Life in 1805

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in a different time era? I know I have and last week I got to go and get just a taste of what life would have been like.  Every year at the Sacajewea Center in Salmon Idaho they hold a ten day living experience. This was my third year going and it was once again a great experience. Life in 1805 was definatly not easy, a good portion of the day was occupied with gettting and preparing food. We luckily had a good supply that we had brought with us, and I must admit we ate very well. We ate lots of wild game such as elk, antilope, deer, fish and I think we even got to have a  littel bit of buffalo meat once of twice. We ate lots of whole grains and fresh fruit and veges. My other mother Dede, that got me interested in primitive living skills had brought a book of recipes for wild foods. I found a recipe for stinging nettle noodles which we decided to try, they turned out super yummy and went well in the chicken soup we made. 

 

 

We slept in grass and stick huts called wickiups. I only had rain come through once during the night but once I fixed the spots I missed durign the first re-thatching I stayed much drier. Our camp mascot, a little kitten I named Pipsquek (Pip) even came and spent one night with me in the wickiup.

For bathing we had the river and boy was it cold! I didn't realize I had become such a pansy. It used to be that I could just jump right iin, but mnow I have to work up to it and move slowly into deeper water. Despite the coolness of the water I do have to admit that it was worth it to get clean!

I did a couple different projects while I was there. The first order of business was setting up and re-thatching the two wickiups we were using, next was re-roofing the kitchen area to make it more waterproof. We also re-did part of the cooking area to make it more functional and to fix things that has cracked and broke. Aside from those projects and time spent cooking we were free to work on personal projects. I did alot with clay this year as I forgot to pack the felt blanket I made last year that I was going to finish this year. I made a couple of fat lamps, a cooking pot and three blow sticks. My blow stick unfotunatly didn't make it home in one piece and I need to see if there is any way to fix it before Rabbitstick where we are going to hopefully fire our clay projetcs, they weren't dry in time to fire before we left.  I also made some dream catchers, and some adorable felt figurines!

 

While I was there I read a book called 'Daughters of the Earth' that was about Native American women before the 'white man really came and changed everything. It was really interesting to learn about their lives and the rules that governed their societies. I learned so many new things and my respect and perspective about them has really changed and grown. They lived VERY hard lives and I really respect them for what they did.  They were amazing!
This past week has once again made me realize just how lucky we are to have all the convinences that we do. I think I could have done it if I lived in those times, but boy am I glad I live in these times, as hard as they seem sometimes. It is a comfort to me though to know that if I ever find myself in a situation where I have to live primitavly I know that I could do so and not only scrap but but live and live well. I could survive in a primitive world. I do admit though that to truly live comfortably I have many more things to learn about the natural world around me, so I will keep seeking out knowledge, little by little until I have learned all I can.