Buckeye 2020, May 3-9
Greetings! from the north coast of California, where the longer nights are beginning to chill and the acorns are plump and getting ready to drop. Though there have been midnight hints of rain, the land is still dry, dry. Last you heard from us, we were headed up to Lake Concow in May to tend to a post-fire landscape; here are some photos of the contrasts of the different stages of life we encountered: black, green, and brown (not pictured are the many colors of blossoms!). We had a beautiful time with a small group listening to the voice of the land and working together.
Since then, our Chrysalis process has quietly continued, as we inquire what Buckeye might become in these times of both widespread earth cataclysm and widespread creative response. We have been asking what we have the realistic capacity for, and it’s this: a smaller, simpler Ancestral Skills gathering in just two seasons from now, next May. Though Buckeye is re-emerging after melting down and tending to a fire touched landscape, we are still just beginning to spread our wet wings to breathe into the possibilities. It is clear that this year, after losing our kitchen infrastructure to flames, the number of people we are ready to host will be half or less than in previous years. So…you are invited to join us at Lake Concow again, during that time when dogwoods and lupine blossom in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Though it is tempting to stay dormant for another year, as much remains unformed for us, we wish to stay rooted and present in the intrinsic value of sharing earth-based living skills. Once again, we will be inviting a host of teachers to offer skills and awareness ranging from basketweaving and hide tanning to herbalism and fire making. Besides starting back up smaller, our recent Serotiny year has led us to choose to dedicate more time during the gathering to our reciprocal relationship with the land. We are excited to add this flavor to our traditional week!
Mark your calendars now: Buckeye will be May 3-9, 2020 at Lake Concow, CA. In the meantime, watch for a new website, registration in March, and a work party to rebuild the bathrooms (perhaps with fire reclaimed lumber). Wherever you are, may your harvest season shine; out this way, we are curious what rains may fall this winter to continue to recharge the deep waters of our aquifers.
What we offer has not always been known as ‘Primitive Technology’, ‘Ancestral Arts’, ‘Wilderness Survival’ or ‘Earth Living Skills’. At one time it was simply LIFE. In all of our histories are ancestors who crafted by the rhythm of the seasons and generations.
To learn from past generations how to thrive sustainably
We were inspired to begin this gathering by the longstanding contemporary community that has been rediscovering this legacy and innovating for decades before us. Buckeye exists in service to the wonderful complexity of simple living and the growing commitment to learn from past generations how to thrive sustainably for generations to come. We invite you to join us this coming Spring as we gather again to learn to integrate older ways, to begin to fathom what a village might be like for us today, and to see where inspiration takes us!
A Family Oriented All-inclusive Event
We encourage a family-oriented, all-ages event that emphasizes skills and materials indigenous to California, while welcoming talents from all over the map as well. Choose from a wide range of classes every day; enjoy the fire and activities together at night; share food, song & dance. The main fire is our camp central, with field and forest for camping in tipis, tents, vehicles, and under the stars.
At Buckeye, you might find craft and skill workshops such as:
plant fiber cordage
Council
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fire ecology
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stargazing
felting
wildharvesting
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primal posture
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earthen building
natural pigments
games
storytelling
primitive first aid
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Indigenous Land Management
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Traditional Ecological Knowledge
A video of 2017 Buckeye made by our friends
from Foraged Films.
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Native Youth Scholarships and POC Scholarships will be available. You may also donate to our POC Scholarship Fund by clicking on this button.
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