Introduction
Experiencing history through crafts and skills can help us realize the important role that the outdoors has played in our past and can encourage us to show respect and pride for our outdoor heritage.
Learning About History With Hands-On "Living History" Techniques
Experiencing early crafts and skills is an excellent way to learn history. The lives of our forebears leap from the pages of textbooks when we don their clothing and briefly assume their lifestyles. A flame licking against an iron pot, the wrenching resistance of beef jerky and the dull crack and blue smoke from a flint-lock speak eloquently of the way early Missourians lived.
Gaining a Greater Appreciation for Our Outdoor Heritage
History comes alive when you learn the crafts and skills of your ancestors.
To tan, sew and wear a leather garment teaches lessons other than the manual skills of tanning and sewing. First, it expresses how vital our wildlife resources have been to us. Second, it shows how challenging and complex the "good old days" really were. Walking 100 yards wearing moccasins in wet snow teaches respect for nature and for the endurance of our ancestors.
Learning Survival Skills from a Historical Perspective
All outdoor enthusiasts face an element of risk when they step into the wild-matches get wet, batteries go dead and vehicles break down. Mostly these are annoyances, but they can be dangerous. The more people depend on technology while in the outdoors, the higher the personal risk if the technology fails. The early pioneer or explorer was a survival expert by necessity, and many of the methods are as applicable today as they were 150 years ago.
Learning Self-Reliance
The most important item in any outdoor survival kit is not a knife, box of matches, string or whistle. The most important item is self-reliance. Without it, hunters and backpackers have died needlessly, with the technological means for survival within easy grasp. The men and women who challenged the frontiers of North America were short on technology, but they had plenty of self-reliance. Their survival skills came from an attitude and an understanding of nature. Both the attitude and the understanding are as worthwhile and necessary today as they were then.
Contents
The guide begins with an overall historical perspective to put the projects which follow into a human context. Information is divided into the basic areas of concern facing a person heading into Missouri and the western frontiers prior to 1820. Those basic areas-food, clothing, shelter and comfort are also applicable today. Within each of these general headings is a discussion of methods and materials used during the time period just specified. Following the general discussion, techniques (some modified to modern circumstances) are presented along with specific activities and projects using those techniques. Since many of the activities, particularly construction projects such as leatherworking, metalworking and sewing, involve similar skills, a description of basic techniques and a tool list is provided. Material sources and additional references are listed at the end of the unit.
A Note About Materials
Materials for projects do not have to be expensive.
Materials used in the construction projects are generally available, and you do not necessarily have to spend much money. Here is an opportunity to exercise some self-reliance. Tanned leather is expensive, yet many butcher shops discard raw pigskin. It tans like any other hide. Road-killed animals are another source of tanning material. Deer processors often sell deer hides cheaply. You can buy steel to make a striker (Project l), but you will get more steel for the money (and higher quality steel) by using old files. These can be found at garage sales or junk shops for next to nothing. Remember, there were no catalogs on the frontier and trading posts were few and far between. Obviously, certain items like sewing needles, thread and beads are beyond your manufacturing capabilities and have to be purchased or obtained through trade. For group activities, large purchases can be financed by bake sales, wild game dinners and car washes (not historically accurate but definitely in the proper spirit). Local living history buffs are another source of information and assistance. Watch county fairs and local celebrations or contact a library for names of individuals and organizations. While there are many people who call them-selves "living historians," some are not historically accurate.
Tips on Getting Started
A variety of projects and skills are offered in this guide and you can choose ones to fit your interest and ability. Your priorities and reasons for making the projects will vary. For instance, if you want to demonstrate a historical event and need a garment to wear, a sewing machine is much faster than hand sewing. If you are emphasizing early craft skills, hand sewing or lacing is desirable. Each approach is valid. When obtaining your materials and tools, don't forget to select necessary safety items or personal protective equipment for the project. Be sure to wear adequate eye protection (such as goggles or safety glasses) when working with wood and metal. Finally, the guide presents an excellent opportunity for a multidisciplinary experience. Projects are set up to mix history with many other types of skills. Activities for groups could involve producing a play or spending several days living in the past.
Safety reminder: When purchasing materials, don't forget to pick up safety glasses and other personal protective equipment needed for the project.
