and greatgrandfathers fanned • a Choctaw greatgrandfather was a proud man in his community here in the Piedmont I still have the land he farmed. At age 37, I still practice what my ancestors left to me - a guardianship of property and the knowledge or how to do it. I love this state, but not what it is becoming. It needs help, and l feel we are losing. Last year I was a volunteer for the Kituwah Festival here in Asheville and will be there agnin this year. I would also like to work wherever possible for your staff on representing Katuah Journal - it has a place! Thank you, Nancy Odell Dear KaJuah, While I have enjoyed the Journal more than I can say, I have not sent in my subscription renewal because J feel you could help me a bit more than you have tried lO in the past. My Llfe's goal is to help re-establish the American Chestnut in the mountains, and to that end I've been trying to locate acreage on which to do this. I wortc with devotion on anything undertaken, but my problem is lack of money for purehasing the size acreage or farm needed to plant, nunurc, and monitor these seedlings to maturity. I sincerely felt there must be, among your readers, someone intersted in seeing this tree again reclaim our forests: some who may not have the time or inclination to do the work needed, but who may be financially more able and who would be willing to help. I would gladly give full accountability for any funding offered. I looked at Land last Saturday near Spruce Pine. Bui I would need some $26,500 to acquire it. along with giving some inherited fine jewelry 10 make up the difference. I'm willing to give everything I have, bu1 cash is something I don't have, unfonunately, and tha1 is what sellers wanL Truely. l felt your interest in this was as deep as mine. l am not some scam artist, simply a person with a limited amount of assets that will gladly give for the finacial help l need. Some of these assets are quite exciting, for instance, r have an original printing of the very first meeting of the Continental Congress (authenticated by the old books department of UNCC); an original copy of Washington's Farwell Address and many very old deeds, etc. l'm not wanting something for nothing, you see. I have quite endless energy and much determination. This determination would go into the raising or the chestnut If you do wish to help me get started (I'm looking at land from the Spruce Pine area west through Madison Counry), you will be proud of what l'II accomplish. Fat and sleepy I slep1 deeply Safe from a hungry world Alone in my own Silk cocoon bed That trembled and twirled Suspended by threads From slender limbs Overhead Waiting Until the warm suns Of summer come And I summon the courage To emerge Transformed and renewed Wings brightly-hued To carry me Free • Rebecca Wilson Hicks Sincerely yours, Dorothy Dickson 113 Autumn Lane Harrisburg, NC 28075 !f\ "he. 5UMe Y- -th e -fiowe.YS b\,oOM f- he beo.Y" w i 11 'rOMe VJ ; f\ 'f"'e 5qVi1TelS 1 e ()\ t WQ'f K °'WO\ifi "~ Wi "t e r Cold +or C\ T\d We+her l'llolobyR.-lyBall tre r 5 P\ in re~ Of Jee cl ".f'or the bi ue TS v\ nJ --fo'( -r~e crow -t~erf Cor Y\ Pl , n teu 0-f +1'.o.-1-· J (poem by Tiyo) age 9 Dear Karuah, I'd like to subscribe to your journal, finally. We love it most abundantly cover to cover. Couldn't bear to slash the graphics on #34, so I send this sheel of paper wilh this message. Beyond the garden, consensus decision making, and bioregionalism, my interest and vocation arc renewable energy systems and sheller. Our house is off the grid and soon our income will be, tOO. Please conac1 me if you ever do an issue on renewable energy in Ka1uah. Blessings 10 ya'II Star and Otter Summer. 1992 �Dear Kanwli, Thank you for the flood of pleasant !Demories evoked by your Spring, 1992 issue. As I pored through your pages, I could see my father pointing out things as we walked through the woods. I learned of wild onions, greens, mushrooms, persimmons, and beechnutS. Berries grew abundantly where I was raised - strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and gooseberries. I was fortunate enough to live close to a small wooded area, an ecosystem all its own. To this day, I can tell an Oak from a Maple from a Birch from a Willow, etc. ' I'm still fascinated by the life forms in even a small creek. The fish, crawdads, leeches - I even learned to make suckers into a very fine substitue for salmon/mackerel patties. Thank you for bringing it back when I'm ready to see the deeper meanings of the Earth's give-and-take relationship with man. Keep up the good works, Mr. Messick. Stay on the Path, Jeff R. Zachary Dear KaullJh, This is still the best bioregional rag I've seen! Thanks for keeping me in touch with all the real news from home. Gene Dilwonh Dear Friends, I send to you all my thoughts of peace and well being... I hope that this Jen.er finds you all enjoying happiness and good health! I appreciate all your hard work in producing Ka1uali Journal and including Stil-Llght in your calendar of events. ll helps to keep us before the public eye. Thank you!! I am writing to comment on your recycle logo on the Spring, 1992 issue: "Recycle or Die." Recycling in and of itself and one hundred percent population will not solve our problems and create a sustainable economy. Recycling is at best a stop gap measure, something easily understood and do-able by the masses. Until we stop consuming and u111il we stop having so 1111Jny babies (especially in the more afj111e111 countries) we will continue 011 our collision course with exrinc1io11 as a species as we use up all our nomral resources. I agree that we should continue to reri:ind people to n;cycle because it helps, but crying wolf and usmg scare tactics hns never wo~ked. people only do that which is in their own selfish best interest. .. a sad commentary on human nature, but the truth. Just a few thoughts ... Your Friend and Brolher, Leon Frankel Summcr, 1992 Dear Ka11W1, Well, they've done it to us again! Praise be to the "Gcxl Squad" for overiding the couns and sentencing more forests out west 10 lhe saw? The sponed owl may be protected, but only by the edict of loggers and the Almighty Gospel of the U.S. Congress. r thought there was supposed to be a balance of power between the three (to name but a few) branches of our government. Where is the justice in taking a case to coun and then have the "Gcxl Squat" (sic) come and say "Praise the Lord. we gonna Lord it over every forest we can"? Constance Birch From the Groun d Up "You gotta start from the ground up ... " - That's what they've always said - and lhat's it in a nutshell - where civilization's gone wrong "If you don't have yo~ feet on the ground... Then where are you? How do you get sustenance without roots? "We're all going so fast we're gonna crash" - where? - on the ground? The Ground? We've put that in the hands of MEGA CONGLOMERATE ii-?tJ~~Wo.MILLIONAIRE, 20TH FLOOR HEADQUARTERED farmers - Who probably won't touch the ground even when they die But are buried up to lheir necks in their financial statementS - the only thing they care about And speaking of lhe ground... From the Earlh's point of view it must think we're made of rubber for that's all that touches it when we move. We're Gods of power... We have bulldozers to move mountains. A river can't flow without our permission We've gOL landfill expens - like our mission is to fill the land "Landfill" - like a free lunch for the Eanh! (ns if it liked the encrees) Many of the Earth's peoples worship Jesus, a man's creation of the universe (or Gcxl, if you will...) Who gave unceasingly of beauty and healing... even as he died slowly and painfully in the hands of the Earlh's people. If such as he were still alive would we try 10 save him? Or, would we treat him as we do her, lhe Earth? Dear Karuah, I read awhile back the article on the !-,ETS sy~tem and sent for the preliminary mformanon. lam real interested in seeing one get sra.rted in the Karuah region in rural mountain areas. At this time I have not the time, energy, and resources 10 start one by !11YSClf - l wonder if you know of other interested persons you could put me in touch ~th who have the whole study course who might let me borrow it. In the meantime I am starting a simple bancr networking newsletter in this local area (Bryso~ City, Sylva, Franklin). Perhaps you would like a ,~·rue:-up for the summer journal. The Spnng issue of Kauiuh Journal is by far the most interesting one to me in a long time - great articles intended for the already some~hat informed. Erbin Crow's pissing poem 1s a real gem. Airin Green P.O. Box 382 Whittier, NC 28789 Dear Karuah, I have enjoyed recieviog your paper, but there is one matter of deep concern l have. I have noticed several times in recent years the theories of Buckminster Fuller have been mentioned in a positive light, as if he were a worthy mentor for ecology-minded people (see John Ingress in Spring 1992). I recently went back and looked a1 Fuller's opus Critical Path (St Martins, N.Y., 1981), and was alanned to find it was even worse than I had remembered. In the preface he introduces lhe notion that human beings are so smart we can easily provide an "unprecedented higher standard of living for all Eanhians," and claims that "four billion billionaires" would be a worthwhile and admirable goal. Can you imagine how shredded to ribbons the Earth's ecosystems would with "billions of billionaires," a concept Fuller warmly endorses throughout his book?! The rest of Fuller's thesis is well known. High technology is the savior we have been waiting for. lo the future, humans will live packed in floating cities, space platforms, nnd so on, in fully automaied, controlled environments. On page 297 he claims "lhe power of the Amaz.on warershed will be harnessed and considered by designers as an integrated moving assembly line." On page 251 he gets so carried away he proclaims that man has now taken on "lhe competence of Gcxl." I could go on with such examples, but perhaps the point is made. I disagreed with the late Ed Abbey on some things, but in his evaluation of Buckminster Fuller, l lhink he was right on lhe money. ln the meantime there are lOLs of other writ tings on technology out lhere worth reading, such as Lewis Mumford, Jacques Ellul, or Jerry Mandcr's new book. Best Wishes. Bill McConnick • Breeze Burns Xorunfi Jottn«i( p09c 27 �Jury Nullification: Democracy at Work M ost of us have noticed that our rights arc being whittled and chopped away as surely and relentlessly as our foresis. But there is a little known right which can be a defense against an offensive government. II is a right we have because we are entilled to a jury trial. The Fourth Circuit Coun of Appeals in U.S. v. Moylan (1969) put it this way: '1f the jury feels the law is unjust, we recognize the undisputed power of the jury to acquit, even if its verdict is contrary co the law as given by a judge, and contrary 10 the evidence." People on a jury have the right to free people from laws they wouldn't want imposed on themselves. The right and the responsibility. Jury nullification, as this almost-secret right is known, goes way back. Back to ordinary men. Some of the ordinary men were the 12 who served on William Penn's jury in 1670. The British king proved beyond a doubt that Penn was "guilty." He had broken the law against preaching a religion other than that of the Anglican church in a public place. But the jury didn't wane to punish William Penn. They thought it would be a beuer idea to punish the law itself. The king's agent was furious and tried co convince them that the law was more imponant than their conscience. The judge did his convincing by imprisoning the jurors in the Tower of London until they agreed to convict Penn. But pubUc opinion - possibly related to the expense of imprisoning the jurors - forced the judge to let them go, and to admit that a jury had the right to decide not only whether someone has broken a law, but whether the law is just. The right of jury nullification bas consistently been upheld in British and American courts. According to Alan Sheflin and Jon Van Dyke in law and Concempory Problems 43, No. 4 (1980), 'The repeal of (prohibition] laws is traceable 10 the refusal of the juries 10 convict those accused of alcohol traffic." And Hagbard Celine points out in Trajecl()ries newsletter that "the anti-pot law, the silliest of all our drug laws, could not survive in a nation with at least 70 million pot-heads, if juries knew that they had the right of nullification." So what's happened? Back in the 1890's, the U.S. Supreme Court was about as freedom-loving as our current robes. They upheld Lhe right of jury nullification - but simultaneously ruled that Lhe judge not only doesn't have to tell the jury Lhey have this right - but can prevent the defense attorney from telling them that they have ii! power. Only Maryland has a state constitution which requires a judge to inform the jury that they may acquit if the facts prove a defendant technically guilty but the jury believes the law is wrong. (Lots of states, though, have elected judges.) There is a movement in many states to pass Fully Informed Jury (FU) Amendments to state constitutions. For more information, you can write to FUA; Box 59; Helmsville, MT 58843. Jury nullification is a secret that needs to be told. I asked my son if he knew his rights as a citizen. He looked at me and exclaimed, "Mom, I'm in school." Isn't the power of juries a fundamental part of how democratic government - of the people - works? I wonder what would happen even without an amendment if people knew that juries have the right to judge not only people, but laws? If the people knew the power of juries, and the power we would have a grassrootS movement - towards democracy? I am indebted to Robert Anton Wilson and Trajectories newsleuer (Vol. /, No. 8; Awwnn /990)/or m11cli of the infonnation in 1/iis article. Trajectories covers many spheres of interest. Write to them clo The Pennanenc Press; Box 700305; San Jose, CA 95170. - by Karen F/etc71er All juries have the power 10 nullify any law, but any government judge can do everything in her or his power to prevent them from knowing that they have this I: Reprintulfrom IM AuJumn, 1991 ,ssue of /. green light, Mwsleuer of the Cumberland-Grel!II Bioregional Counril; 2513 Essex Place; Nashville TN 37212. The Story of the Man Who Wanted to Become Moss He tried very hard he wore himself like French lace and went to the core of cells where the green lives and pulled out chlorophyll trying to reinvent his structure to take in the sun When he kissed his mother that lay in the moss When he washed his belly that lay in the moss When he sat outside himself that lay in the moss lay in the moss lay in the moss in the moss in the moss the moss moss moss - Jenny Bitner Sumtm:r, 1992 �BOOK REVIEW BEYOND THE LIMITS: Confronting Global Collapse Envisioning a Sustainable Future In I971 , a book was published called The Limits 10 Growth by Donella and Dennis Meadows and J(lrgen Randers. It was a landmark in ecological thinking in many ways, causing many people 10 debate and question the whole idea of unlimited growth in industrialized societies. The notion of growth as a cure for economic problems is deeply ingrained in many people, and this book questioned the very basis of such an assumption al its root. By using the Systems Approach to problem solving and taking a long look at trends in escalating human numbers and the subsequent pressures put on the Earth's resources, these three scientists proclaimed that if present trends continued within the next one hundred years there would be a steep decline in lhe ability of human societies to sustain themselves. This catastrophe could be changed, they argued, by creating a kind of steady-state where human populations and material needs would level off and a new balance achieved between binh and mortality and between extremes of wealth. It's twenty years later, and these same three folks have been working on the Systems Approach regarding the choices we have in creating a future that does not depend on growth as a means of propping up our economies. Their new book, Beyond the Limits, states clearly that human societies have already moved beyond the limits of what ecosystems of the Eanh can handle. Il does not make excuses in order to go lightly on industrialized countries. It radiates respect for the diversity of life in the world and offers some much-needed perspective about the human place in it. The authors are deeply moved by the severity of the problems we face, and yet in many ways they offer hope by providing paths we can follow to ease away from the trend toward collapse and simmer down into a mode of human economy that actS within the limits of Eanh's sustainability. I find that it is much clearer to use a Systems Approach with thorough explainations of feedback, exponential growth, overshoot and collapse, and planetary sources, throughputs, and sinks than the ambiguous notions surrounding human carrying capacity (as seen for instance in Issue #28 of Kat(wh Journal). Human beings are not exempt from limitS to material growth or the perils of overpopulation by any means, yet it is high time we recognized that we have exceeded many of the regulatory limits 1hat exist for other mammals and that we clearly have the capacity to overshoot this carrying capacity at any time. Cultural knowledge may not be enough to restrain our frenzied pace, but it can offer us some of the wisdom necessary co pull back and keep from overstressing life support systems. Whether we will paractice this wisdom remains to be seen. yet Beyond The limits offers some hard-earned distilled knowledge and should be read by those interested in learning how we can panem human societies within limits. We humans do have the potential to be effective problem solvers. Unfortunately we rarely choose the right problems to solve. Beyond The Limits is pub/is~ by Ch,!lsea Green Publishing Company: R1. I 13, Box 130: Posl Mill.f. Vf 05058. Please ccn1ae11km aboui ~ ,P" informtUion on the book. Rob Messick B~byJll!OIITucllct "I told the Prograns to encourage self and Earth awareness. celeblollon. kinship ond hope. • Youlh Camps • &;hool Programs • Family Campa· Tead!o, Training • Community Programs • Camp StaIf Tra111lng • Ouldoof Program Conwtt,ng Look. Y1111 Ill ill l ltld ISklnQ mt ti help kAI • Oonch ot Pffllll down tlltlt I don I k"°" Md I"m 11n ~ I did kMw u..m 1-lclnt wt/I ti ~1111 ti their dNIJII forgd l l TIii an,_ 11 no F«av11 no•·· -'Naly~lbon ..,_ Don ·t Pay Taxes for War Fo ntnrm11.1on ,if'ld o, ,1 c.;i, PO. Bo• 1300 Gotti'lburg. T e<Y'lessee 3n38 615-436-6203 National War Tax R esistance C oordinating Committee PO Bo~ 774 Munroe, ME 04951 1 2071525-7774 Summer , 1992 la'O!\: •nrr 1 ,t - REGIONAL RADIO Featuring Crossroads music, NPR news and music programs, regional news and information concerning health, education, government, recreation, and the environment. WNCW • FM P 0. Bo" 804 Spind.ik•, NC 28160 (704) 287-8000 �(cootinuo,d from P"&C SJ and decorations were very sunilar. They carried out the same kind of sun worship. I think they were priest-ruled. The Louisiana nibes showed that influence strongly, and there is much evidence of that among the Creeks and Cherokees, probably more among the Cherokees. Because of that influence, we had a priest society for awhile. We became more sophisticated and more warlike and gathered up more territory and more people. But the priest society among the Cherokees became so arrogant and so barbaric that the people rose up against them. I think it must have been about the time when the clans dwindled from 14 to seven. The revolt centered in the Katuah village. The priest society was ovenhrown. After that episode, the spiritual functions of the nibe became more decentralir.cd. There were ceremonial medicine people, song keepers, and the chiefs of the ceremonial grounds. There was a medicine man who could give hunting formulas, and that's all he could do. Another one who could give fishing formulas. And women who lcoew how ro deliver babies, and soon. The medicine people still had influence. but they were not almighty. There were , definitely people who shone among those groups, and they gathered some degree of power, but that was because of ability, not because of their office. The people also gave more power 10 the village councils and balanced the influence of the clans within the villages. so that no one clan became dominant. Thus, it came about that when the white people came, they found us to be a loose federation of villages, more lroquoian in our government than most of the tribes around us. But our power was growing. I think that if the white people had waited 100 or 200 years they would have dealt with one or two governments in the Southeast. We were definitely influenced by the Iroquois. As it was, we were eventually forced by bitter expenence to adopt the white man's system of choosing one civil leader who had ultimate power. Then we got chiefs like John Ross, who passed a law saying no Cherokee could sell land. Until that time. each village acted on its own, and we were overwhelmed. / In spite of his droll pen 11ame. Bear Wirh Runs is a full-blooded member of the Cherokee cribe. He Jives in quiet a,umymity offthe Cherokee Indian ReservaJion. FREE CHEROKEE from Ahwi Brown What is a Free Cherokee? That's an honest question, and ru try ro give an honest answer. Most often a Free Cherokee is a person with a family legend about an "Indian" grandmother or grandfather. While these legends persist in famiUes throughout the land, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has made it virtually impossible to enroll these Free Cherokees on federal rolls. The Free Cherokees are seen by many of these Xotuah JPurnat page ao people as a way to go "home." We do not seek BIA recognition or any other benefit not available to other citizens. We do appeal to our BIA "approved" cousins to join with us in keeping our heritage strong and in resurrecting Tsalagi as a spoken language. It is the hope of this Free Cherokee that the more affluent of the Free Cherokee people talce advantage of the current recession and low interest rates to acquire land parcels in the Cherokee homeland, Katuah, with the intention of establishing Tsalagi kibb1uzim within the borders of the homeland. To explain the meaning of the liebrew word kibbwzim: the Jewish people used this same method to reacquire their ancestral homeland. It took them about 100 years to do it. I hope we can beat that! . . This idea may sound crazy, but so did Z1on1Sm 100 years ago. J reel that this is an idea whose time has come. I release it to the Ancient Red. Allw18rown Chic.kamaugan Band of Fru C~ro/cus 19/SBudleySt Clialtunoogo. TN 37404 Summer, l 992 �:BUN M-OU'.NTA.'L'.N (b. 1979 • d. l 992) It was over a dozen years ago that a man named Jerry staned cooking small batches of tofu in the back of a food co-op in downtown Boone, NC and distributing it around town. This effort was passed on to others who tried to expand the tofu, tempeh, and sprout market to the rest of the state. The soy dairy was small, but it had a wide distribution within North Carolina. A series of owners found it difficult to manage, and it was passed along until John Swan bought the business in 1987. He sought to make Bean Mountain into a viable business by moving it from the slowly dilapidating building it had been housed in for years to a new building in Weaverville, NC. The hope was that with bcner access to distribution routes and better facilities, larger contracts could be gained and the business would nourish. We have recently learned, however, that Bean Mountain could not make enough money to survive in today's market. Bean Mountain tofu and tempeh have been legendary not only in the southern mountains but also in many towns in the piedmont. h will be sorely missed by many people. Hats off 10 you, John Swan, for your gal/am effons to revive this most useful of services to the community. Thanks also to the men and women who put in their sweat and blood 10 keep it going. May the memory of all that good food linger in our hearts forever. - Rob Messick SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BLACK BEAR REHABILITATION AND RELEASE CENTER Or. Michael Pelton, a wildlife biologist from the University of Tennessee who specializes in black bear research, frequently receives calls from people who have found orphaned bear cubs. Panicularly in the spring when cubs are young and inexperienced, they are at risk if they are separated from their mother by poachers, free-ranging dogs, a flood in their den, or any of a number of other causes. Until now, there have not been adequate solutions for this situation. But a dream long held by Dr. Pelton seems about 10 mnterial ize. Under the auspices of the Dragonette Society for the Preservation of Endangered Animals, work is proceeding on the Southern Appalachian Black Bear Rehabilitation and Release Center. a facility specifically designed to renccustom and relocate orphaned, injured, or starving black bears into the wild. The Center is certified as a non-profit organization and has established a board of directors. Backers have donated a site for the project in Townsend, TN near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Architect Tom Caldwell volunteered his skills to draw up a plan for the facility, and the Oragoneue Society is now preparing for a fund-raising effon toward a $350,000 construction budget. The institution's primary focus would be 10 temporarily house and r.reat bears in order to re-establish 1hem in the wild as quickly as possible. "We want to do what we can in a confined situation to enhance the possibility of survival in the wild," said Dr. Pellon. Bears would be held for their protection only with as little contact with humans as possible. When they become strong, healthy, and acclimated enough to function in their natural habitat (a maximum of six to eight months), they would then be released 10 remote areas of the mountains or possibly in black bear reintroduction projects, like the one proposed for the Big South Fork area in Kentucky. The Dragonettt: Society for the Preservation ofEndangered Animals Box669606 Mariella, GA 30066 to"'°'ifka. IOO'U ~t\~S \ I ,-o &c>~ , a04 by Rob M, .. 0$.icl; v ( 7041 69~1 Q.8"118" An Alternative NATURAL MARKET WHOLE rooos • OULK FOODS • VITAMINF..S • Hf:R!lS • FAT FREE FOODS • TAKE OUT FOODS• SNACKS• NO SALT, NO CHOLESTEROL 265-2700 823 Blowing Rock Ad Boone NC 28607 ~ » speaking fpr fhe earfh. --, Union Acres Rob Messick Rt. 8, Box 323 Lenoir, NC 28645 't lllll • &.234 t1<nc1enonw,..,..c;ie1)!1 C~t\b~~, M.C. Get a set of 10 assorted folding cards with artwork as seen in Katuah Journal. Send $11.25 ppd to: /•j i - - Acreage for Sale - Smol.y Mountain Living with a focus on spiritual and ecologie11I values For more informalio11: Contad C. Grant at Route 1. Box 61/ Whittier, NC 28789 (704) 497-4964 whole earth gro~ery . ·. .;·,: .. ,, r,.. ~ NATURAL ALTERNATIVES FOR HEALTHFUL LIVING 146 !.'.parkway craft .:<'ntcr • suit<' 11 gatlinburg, tcnncss"<' 37'738 615-436-6967 �JUNE 12-22 AMONG THE TREES Katuah Rainbow Tribe Solstice Gathering. Somewhere in the national forest. sisters and brothers will gather 10 create a magical village of love and light. Location to be announced. For information, write to HO! Newsletter; Box 5455; Atlanta, GA 30307; or call Atlanta Rainbow Light Linc at (404) 662-6112. €V€0t'S BLACKSBURG, VA Soc1e1y for Conservation Biology Annual Meeting. Symposia on biodiversity issues. Contact DepL or Fisheries and Wildlife: VPI & SU; Blacksburg, VA 2A061 27-7/1 HOT SPRII-.GS, NC "Jndcpcndcncc Week 7.en Holiday." wilh Genlci Snndy Stewart. Medi1ation rcU'C3t held in s1lcnce, culminating ma walk up lhe moum.am. Pre-register: S225 includes lodging and vegan meals. For info on lhi.~ and other rctreais, contact Soulhcm Dharma Retreat Center: RL I. Box 34-H; Hot Springs, NC28743. (704) 622-7112. 27,7/4 IS FULL MOON/ STRAWBERRY MOON 19 ASHEVILLE, NC • AFSEEE's Vision for N:lllon:il Foresis in the Southeast," a public meeting with Jeff DeBonis, founder of the Associalion or Fo~, Service Employees for EnvironmcnU!I Ethics. 7 pm at Humanities Lccwre Hall, Univers11y of North Cnrolinll • Asheville. For info, C31I Dr. Gary Miller, UNCA. (704) 221-6441. 28 BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC "Sunday m the Park," a moveable reast of emenninmcnl, will be at Lake Tomahawk today at 2 p.m. Performers will include Jerry Read Smith, Lisa Smilh, and Bonnie Blue's puppcis. For info on this and other Sunday evcnis, call Quali1y f-orward. (704) 254-1776. JULY (INTER)NATIONAL Day of Action for the 07.one layer. Don a "radiation suit" and demand a ban on CFC's and HCFC's NOW! Picket your nearest EPA office. Local eoniacc John Johnson (615) 26S-67t3 ContincnUII comacc Rhys Roth (206) 943-7259 l 3.9 19-21 WILLIS, VA "The New Dance." an exploration of changing sexual identities with Dan Chesbro. Friday • workshop for men and women IO hcal old wounds, restore Ille balance of power and shnre our spiritwll oneness. SaL, Sun.• a l'CIICal for men wilh music, bodywon:, ceremony. Indian Val~y Rctrcat: RL 2. Box 58; Willis, VA 24380. (704) 789-4295. ASHEVILLE, NC ·wise Woman Tradition: Apprentice W~." will explore herbal knowledge and women's wisdom. For info, contact WhHewolf; Box 576: Asheville, NC 28802. LINVILLE, NC 371h Annual Highland Games and Galhering or the Sc«lish Clans 01 MacRae Field beneath Ornndfalher Mo11ntain. Scottish games, dancing, uilidh, bagpipes, more. For information. call Orandfalher Mountain Highland Carnes 01 (704) 898-5286 or write to Box 356; Banner Elk, NC WASHINGTON, DC First National Carrying Capacity Issues Conference. Discuss the basic issues underlying the CWTCnt environmental crisis with leading thinkers such as Gaylord Nelson, Herman Daly, Anne Ehrlich, Garrett Hardin, Hazel Henderson, and others. $100. Carrying Capacity Network; 1325 G St. NW (Suite 1003); Washington, DC 20005 (202) 879-3044. 20 SUMMER SOLSTICE GREAT SMOKIES PARK Naturali51. nnd Educa1or Week is for anyone who wanis 10 team more abou1 lhc outdoors nnd pass lhc knowledge along. Hiking, natural h1~tory, music, swunming... and Free Tune! Spce111I gucs1 will be Doug ElboU, storyu:ller/ naturalisL Prc-rcgisu:r: S200 includes lodging and meals. For more info about this and other programs, contact On::11 Smoky Mounlllins lns111111e at Tremont; R1. t, Box 700; Townsend, TN 37882. (615) 448-6709. 22,27 "'1tt'1afi JournnC. pa9(" 32 18-19 GREAT SMOKIES PARK "Great Pandas in Chma and Wildlife in the Smokies" wilt use field lrips in lhc Park lllld group discussions to mnlcc ecological, cultural and conservation comparisons be1wccn Chinn and lhc Smokies. For info about lh1s nnd olher courses, con13e1 Smoky Mounlllin Field School: 600 Henley Su-eel, Suite 105; Knoxville, Tn 37902. 1-800.284-8885. 18-19 SWANNANOA, 1'C Anciem Sw Walke.rs" class led by Page BryanL Included will be 1hc m:iking or a stnr bundle, a Stnr Dance, 111lditional Native American siories nnd sky watching. Pre-register. $85. For info about lhis and other programs, eon1.1c1 The Earth Center. See 7/11. 19-25 SWANNANOA, NC "Old-Time Music nnd Dance Week" of the Swannnnoa Onlhcring 01 Wnrrcn Wilson College. Weck-tong instructional workshops on old-time liddle and guitnr, clogging and conu:i dancing, siorytelling, and more. Ralph BliZ7..ard and lhc New Solllhem Ramblers, David Holt, Don Pedi, and others. S220 + Sl40 meals 311d lodging. Sec 7/12-18. 20 ASHEVILLE, NC "Planetary Acupuncture: Power Points and Sacred Sites and the Healing of the Earth." Breath-taking sUdes and spirirual insights by anthropologist/photographer Martin Gray. 7 pm at Laurel Auditorium, Asheville-Buncombe Technical College. $10. 9-12 28604. 19-21 W-ESSER, 11.C ACA Open Canoe Nolionnl Championsb.ips will feature racers from nll over the U.S. in slnlom and wildwau:r courses on the Nanlllh3!3 River. For info on these and other whitewater evcnis. eoniact Nam.ahala Ou1door Cenu:r; 41 Hwy 19 West; Bryson City, NC 28713. (704) 488-2175. 15-17 10 BLACK MOUNTAJN, NC Robert Hoyt, a radical voice for a New Soulh, and The Billies, rhythmic harbingers or post-mdusuial living, play 31 McDibbs; I 19 ChClT)'. For more info, call (704) 669-2456. MARSUALL, NC "Toolmaking for Woodwoiters" is a class for lhosc intuesled in u-aditional woodwor1cing lechniques requiring IOOls no longer commercially available. SIUdcnts will team IO mnke and modify IOOls, including forge work, uiught by blacksmith Frank Turley. Pre-register. S390 includes meals and camping. with donn aceomodalion available. For info on lhis and olhcr woodworking workshops, conU1c1 Counuy Workshops; 90 Mlll Cree.le Road: Marshall, NC 28753. (704) 656-2280. 20-24 SWANNANOA, NC Full Moon Lodge is a monlhly eveni; begins 111 noon. Fo, info abou1 panic1pa1ing m the sweat. conU1C1 The Earth Cenier. 302 Old Fellowship Rood: Swannanoa, NC 2377g_ (704) 298-3935. 11 12-18 SWANNANOA,NC "Scouish/Bluegrass Week" oflhc Swannanoa Orubcring 01 Warren Wilson College. Week-long instructional workshop on Scottish and bluegrass music styles with Brian McNcill, Z;in McLocd, the Lynn Moms Band, olhcrs. $220 + $140 meals and lodging. Wnu: The Swannano:i Gntbcring; WWC: Box 5299: Swannanoa, NC 28778. 14 PULL MOON/UUCK MOON Summer, t!l92 �.:!0-:!6 WILLIS, VA Seventh Annual Women's Wellness Weck. Sacred spat:c and mual, movement. sound, storytelling. more with Jane 20 Avery-Grubel, Katherine Chantal, Louise Kessel, Ise Williams. and mhcrs. Conmct Indian Valley Retreat; Rt. 2, Box 58; Willis, VA 24380_ (703) 789-4295. -pericarp --seedcoal UUNCO\IBE COU:O,.TY. NC Organic SmaU Farm Tour w1fl provulc an orponunity to soc orgnnic producuon technique,, green m.murcs and pc$! control~ on working farm, m the al'l!a. Sponsored by Carolina Farm S1t:w:udship Ass«ia11on. For info, call Allison Arnold :it (704) 255-5522. FRANKLIN, NC Cnmping. canoeing. rafting. hiking. first aid instruction with a small group of bomcscboolcrs in the Nnntaha13 Mountains wilh the Hcadwntcrs Homcschoolcrs Outdoor Camp. S275. For more info. contact He.id waters at (704)369-6491 or write lO 68 Lakey Creek Rd.; Franklin. NC 28734. 23-29 ASU1'; \'ILLE, NC Broom Making Workshop. Go tic one on with instructor Cnrt~n Tuule. For info on this and other craft workshops, contact Folk An Center: Box' 9545; Asheville, NC 28815. (704) 298-7928. 21-23 CULLOWII EE, NC •1..nndscaping with Nauve Plants" conference will offer lcc1urcs Md worbhops by landscapers and horticulturists. Pre-register: S50 + meals and lodging; rcgislCt separately for optional field trips on 7(22. For info, call Sue DcBord at West.em Carolina University. (704) 227-7397. 23-2S 23-8/2 SEPTEMBER Fmuru: 2. -Cn•lot1rn dc11tato, Amoricnn ch•olnul: lonld· ludinol ~ectlnn throu~h " nut, I.H x. WF,STERN NC Folkmoo1 USA brings folk dancers and mus,cinns from Hungary, Jamaica, Belgium. MCllico. Moldova, Panama. Sardinia. Ponugnl, Taiwan and Uzbcldst:111 to perform m various locauons in Kauiah. For schedule and price information, contact Folkmoot USA; Box 523: Waynesville, NC 28786. (704) 457-2997. CELO COMMUNITY, NC RSVP Summer Celebration. Picnics, tubing, hiking, dancing with Katuah's homegrown pc:icc networking journal. For trove! directions or more info, call Joseph Heflin a1 Rural Southern Voice for Peace. (704) 675-5933. 7-8 ELIZABETHTON, TN Appalachian Folk Medicine Symposium will include lcc1urcs held al Sycamore Shoals Staie Historic Sile in Elizabethton, lllld demonsr.rations and hikes at Roan Mounlllin Siate Parle. For info. contact Jeff Wardeska. Roan Mountain Society; 4 Bingham Court; Johnson City. TN 37604. (615) 929-4453. FULL MOON/HARVFSf MOON 12-20 AUGUST 12 WESTERN NC River Week celebrates the French Broad River in four WNC counties. Community events will include a canoe trip, raft race, hotdog kayaking, river safety course, and riverside concert. To avoid- being left high and dry, get a schedule from the French Broad River Foundation. (704) 252-1097. 25-26 13 FULL MOON/ GREEN CORN MOON The nrc.1'5 oldest and targc..t natural foods grocery " Kalmia Center, Inc. FRENCH BROAD Fooo Co,op Sylva, NC (704) 293-3015 Custom tilling, organic fertilizers, kelp meal, colloidal phosphate & many more products and services for abundant gardening and healthful living. (JOI) ......... .. 255-7650 your comnru1'1ly groury,1ou ._.,., ...,.,., ......... .... .. ,,,... ,... ,..., "'- 811/k Herl>s, Spices, & Grains Vitamins & Supphwents W11eat, Salt & Yeast-Fn•e Foods Dairy S11bstit11ti:s Hair & Skin Care Products Beer (.-f Wine Making S11J1plies 200 W. King St, Boone, NC 28607 (7(») 26-1-5220 r;f diu W WHOLE FOODS VITAMINS ORGANIC PRODUCE 160 Broadway Asheville, North Carolina Open 7 Days a Week Monday - Friday 9 am - 8 pm Saturday 9 am - 6:30 pm Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm Summer, 1992 t ·,. ~ NATIVE FLUTES Two styles mode of cedar or walnut woods in the traditional manner Hawk Littlejohn Sourwood Farm Rt. 1, Box 172-L Prospect Hill, NC 27314 (919) 562-3073 Sam!JMush Herb Nurse.~ WREATHS •POTPOURRJ • HERBS • TOPIARY Complete Herb Catalog - $4 Describes more than 800 plm1ts from Aloe to Yarraw Rt 2, Surrett Cove Road Leicester, North Carolina 28748 Phone for appointment to visit (704) 683-2014 �HJGHLANDER CENTER is a communily-bascd educational orgnnization whose purpose is 10 provide space for people 10 learn from each olher, and lO develop solutions 10 environmenllll problems based on lhcir values, experiences, and aspirations. They also pul oul a quarterly newsletter called Highlantkr RtportS. For more info contacl Highlander Center. 1959 Highlnnder Way; New Mankct, TN 37820 (615) 933-3443. FAMll.IES LEARNING TOGETHER exisls in North Carolina as a ne1work or homeschooling families who offer infonn:n.ion, experience, and encouragemcnl 10 each olher. &nelilS of FLT membership include a quarterly newslcllCI, fumily di.roclory, fnmily galhcrings twice a year, media resource file, and much more. If you would like 10 learn more about Ibis o~n group please contacl Tnsh Sc11Cnn or Doug Woodward :ll (704) 369-6491 or write 10 68 Wey Creek Rd.; Frank Im, NC 28734. PIEDMONT BIOREGIONAL INSTITUTE· For those who live m lhe Piedmonl area, there's a b10reg1onal cffOfl well underway. Join Us! We would appreciate any donation or time or money 10 help mee1 opera1ing expenses. For a gift or S25.00 or more, we will send )'OU a copy or John Lawson's journal, A New \foyage to Carolina. Also come fmd out about the Lnwson ProjccL PBl; 412 W Rosemary S=t: Chapel Hill, NC 27516; Uwha.nia Province. (919) 942-2581 THE ALTERNATIVE READING ROOM is an unconventional library; free and open 10 lhc public. Our coltecuon intereslS include the environment, social :ind political issues, the media ond peace. We have.over 200 mag3.1.ine substripiioos. The book and video collccuo~ also emphasii.e the cnvlltlllment and political concems. Books and videos can be checked OUL A video player i~ available for watching films in the ~ng room. Localed UJ 2 Wall SL (#114): Asheville, NC 28801 (704) 252-2501. MoQ/Wed/Fri 6-Spm. Tuesffhur I-Rpm · Sal/Sun 1-6pm A VIDEO ABOUT LAND TRUSTS has been produced by lhe umd Trus1 Alliance 10 explain in lay 1erms whal a land lfUSI is. 2.7 million acres of land have been saved by non-profit land 1rus1 organi7.ntions in America This video docurnenlS lb.is movemcm's successes. Cost is 521.00 for individual and Sl4.50 for LTA members (include S4.50 for posmgc). Con!3CI: The Land Trust Alliance: 900 171h SL NW (Suite410); Washing10n, DC 20006 (202) 785-1410. ~Jli,~ J~~'[.'IOL P0:9.': ~ HAWKWlND EARTH Rl:.NEW AL COOPERATIVE is a 77 acre wilderness retreat located on Loolcou1 Mounmin Parkway in northern Alabama. Easy access. safe family camping, year round weclc:end programs featuring Native American cldc:G and Eanh teachers from around lhe world. S1r0ng spiritual foundation wilh Earth Renewal emphasis, membership discount co-op. There is no chnrge for Native American ceremonies; reservations required for all vis11S, please. Childcnre o(lell avnilllble. Write: P.O. Box 11: Valley Head, AL 35989 (205) 635-6304. For qU3flerly newsleuer and program updates send S 10.00. NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONlALS - including handcrafted Native American ceremonial supplies. Drums, cuslOm pipes, medicine bags, swee1grass, sage, fcalhcrs. rawhide raules, IObnccos. pipe ~ . native flutes, and more! For free calalog send 10: Box 1062-K; Cherokee, NC 28719. GOOD EARTH ORGANICS in Asheville has a network-mruketing plan which can provide a substantial prut·time income. (Full time in 18-24 months). This is needed in any area, no !raining required. We provide !raining and all assistance needed to get you slllrted in your own business. Contact Good Earth at (704) 252-7169. UFETIMES .re AGES· a new release from Bob Avery-Grubel, full of new age vocal music exploring I.he mystery of life . lyrics included. On casseue only: send SI0.00 plus Sl.00 for shipping and handling 10: Bob Avery Grubel; RI. I, Box 735; Floyd. VA 24091. BEGINNING CHEROKEE LANGUAGE BOOK· supplemcnuxl wilh 1wo casscues. Sll'CSSCS alphabet & proper pronunciation. The first textbook written for use in teaching and learning 1he Cherokee language. (346 pages). S39.95 plus $5.00 shipping. analog also available wilh mpes, books, pipes, dance slicks. drums. feathers. furs, buffalo products and more. Crafl supplies also available (please specify). Send S2.00 10 the Muskrat Trader, Box 20033; Roanoke, VA 24018. COHOUSING COMMUNlTY being formed in lhe Asheville area. ResideoJS organu.e, plan, and design a coopc:rntive community where individual homes cluster around n common house wilh shnred facilities-· laundry, workshops. children's room, dining room, etc. Opportunities ror energy efficient, ecologically sound land use. Inquiries inviled. Coouict: John Senechal: P.O. Box 1176: Weaverville, NC 28787 (704) 658-3740. LAND SURVEYOR seeks land conscrvW1Cy, community land trust. and other alternative community and green proJccts. Licensed in LA, ME, NC, NH, TN. Contact Rantbll Orr. RI . 3, Boit 345; Sneedville, TN 37869 (615) 2n-0416. HEADWATERS helps both individu:ils ond families dcvcl0p their outdoor ~kills wilh an awurcness of lhc value or our nmural world. We offer a diver.ily of experiences, rncluding family advcnwrcs, Homc!ilChoolcrs Outdoor Camp, mstruclion m kayaking, canoeing, backpacking. bicycle touring, nmwc ph01ogrophy, and wilderness rafung. For program mformalion, COlllllCt Trish Severin and Doug Woodward nt (704) 369~91 or wntc 10 68 Lakey Creek Rd.; Franklin, NC 28734. ETHER IC ANALYSIS • most complete rcpon on chak.ras and emouons as Ibey an:: effecung your being. Include.~ pcrsooalii:cd Gem Elixer 10 balance Auric Body. Mail five hai~ (plucked from your head), name, address, and S55.00 10: Dawn: Rt. 3. Box 9; Llncsvillc, PA 16424. MAGICAL HERBS • planlS, books, and fTCC newsletter. Send 10 Wi7.ard's Way; 75 Broadway; Asheville, NC 28801. Alternatives ... The Dir«1 of ln1enrional Communities is lhc prodory uct or two years of intenS"ive research, and is lhe most comJ]fdlensive and accura1e dircc10ry available. fl documenlS lhc vision and lhc daily life of more lhan 350 communities in Nonh America, and more lhan 50 on olher continents. Each community's listing includes name, address, phone, ond a description of the group. Extensive cross-rercrencmg and indexing male.es themfonnation easy 10 access for a wide variety or users. Includes maps. over 250 additional Resource listings. and 40 related aruclcs. 328 pages 8-1/2xl I Perfcclbound October 1990 ISBN Number: 0-9602714- 1-4 $16.00 Add $2.00 postage & hnndling for first book, $.50 for each additionnl; 40% discount on orders of 10 or more. Alpha Fann. Deadwood. OR (503) 964-6102 RSVP SUMMER CELEBRATION - July 25-26th at I.he home of Rum! Southern Voice for Peace in lhe Cclo Comrnuruty. Picnics, 1ubmg, fishing, hilang, dancing, fine food and music! Fnmily Cun for childn:n or all ages. Mark lhe date on your calendar now! Call Joseph Heflin at RSVP ror information and schedule or weekend even is (704) 675-5933. • Webworking costs: There is a charge of $2.50 (pre-paid) for each Webworking entry of 50 words or less. Submit entries for Issue #36 by August, 15th 1992 to: Rob Messick; Rt. 8, Box 323; Lenoir, NC 28645. (704) 754-6097. . Summer, 1992 �BACK ISSUES OF KATUAH JOURNAL AVAILABLE t ISSUE FOUR-SUMMER 1984 Water Orum • Water Quality· Kudzu - Solar Eclipse - Clearcu1ting - Trout - Going 10 Water - Ram Pumps - Microhydro - Poems: Bennie lee Sinclair, Jim Wayne Miller ISSUE FIVE· FALL 1984 Harvest· Old Ways in Cherokee- Ginseng· Nuclear Waste - Our Celtic Heritage - Bioregion:ilism: Past, Present. and Future - John Wilnoty - Healing Darkness - Politics or Parucipa1ion ISSUE SIX· WINTER 1984·85 Winter Solstice Earth Ceremony - Horsepasture River - Coming or lhe Light - Log Cabin Roots· Mountain Agriculture: The Right Crop - Willirun Taylor - The Future or lhe Forest ISSUE SEVEN - SPRlNG 1985 Susia.inable Economics - Hot Springs - Worker Ownership - The Great Economy - Self Help Credit Union • Wild Turkey - Responsible Investing Working m Ille Web of Life ISSUE EIGHT· SUMMER 1985 Celebration: A Way of Life- Ko1uah 18.000 Years Ago - Sacred Sites - f'olk Arts m lhc Schools· Sun Cycle/Moon Cycle - Poems: Hilda Downer • Cherokee Heritage Center - Who Owns Appalochia? lSSUE NINE· PALL 1985 The Waldcc Forest - The Trees Speak • Migrating Forests - Horse Logging - Starting a Tree Crop Urban Trees - Acom Bread • Mylll Time ISSUE TEN - WlNTER 1985·86 Ka1e Rogers· Circles of S10ne • Internal Mylhmaking - Holistic Healing on Trial • Poems: Steve Knauth - Mythic Places · 111e Ukterui's Talc Crystal Magic - "Dreamspcuking" ISSUE THIRTEEN· FALL 1986 Center For Awakening· Elizabeth Callari - A Gentle Death - Hospice - Ernest Morgan· Ocaling Creatively with Death· Home Burial Box - The Wake. The Raven Mocker - Woodslore & Wild· woods Wisdom· Good Medicine: The Sweat Lodge ISSUE FOURTEEN· WlNTER 1986-87 Lloyd Carl Owle • Boogers and Mummers - All Species Day - Cabin Fever UniVCISi1y • Homeless in Katuah - Homemade Hot Waw • S1 ovemaker's Narmtive - Good Medicine: Jnu:rspecies Communication The Chalice and the Blade ISSUE TWENTY-SIX· WINTER, 1989-90 The Ecozoic Era - Kids S:iving Rainforest - Kids Treccycling Company· Connict Resolution - , ~UA~OURNAL 35 PO Box 638 Leicester, NC Katuah Province 28748 For more info: call Rob Messick at (704) 754-6097 Name Regular Membership........$] 0/yr. Sponsor.........................$20/yr. Contnbutor .....................$50/yr. Address State City Summer, 1992 If ISSUE FIFTEEN· SPRING 1987 Coverlets· Woman Forester - Susie McMahan: Midwife - Alternative Contraception - Biosexuality • Biorcgionalism and Women • Good Medicine: Malrinrchal Cul111re - Ptarl ISSUE SIXTEEN· SUMMER 1987 Helen Waite - Poem: Visions in a Garden - Vision Qucsl - First Flow - lni1iaLion - Leaming in the Wilderness - Cherokee Challenge - "Valuing Trees" ISSUE EIGHTEEN· WINTER 1987-88 Vemncular Architccture - Dreams in Wood and S10ne - Mountain Hoene • Earth Energies • Earlll-Shehcred Livmg • Membrane Houses - Brush Shcltcr. Poems: October Dusi,; • Good Medicine: "Shell.Cr" ISSUE NINETEEN - SPRING 1988 Pcrelandra Garden· Spring Tonics· Blueberries· Wildflower Gardens - Granny I lcrbalist . Flower Essences - "The Origin of lhe Animals:• Story • Good Medicine: "Poww-" - Be A Tree ISSUE TWENTY· SUMMER 1988 Prc.c;crvc AppamchiAII Wilderness. Highlands of Roan - Celo Community - L'llld Trust • Arthur Morgan School - ZOning Issue - "The Ridge· • Farmers and lhe Farm Bill - Good Medicine: "Land" • Acid Rain - Duke's Power Play - Cherokee Microhydro Project ISSUE TWENTY-TWO· WINTER 1988·89 Global Warming - Fire This Time. Thomas Berry on "Bioregions" - Earlll Exercise - Kor~ Loy McWhirtcr. An Abundance or Empuness - LETS· Chronicles or Floyd. Darry Wood - The Bear Clan ISSUE TWENTY-THREE· SPRING 1989 Pisgah Village. Planet An. Green City. Poplar Appeal· "Clear Sky"·" A New Earlll" - Black Swnn - Wild lovely Days· Reviews: Sacred lond Sacred Sex. Ice Age - Poem: "Sudden Tendrils" ISSUE TWENTY-FOUR· SUMMER 1989 Deep Listening - Life in A10mic City - Direct Action! - Tree of Peace - Community Building Peacemakers - Ethnic Survival· Pairing Project· "Baulesong" - Growing Pc:icc in Cultures - Review: I Phone Number Zip Enclosed is$._ _ _ _ 10 give this effort an extra boost Developing Creative Spirit - Birth Power - Magic of Puppetry - Home Schooling· Naming Ceremony. Mother Earth's Classroom - Gardening for Children ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN - SPRING. 1990 Transformation. Healing Power - Peace to Their Ashes - Healing in Kauiah - Poem: "When Left to Grow" - Poems: Stephen Wing • The Belly • Food from the Ancient Forest ISSUE TWENTY-NINE - FALl./WlNTER 1990 From !he Mountains 10 the Sea - Profile of The L1ule Tennessee River - Headwaters Ecology· "II All Comes Down Lo Water Quality" • Water Power. Action for Aquatic Habitats· Dawn Watche:s • Good Medicine: The Long Humnn Being - The North Shore Road - Katu:lh Sells Ou1 • WatcrShcd Mop or Ille KlllWlh Province ISSUE THIRTY - SPRING 1991 Economy/Ecology - Ways 10 a Rcgencrauve Economy - "Money is the Lowest Form of Weallll" • Clarksville Miracle - TI1c Village • Food Movers Lifework - Good Medicine: "Village Economy"· Shellon Laurel • LETS ISSUE THIRTY-ONE - SUMMER 1991 Dowsing - Responsibilities of Dowsing· Electrical Life or the Earth • Kaluah and the Earlll Grid - Call of 1he Ancient Ones - Good Medicine: "On Aggression" - Time 10 Take the Time to Take the Time. Whole Science. Tuning Tn ISSUE THIRTY-TWO - FALL 1991 Bringing back the Fire - A Bi1 or Mountain Levity Climax Never Came - "Talking Leaves": Sequoyah· Walking Disianec - Good Mc.dicinc: "Serving lhe Great Life" · The Granola Journal • Paintings: "Mountain Stories" - Songs of the Wilderness ISSUE THIRTY-TiiREE- WINTER 1991-92 Fire's Power - What Is Natural • Fire and Forge The First Fire • Hearth and Fire in Ille Mountains · Good Medicine: "The Ancient Red" - Midwinter Fires: poems by Jeffery Beam - Litmus Lichens ISSUE TI-URTY-FOUR • SPRlNG 1992 Pnradisc Gardening - CommuniLy Sponsoccd Agricut111rc • Eluting Close to Home· Native Foods • Cover Crops· Kou1ah Cultivars • The Web of Life: A Kaniah Almanx - Good Medicine "Med_icinc Training" • Poems by Allison Sutherland Back Issues: Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __ Issue# _ _@ $2.50 = $,_ __ Issue # _ _@ $2.50 = $,_ __ Issue # _ _@ $2.50 = $._ __ postage paid $_ __ , Complete Set: (3- 10, 13-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26-27, 29-34) postage paid @ $50.00 = $._ __ Xntuoh )otimitt page'35 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians Records Description An account of the resource 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 35, Summer 1992 Description An account of the resource The thirty-fifth issue of the Katúah Journal focuses on councils and consensus in governance and making decisions for the future. Authors and artists in this issue include: Caroline Estes, Joyce Johnson, Rob Messick, Bear With Runs, Lucinda Flodin, David Wheeler, Stephen Wing, Lee Barnes, Will Ashe Bason, Clear Marks, Karen Fletcher, James Rhea, Rhea Ormond, Ray Barnes, Michael Thompson, Troy Setzler, Taylor Reese, Rebecca Wilson Hicks, Jenny Bitner, and Ahwi Brown. 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 1992 Table Of Contents A list of subunits of the resource. Consensus by Caroline Estes.......1 Decision-Making Process by Joyce Johnson.......4 Problems with Consensus by Rob Messick.......5 Tribal Council by Bear With Runs........6 Elda by Lucinda Flodin.......9 The State of Franklin by David Wheeler.......11 Where the Trees Outnumber the People by Stephen Wing.......14 In Council with All Beings by Lee Barnes.......16 Steve Moon: Shell Engravings.......17 Good Medicine.......18 Natural World News.......20 A Look Back by Will Ashe Bason.......23 Are Bioregions Too Big? by Rob Messick.......24 Practices for Full Self-Rule by Clear Marks.......25 Drumming.......26 Jury Nullification by Karen Fletcher.......28 Review: Beyond the Limits by Rob Messick.......29 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 Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs--History Consensus (Social Sciences) Tennessee, East--History Folklore--Appalachian Region, Southern Cooperation--Virginia--Floyd County--History Human ecology--Religious aspects North Carolina, Western Blue Ridge Mountains Appalachian Region, Southern North Carolina--Periodicals Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/937"> AC.870 Katúah Journal records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted" href="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/?language=en 8" target="_blank"> In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted </a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Appalachian Region, Southern Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. <a title="Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians" href="https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/collections/show/79" target="_blank"> Katúah: Bioregional Journal of the Southern Appalachians </a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Journals (Periodicals) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1990s Acid Deposition Appalachian History Appalachian Mountains Appalachian Studies Bioregional Definitions Black Bears Book Reviews Cherokees Community Earth Energies Economic Alternatives Folklore and Ceremony Forest Issues Geography Good Medicine Habitat Hazardous Chemicals Katúah Plants and Herbs Poems Politics Radioactive Waste South PAW (Preserve Appalachian Wilderness) Stories Transportation Issues Turtle Island Villages Water Quality Western North Carolina Alliance Wilderness