Christopher Nyerges Talks About the Old Ways – Part 1

Thanks to movies, TV and books, it’s all too easy to romanticize the old ways or the red ways. But what useful skills and attitudes can we glean from American Indians which will help us survive?

I sought an expert to give us some needed perspective. Christopher Nyerges, well known survivalist author and instructor, is well acquainted with the old ways and is qualified to speak authoritatively on the subject.

He was kind enough to be my guest again on DestinySurvival Radio. Yesterday’s show is part 1 of a two part series. Part 2 airs next week.

Christopher has written thousands of magazine and newspaper articles and ten books. He founded the School of Self Reliance with his late wife to help teach urban survival and has been teaching about plants and survival in the L.A. area for nearly 40 years.

Since his youth the ways of the Indians have been of interest to him. Botany and the uses of plants fascinated him early on. As his love for nature grew, so did the idea of living simply, rather than having and depending on the newest gear. As time passed he became acquainted and learned much from native Americans in Southern California.

Along with skills and traditions, he was attracted to their spirituality. He has participated in a number of sweats–not something just anyone can do.

Christopher packs so much information into his conversation that you need to listen to my interviews with him to get the full impact. He really knows history. And the name dropping he does along the way is interesting. His late wife was part Osage, and he has some amazing connections.

The Indians of the past had their own societies with social, political, religious and cultural structures. For you and me to learn traditional Indian survival skills is good–and it might help us survive–but it doesn’t encompass the Indians’ whole way of life.

To complicate matters, there’s no homogenous Indian culture. Many tribes covered our broad, diverse land. There’s also no simple way to define what it means to be Indian. So much racial and cultural mixing has taken place over the centuries. The real question is, who does an Indian tribe recognize as Indian?

According to Christopher, if you’re really interested in learning the old ways, you’ll need to do your homework. Find out what’s going on in your local area. Is there a reservation nearby? Are there events to go to? Start making personal connections.

Many of us have heard of pow-wows, where dancing and art are displayed and tribal decisions are made. Such a festival can be a good place to make contacts, if you’re seeking Indians who can serve as guides and mentors.

It takes time and dedication to grasp and absorb the red ways. It’s not something you can just do in a weekend or two. Finding credible sources is key. To know more of how they’ve thought and lived, see For Further Reading below.

Hear part 1 of my interview with him when you listen to DestinySurvival Radio for April 18th. Check out Christopher’s site at www.christophernyerges.com.

2013-04-19 08:45:47

Source: http://destinysurvival.com/2013/04/19/christopher-nyerges-talks-about-the-old-ways-part-1/