December - White Pine Wilderness Academy

[Pages:1]A MISSIVE OF THE WHITE PINE WILDERNESS ACADEMY

death positivity

by natalie donahue

Most people's first reaction to a dead animal is disgust. But places like White Pine, create a culture of death positivity that enriches life. I have seen this in action through my experience as an intern. The first time was in late October when we took the seven year olds on a walk to the White River. On the way there, one of the boys spotted a dead snake on the road. It wasn't long before all the kids wanted to hold it. Soon, this evolved into a serpentine water burial. There was much discussion over which log would best serve to send snake to his watery grave. Finally a chunk of bark was deemed appropriate, and he began his journey down the river. I'm thankful to the snake for providing a learning opportunity for us. We were able to acknowledge death in a jovial, playful way.

Tuesday day camp an older student brought in a road kill fox. The car had hit it cleanly, so the boy planned on skinning it. We all gathered around to look at the animal. It was a petite creature. Very slim with red fur, black paws and healthy white teeth. Throughout class the older boys skinned the fox and the younger campers watched. At one point the skin was off and we could see the exposed muscles. The dead fox made some of the campers uncomfortable. But during circle we talked about how skinning roadkill is an important ritual. Instead of speeding by a dead animal, we slow down and examine it. The color and texture of the fur, the shape of the snout, the way the paws lay curled close to it's chest.

Another great learning opportunity

A week after the fox, I helped

came this November. During our

slaughter my friend's moscovi duck. I

held down the neck and body while he decapitated the bird with a pair of yard clippers. I closed my eyes, my

imagination making it seem worse than it was. When I opened them, the bird's body was flapping, while it's neck lay on the ground, a small pool of blood seeping out. We proceeded to skin and gut the duck. His entrails were bluish purple. The wind pipe was a long tube made of ridged cartilege.

The blood was a dark red. I took the wings back to White Pine and dissected them with the help of a fearless

eight year old girl. We examined the small fluffy feathers on his back, wondering what we could make out of themA pillow? A feathered mask?

These experiences have shown me that befriending death creates more life. Instead of leaving the snake on the side of the road, we took it with us and gave it a buriel. Instead of driving by the fox, our student brought it to White Pine for us to look. Instead of buying a factory farm bird, my friend decided to slaughter his own. He gave the meat to his neighbor for Thanksgiving. The deaths of these animals are an opportunity to create new connections.

Natalie grew up in Indianapolis and attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Her passion for exploring wild places led her to an internship with White Pine where she works as a coyote mentor for our youth programs. Everyday she is inspired by the children's endless curiosity and creativity.

dECEMBER

We no longer feel the ten thousand trembling secrets at the edges of our vision, but go to any indigenous hunter and say where is your vision most potent? It is on the edge of things. When a culture is in crisis, genius comes, not from the center, but from the edge. - Dr. Martin Shaw

1

JUST SITTING MEDITATION

4 7:45 am - 10 am

DRUM CIRCLE 1 pm - 3 pm

JUST SITTING MEDITATION

11 7:45 am - 10 am

JUST SITTING MEDITATION

18 7:45 am - 10 am

JUST SITTING MEDITATION

25 7:45 am - 10 am

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds

5 10 am - 2 pm

WATER PROTECTORS TALKING CIRCLE 6:00 am - 7:30 am

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

6 10 AM - 3 PM

TAI CHI 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm

ESCRIMA 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds

12 10 am - 2 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds

19 10 am - 2 pm

WATER PROTECTORS TALKING CIRCLE 6:00 am - 7:30 am

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

13 10 AM - 3 PM

TAI CHI 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm

ESCRIMA 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

YULE CEREMONY 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

20 10 AM - 3 PM

TAI CHI 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm

ESCRIMA 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds

26 10 am - 2 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

27 10 AM - 3 PM

TAI CHI 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm

ESCRIMA 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

7 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

YOUTH KARATE AGES 8 - 16 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm

ADULT KARATE 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

14 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

YOUTH KARATE AGES 8 - 16 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm

ADULT KARATE 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen

21 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM & 6 - 8 year olds 10 am - 2 pm

YOUTH KARATE AGES 8 - 16 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 8 - 11 year olds & Teen 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

28&

6 - 8 year olds 10 am - 2 pm

YOUTH KARATE AGES 8 - 16 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds

8 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

15

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds

22 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM & 8 - 12 year olds & Teen 10 AM - 3 PM

WILD DAY CAMP 6 - 8 year olds 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

29&

8 - 12 year olds & Teen 10 AM - 3 PM

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR INTENSIVE DAYS, TIMES, PRICING, ETC.

december - SATURDAY SKILLS RETURN december - YOUTH CAMPS EXTENDED

2 3 9 10 16 17 23 24 30 31

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download