If you don't know the trees you may be lost in the forest, but if you don't know the stories you may be lost in life. - Siberian Proverb
Many native cultures around the world speak of elder figures and the stories they tell around the campfire. Through these stories, cultural history is passed on. The Chugach Inuit teach their children to respect Nunam-shua, the One Who Lives Within the Earth. The Gunwinggu people of Australia’s West Arnhem Land listen to the Rainbow Serpent as she warns them of bad river conditions and areas subject to monsoon flooding. Awi Usdi (Little Deer) reminds the Cherokee people to take game only when there is a true need for food and clothing. For ages, people have used stories to guide them through the land, the spirit world and the human condition.
About
the Course
The BOSS Ancestral Storytelling Course explores
the world of traditional stories and how they are reflective of a people
and the landscape they inhabit. Traditional and non-traditional stories will
be shared and students will learn the art of telling their own stories. Using
story to identify major geographical landmarks, ancient ruins, and other distinguishing
features around them, students will navigate through the land without map or
compass. The stories told will also help to identify edible and poisonous plants,
and to understand the lessons of the animals that share the landscape. Nights
will be filled with the camaraderie of stories told around the campfire and
the magic and mystery of star stories. Drawing on the panoramic beauty of the
desert environment and the primitive skills experience, students
will enter into the powerful world of storytelling.
About
BOSS
Since 1968, BOSS Courses
have set the standard for low-technology camping and desert hiking techniques,
where instruction
is conducted with minimal intrusion of modern technology in environments that
allow course content to be experienced first-hand. Our commitment to quality
and to our core philosophies has earned BOSS its reputation as the survival
school to go to when you want to learn from the best in the industry.
Less
is More
In line with the BOSS
Positive Impact Camping philosophy, the Ancestral Storytelling Course has
a decided emphasis on using renewable, natural resources. Tents, sleeping
bags, stoves, backpacks and many other "required" pieces of outdoor
equipment are replaced with their low-tech counterparts: a poncho, a blanket,
a campfire. The motto here is "Know more, Carry less" and we'll
explore how traditional cultures lived comfortably without all the modern
gadgets like watches, radios, cellphones,etc (which are not allowed). Come
learn how back-country travel can be a less intrusive and more harmonious
experience.
Health & Safety
BOSS requires that all Explorer Course
applicants undergo a complete physical examination and receive their physician's
approval in writing prior to final acceptance on the course.
Please keep in mind, despite your physician's approval and BOSS's acceptance of you on the course, there are no guarantees. Health and participation risks (inherent and otherwise) remain. It's up to you and your physician to determine if a BOSS course is an appropriate choice. All participants must be aware of these risks and embrace them. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Course
Location
This course will travel
throughout the Escalante River’s canyon system near Boulder, Utah.
Elevations in this region vary from 4,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level.
Age
The
key to a successful course is a student's maturity and his or her interest
in learning in a skills-intensive environment. Students younger than 18 must
be physically and mentally mature enough to handle a course of this nature,
and must also come with a parent or guardian.
Course
Content
Skills taught on the Ancestral Storytelling Course vary with the group's
needs and desires, however the content is likely to include:
| Phase | Length | Description |
| Orientation & Introduction to Storytelling | 1/2 day | 1/2 day of introductions, skills & safety instruction, and equipment review and sales followed with an introduction to oral traditions. |
| Group Expedition | 3 1/2 days | Learn some of the BOSS basics: shelter construction, water location, and knife use and safety. Storytelling workshops will be presented throughout this part of the course. The group will travel aided only by the stories of the land. Students will be hearing and telling stories as well as learning plants, animals, stars, and observing ancestral sites. The Ancestral Story will be told throughout this phase to prepare participants for the next phase. |
| The Ancestral Journey | 1 1/2 days | This is where students learn the true importance of oral tradition, when each person will begin the Ancestral Journey -- traveling without the instructors using mytho-navigation. The group will rely totally on memory of the Ancestral Story to guide themselves to their destination. |
| Celebration / Graduation | Course closing and congratulations. | |
Food
& Diet
All
students are provided with BOSS food packs which consist of basic staples
such as lentils, rice, quinoa, carrots, potatoes, onions, rolled oats, wheat flour, powdered milk, etc. During fire-ban seasons, these rations are modified
to include instant soups and meals which do not need a fire to be eaten.
Either way, the food packs will provide a student with approximately 2000
calories per day — enough to keep you healthy and active for the duration
of the course. Students who wish to supplement their diet with wild edibles
may do so in a responsible manner (permits
may be required and can be purchased in advance). Students with allergies
or dietary restrictions should contact our office for additional information.
2010 Dates & Prices
| Ancestral Storytelling Course | AS-2 | October 17 - 23 | Utah |
$1395 |
Course dates and prices are subject to change. Space is limited on each course, and registrations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Please go to the Registration page for more information.
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