GEORGE HEDGEPETH
I have taught ancestral skills since 1990. I first started out at the Center for American Archaeology in Kampsville Illinois teaching identification of useful plants based on the species we were finding in samples form various prehistoric sites in the lower Illinois River valley. I worked on several types of replicated prehistoric structures as well. Also, I started my education in stone under Dr. Toby Morrow and Tim Dillard; both manufacturing and use.
In the following years, I taught at gatherings all over the east, generally teaching plant skills, primitive butchery, stone tools, atlatl manufacture and use, bow making (generally with stone and bone tools), fire making, micro forging, general wilderness survival, and tool use and care. I founded the Great Lakes Primitives organization in 1992 and headed it up until 2006. It still hosts gatherings in Michigan. I also instructed under Marty Simon in New York for the Wilderness Learning Center, and worked with Doctor Andre-Francois Bourbeau of the University of Quebec on some survival experiments. I taught a survival and wilderness skills program in Michigan for Atlantis Alternative High School, a program for at-risk youth, for 12 years. I worked with Darryl Patton for several years teaching week-long survival immersion programs in diverse environments- from coastal Maine to Florida. I taught and spoke at the Midwest Harvest Festival, ran by Melissa Price, for two years before moving to California. I own and operate Briar Patch Outdoors, which teaches ancestral skills to private groups.
Stone Blade Tools - Producing, modifying, and hafting stone blade tools. We will prepare cores, drive off blades, and haft them them for various uses using pitch, hide glue, and natural fibers.
Stone tool atlatl and dart - We will make atlatls and darts using stone tools.
Knife and tool sharpening - We will make double sided sharpening boards and use them to make knives razor sharp. We will use hand tools for this.
In the following years, I taught at gatherings all over the east, generally teaching plant skills, primitive butchery, stone tools, atlatl manufacture and use, bow making (generally with stone and bone tools), fire making, micro forging, general wilderness survival, and tool use and care. I founded the Great Lakes Primitives organization in 1992 and headed it up until 2006. It still hosts gatherings in Michigan. I also instructed under Marty Simon in New York for the Wilderness Learning Center, and worked with Doctor Andre-Francois Bourbeau of the University of Quebec on some survival experiments. I taught a survival and wilderness skills program in Michigan for Atlantis Alternative High School, a program for at-risk youth, for 12 years. I worked with Darryl Patton for several years teaching week-long survival immersion programs in diverse environments- from coastal Maine to Florida. I taught and spoke at the Midwest Harvest Festival, ran by Melissa Price, for two years before moving to California. I own and operate Briar Patch Outdoors, which teaches ancestral skills to private groups.
Stone Blade Tools - Producing, modifying, and hafting stone blade tools. We will prepare cores, drive off blades, and haft them them for various uses using pitch, hide glue, and natural fibers.
Stone tool atlatl and dart - We will make atlatls and darts using stone tools.
Knife and tool sharpening - We will make double sided sharpening boards and use them to make knives razor sharp. We will use hand tools for this.