21 Comments

Well said, Jesse. Last fall I worked with Registered Maine Guide, Arthur Haines on rewilding myself. I had approached him about a black bear hunt and ended up in an apprenticeship. I am old enough to have made it through college when papers still were typed. I played in the woods unsupervised starting in kindergarten. Working with Arthur helped me to see the downsides of modern life, even as a middle-aged man. Hunting the hard way, on foot, without cell cameras etc,...really helped me to "peel my onion." I can't imagine how difficult it will be for kids who haven't gotten dirty, chased frogs, jumped squirrels and eaten wild raspberries later in life. Arthur has a well-researched and detailed book on rewilding and neoaboriginal life ways. It has deep discussion on children and what we can do today to help them. It's called "A New Path." And yes, after some hard work and a lot of disappointing days, I did get a bear.

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What an excellent experience! So it sounds like you’re in Maine? I know they can bait bears there, which I imagine could mess up a hunt. How long was the apprenticeship? I’m going to add Arthur’s book to my reading list.

Wilding oneself is important. Under the right conditions, it would probably only take a week or two of basic living for people to find their wild side.

Thank you for sharing your experience here.

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Normally his apprenticeships are tied to lunar cycles, so about a month. Because of my living situation and intermediate skills, we made it amorphous and it ended up being about 4 months. Some people have stayed for a year. You can read more on his website www.arthurhaines.com. Maine allows black bear hunting over bait, which I did. Maine is also the only state where bear trapping is permitted. You can take 2 bears per year [tribal land permits are separate] one by hunting and one by trapping. I gets complicated because trappers are baiting and hunters are baiting but their season starts first. If you don't get a bear early in the hunting season, you can lose the bears you have coming in to other baiting sites set by trappers. And it's not legal to do both over the same bait site. It's a bit messy. But it worked out for me and I am very thankful.

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Congratulations on your hunt, and thank you for sharing this important work.

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Wonderful essay on such a vital (literally) topic, Jesse! 👏

The rules of our industrial education model: Shut up, sit still, color within the lines. What could possible go wrong?!

My favorite solution to this problem is Geoff Mulgan's "studio school" paradigm based on ye olde workshop where apprentices learned by observing and DOING. He discusses this as a solution to the high UK drop-out rate in this presentation:

https://www.ted.com/talks/geoff_mulgan_a_short_intro_to_the_studio_school

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Baird- Thank you for sharing that- it slipped my mind since you shared it with me a few months ago. It’s such a cool model that I wish I had. The absurdity of the American classroom continues to amaze me in its ability to dissuade and diminish the energy of young people.

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Oops! You know you're getting older when you start repeating the same old stories (and links)! I'll be posting an essay about that on Sunday.

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It is a great reminder/resource, nevertheless.🙂

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Now I feel better about all those frogs I caught as a camper, and then encouraged kids to catch, gently, when I became a camp counselor myself, as they waited for their parents to pick them up. A pond and catching frogs…. vs screen time that wasn’t available in our pockets 20 years ago… lots of food for thought in this one. As someone who has done desk work as an adult more minimally, but more in the last 5 years and now full-time for a year, I feel it. You’re speaking to me, thanks for validating my questions as I look out the window…

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Jenny- Your description of catching frogs in the pond brings me back to doing the same on a warm spring evening. Powerful and visceral and a feeling I’m refusing to let go of despite the pressure to live a screen-based existence. I hope we can ensure these feelings get enshrined in others so we don’t lose this fundamental part of the human experience.

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When I read “play-hunting” I heard Shepard’s tone, then you referenced him. You have a similar voice, though a lot clearer than his brambly one. Enjoyed this, and ponder such conundrums often.

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Thanks- yeah, he sure is brambly. I am baffled by the amount of words he could put on paper. Sometimes, those words seem needed to make his point. Other times, it seems like he could have gotten to the point sooner. Perhaps that distinguishes an academic writer from a working writer. But then again, some “best sellers” seem to have a brambling style too.

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It’s good to wrestle with such a brain, but I’d vouch that Elizabeth Marshall Thomas did the message better.

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Her work is still on my "to-read" list from when you recommended it a while back.

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Thanks for the link. Kudos on a thoughtful piece.

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Ryan- I was happy to share your piece. When I read it a while back, I thought it was making a very important point about the absurdity of our being okay with the scourge of pickup lines. I think it is something people should be more aware and reflective of.

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Man… wonderful article with tons of thought-provoking questions encouraging reflection on what we can do better for ourselves and children. Appreciate the shoutout too. You’ve also added another book to my list and someone I hope I’m somehow related to in Paul Shepard considering the spelling… will look into it haha

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Ha ha. Paul Shepard's stuff is excellent, as well as a rabbit hole of sorts. I feel like I'm just getting started with his stuff. I appreciate your comment.

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Keep sharing as you dig deeper. You’re at the top of my credible sources for recommendations. 👊🏻

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Thanks, brother! So much to read; I need an internet blackout 😂

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Haha I hear you. I now read my favorite accounts on Substack daily before my books. Not mad at it but it has definitely slowed down my book consumption.

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