| At Firemaker Gatherings, there is a giveaway on Saturday evening. We invite
all participants, including instructors, to bring things you value and let
them go to someone who needs them -- also to accept things that come to
you at the Giveaway. The attitude of the giveaway is thankfulness, of saying we are thankful for our blessings, thankful for our relations. We are known for what we give, not what we keep, as our bodies are our only real belongings. Giving without expectation or hope of return - learning to let go - nurtures a caring and generous spirit. The acknowledgment that the giveaway represents, of an event or a person, is far more important than the material value of the gift. We give all that we can, knowing it will come back many fold. We also accept with gratitude and humility the things that come to us in the giveaway. Traditionally, the ritual giveaway was used to celebrate spiritual, social, and other events such as a young man's first hunt, the birth of a child, the passing of an elder to join the ancestors in Next World, or any significant event in one's life. To the Sioux, this is "wacantognaka" - to be able to give without a pounding heart. To the Kwakwaka'wakw of the northwest coast, this is the "potlatch" ceremony. "When one's heart is glad, he gives away gifts. It was given to us by our creator, to be our way of doing things, to be our way of rejoicing, we who are Indian. The potlatch was given to us to be our way of expressing joy." Agnes Alfred, Alert Bay, 1980 |
Every summer, the Firemaker Primitive Skills Society hosts Firemaker, an annual gathering for those interested in nature-based living, learning natural and primitive skills as well as the underlying philosophy of those skills and ways of life. At our gatherings, we invite instructors to share their skills and love for low-tech or no-tech ways of living and enjoying the outdoors.
What is Nature-Based Living?
Well-developed ways of surviving in and thriving with Nature. All of our ancestors knew how to live well without modern tools and materials. These ways are not lost.
The Firemaker Primitive Skills Society exists to learn, practice and share ancient skills, technology and the philosophy of honouring and respecting all existence, acknowledging our place in the circle of life.
Firemaker gatherings are about more than just primitive skills; they're also about friendship, fun, and community. Every evening there is singing, drumming, and story telling around the campfire. Group camping, shared meals and time to chat with instructors or to share the day's experiences with new or old friends add to the feeling of community, There's also plenty of room for solitude.
Firemaker is an excellent opportunity to...
- Learn to be more aware of the Natural world
- Make useful and beautiful objects with our hands.
- Know what, when, and how to gather and use what we gather
- Develop competence for survival and wilderness living.
- Connect with each other and our children in a beautiful natural setting.
- Make music and have fun together.
- Understand the unity of physical and spiritual.
- Wacantognaka ( generosity )
