Skills Day 2006

The Manuel Lisa Party completed a skills weekend on January 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th, 2006.  It was attended by Gene Hickman, Walt Walker, Greg Muich, Mike Nottingham, Karl Wessel and guest, Ron Garritson.  The party focused on completing necessary requirements to enable members to finish Bossloper and Hiverano qualifications.  The weekend started with the joyous arrival of friends that had not seen one another for a couple of months.  On Friday evening, we constructed a grass mat with a primitive loom of willow branches lead by Gene Hickman.

We finished out the evening with a presentation on tracking by Walt Walker and Mike Nottingham.  On Saturday morning, we put the skills to use that Walt and Mike had described so thoroughly the night before.  The use and benefit of a tracking stick were highlighted.

We continued our primitive skills training with cordage making where we learned from Gene that the key to good cordage is to wind three stands of natural material in one direction first and then the opposite direction around themselves.  We completed cordage from yucca leaves that we processed and linen tow and practiced braiding.  

Rope Making 

We then moved on to a discussion about naturally adhesive materials like pine pitch and hide glue.  We made a glue stick from pine pitch and use the pitch to secure an arrowhead in a shaft prior to hafting.

Flint knapping was a crucial part of our education.  

Using a flint knife to cut willows 

Primitive Fish Spear Construction 

The skills that we learned this weekend are critical in our quest to become self-sufficient in the wilderness.  We will continue our education with primitive traps and shelter building so that we will ultimately be able to construct shelter and gather/prepare food with only materials found in nature.     

Party Members  Manuel Lisa  Articles  Equipment

 Events and Pictures Links  Trade Blanket  Historical Documentation