Scroll down for past and future gathering information and contact info.
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Headwaters Earth Skills Gathering
The Headwaters Gathering was first started in the Fall of 2007. Forty people, mostly from Sothern Ontario met for 3 days at farm in Cheltenham, ON, to learn skills, share knowledge and stories, and celebrate thier connection and impact on the earth. It was decided at this gathering that it would become a bi-annual event running spring and fall and change locations from one to the next.
The main idea behind the gathering was a place for people interested in deepening thier connection to the land to be able to meet, network, and inspire each other.
Workshops are ofered by participants and have a central focus around traditonal earth and wilderness living skills. Another major focus of the gathering is our ecological footprint as a community. It is inevitable that if forty people meet in a wilderness setting they are going to have an impact, so why not be aware of this and be concious of the impact we make? It has been decided that at each gathering we will collectivily undertake some sort of caretaking project and give something back to the land for the teachings, space, food, shelter, and inspiration it has given us. Since the first gathering was held on an organic farm we helped the land caretakes plant several thousand heads of organic garlic by hand. For the first spring gathering we plan to do a bunch of restoration work including: tree planting, digging up and moving wild plants, and possibly some erosion control. Its amazing what we can accomplish in a short time as a group, and great to see us do it with out the use of fossil fuels!
For more information please read the past and upcoming listings below and check out our photos from previous years. If you have any questions e-mail Chris Gilmour at: chris@earthmentorship.com and/or Skeet Sutherland at: info@ssws.com
Headwaters Gathering, Oct 17 - 19, 2008
Location: The Round House, Caledon, ON
Some topics being covered/practiced:
- Archery
- Flintknapping (stone tools)
- Awareness Games
- Throwing Sticks
- Basket Making
- Friction Fire Making
- Trade Blanket
- Music and drumming
- Thanksgiving
- Caretaking
- Much, Much More
For more information and to reserve a spot please contact Skeet Sutherland at: skeetsutherland@hotmail.com or at 519-216-6842
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Headwaters Gathering, Spring 2008 - May 16 - 19
Pictures: coming soon!
This springs second bi-annual Headwaters Gathering was once again a huge success and I am very happy to be a part of the community that is starting to form. The spring get together was held in Mt Forest, Ontario on a old farm property. We were set up in a back field right next to a small pond, (perfect for swimming if it was a little warmer), and bordering some beautiful cedar forest and wetlands. We met for 4 days this gathering and the longer duration led to a very productive and fun weekend. Informal workshops/ personal project working included:
- Medicinal Plant harvesting and tincture making
- Pine needle coil basket making
- Various stages of hide tanning
- Bowl and utensil Burning/carving
- Bone arrow making
- Drawing
- Archery
- Drumming Circle
- Trading Blanket
- Ceremony and Thanksgiving
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Headwaters Gathering Fall 2007
(Click here for the Fall 07' Photo Gallery)
Fall 2007 a vision and dream I have been holding for several years now finally came to be. Holding this vision for so long I definitely had some thoughts of what it may be and pretty high expectations for staying true to the vision. I am very happy to say my expectations were met and so much was added to the vision, The community has finally come together in a large group with a focus and we achieved some amazing things those three days.
The gathering started off Friday, most people following arrows on the ground and making their way to the back corner of the farm where the festivities were to take place close to sun down. A number of us broke out our bow drill kits to light the opening central fire and we all cheered as our guest from New York Zack blew a tinder bundle to flames. We ate our pot luck dinner followed by an amazing talking circle where we really set the intention for the week. We also played an awesome name game during the circle to get to know each other a little better and broke several thousand heads of garlic seed to be planted over the week. I believe there were 26 people at the opening circle. Afterwards we drummed the moon to sleep under the stars.
Saturday Morning the fire was still burning and many were up with the sun preparing breakfast and tea. One of my highlights of the morning was seeing Serena's Garlic stock bed she made and slept in under the stars, a by-product of last night. After breakfast and a beautiful Thanks Giving address we divided into two groups. One would start the day gathering wild edibles from around the land for our dinner and the other group giving something back in thanks giving for the food the we took by planting the garlic seed we separated the night before. Edibles collected on the hike included: Chicory, Dandelion, Burdock, Yellow Dock, Stinging Nettle, Wild Grapes, Crab Apples, Alfalfa and maybe a couple others I forgot.
After a tasty lunch and a nice swim our friend Skeet gave a nice talk and encouraged us all to go out and sit in the woods for a half hour by ourselves, take in some of our surroundings, and contemplate why we where here and what this gatherings intention means to us. We re-convened for an awesome lecture on by Skeet on bow making and general wood fibers. After the lecture a number of people began working on home made bows from staves they brought, many learned for the first time how to make cordage (rope) from natural fibers such as inner cedar bark, dogbane stock, and stinging nettle stock. I spent a large portion of the day in our primitive kitchen preparing for the nights big feast. Preparations included: Digging and burning a fire for our steam pit ( its amazing how long it takes 3 people to dig a two foot hole in pure clay, next time lets meet on the beach!), building a drying rack to coal and sun dry fish and steak, and heating rocks for boiling water.
After dinner Casey led us in a fun game to challenge our senses called Privy, we also practiced some quiet walking in another game. Next came what I hope will be a part of most futures gatherings and one of my highlights of the weekend, the Trade Blanket. It took a few minutes for everyone to understand the concept but once it got going it was lots of laughs, stories, a few swigs of wine, and some good trading. Items traded ranged from homemade necklaces and preserves to books, incense, hawk feathers, wool jackets and deer hides. I hope as time passes we will have more and more homemade items to trade and of course practical things you wish to rid yourself of or barter for as well like clothing and tools.
Sunday began with another group garlic plant followed by some amazing fire cooked soup. After lunch we closed with another talking circle that had now grown to close to 40 people. I was blown away by how impacted everybody was from the three days we had spent together. Everyone seemed to learn lots and felt a little closer to the Earth. We really had a great sense of community going on, I'll even go as far as saying we had become a tribe. Many people expressed an interest in holding the gathering bi-annually or even quarterly. Maybe on the Equinoxes and Solstices. Will see where it evolves from here.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated, for what you brought, what you will bring away with you, and what you will share in the future and with others outside of the gathering. I look forward to every bodies part in the evolution of this great event, the growth and strengthening of our tribe and our connection to the Earth that gives us all we have.
Less Talk and More Rock,
Cheers,
Chris Gilmour
