Sunday

Geronimo /Quote


It makes no difference as to the name of the God, since love is the real God of all the world.
Even your silence holds a sort of prayer.

When Usen created the Apaches, he also gave them their homes in the West. He gave them such grain, fruits and game as they needed to eat... and all they needed for clothing and shelter was at hand. Thus it was in the beginning; the Apaches and their homes, each created for the other. When they are taken from their homes they sicken and die.
-- Geronimo, Chiricahua Apache

Friday

Apache camouflage


Apache camouflage
As witnessed by John Cremony, ca. 1864

While crossing an extensive prairie, dotted here and there by a few shrubs and diminutive bushes, Quick Killer volunteered, while resting at noon, to show me with what dexterity an Apache could conceal himself, even where no special opportunity existed for such concealment. The offer was readily accepted, and we proceeded a short distance until we came to a small bush, hardly sufficient to hide a hare. Taking his stand behind this bush, he said: "Turn your back and wait until I give the signal." This proposition did not exactly suit my ideas of Apache character, and I said: "No, I will walk forward until you tell me to stop." This was agreed upon, and quietly drawing my pistol, keeping a furtive glance over my shoulder, I advanced; but had not gone ten steps, when Quick Killer hailed me to stop and find him. I returned to the bush, went around it three or four times, looked in every direction--there was no possible covert in sight; the prairie was smooth and unbroken, and it seemed as if the earth had opened and swallowed up the man. Being unable to discover him, I called and bade him come forth, when, to my extreme surprise, he arose laughing and rejoiced, within two feet of the position I then occupied. With incredible activity and skill he had completely buried himself under the thick grama grass, within six feet of the bush, and had covered himself with such dexterity that one might have trodden upon him without discovering his person. I took no pains to conceal my astonishment and admiration, which delighted him exceedingly, and he informed me that their children were practiced regularly in this game of "hide and seek," until they became perfect adepts. We have far-reaching rifles and destructive weapons, but they must ever be ineffective against unseen enemies; and it is part of a soldier's duty, while engaged in Indian countries, to study all their various devices.

Another excellent illustration of their skill in concealment was given me by Nah-kah-yen. We were hunting together, when a large herd of antelopes made its appearance. Nah-kah-yen immediately tore off a small strip from an old red handkerchief and tied it to the point of a yucca stalk, at the same time handing me his rifle and saying: Ah-han-day anah-zon-tee--"go off a long way"-- he instantly buried himself under the sand and grass with the ease and address of a mole. I at once moved away several hundred yards, and sought to creep up to the antelopes, who were evidently attracted by the piece of red rag fluttering on the yucca stalk. Not wishing to interrupt the sport of my savage comrade, and anxious to witness the upshot of his device, I remained a "looker on and a spectator" of the affair. In a little while a marked commotion was noticeable in the herd, which galloped off very rapidly for a hundred yards or so, but soon recovered their equanimity, and again approached the attractive red rag. These strange agitations occurred several times, until the antelopes finally dashed away over the plains with wonderful speed. Nah-kah-yen then arose and beckoned me to come, which I did, and found that he had killed four of the herd. We had all the meat our horses could well pack, but the distance to camp was only five miles and soon made.

Thursday

Traditional Apache scouts





The traditional Apache scouts were members of secret societies within various clans of the tribe. Only Lipan, Chiricahua and Mescalero Apaches had Scout societies. The scouts' original purpose was to protect the clans people from enemies, and to locate game and new campsites.

It is important to distinguish between these scouts, and the "Apache scouts" hired by the U.S. Army during the Apache Wars.

Training

The scouts trained their own clansmen in an intense process that lasted over ten years. Young children within the clan would be closely observed by current scouts and elders. Those who showed promise in skills--such as awareness, tracking and hunting, physical fitness, and selflessness--would be selected to undergo the training process.

Training included advanced techniques of camouflage and invisibility as well as of observation and stalking. These skills led to their nicknames as "shadow people" and "ghosts". The scouts became masters of wilderness survival, excelling beyond the skills of the lay clansmen. This was necessary, for they often had to leave the clan for extended periods of time with little more than knives.

Moreover, the upcoming scouts were taught a highly complex system of tracking, utilizing miniature topographic features within each footprint. These features could tell the trackers anything from the speed at which the animals were moving, to the directions the animals (or humans) were looking at the times they left the track. Some tracking experts, such as Tom Brown, Jr., assert that scout-trained trackers could know whether the makers were hungry, pregnant, or had to urinate, and to what degree.

An Apache Scout Prayer
"Grandfather of all Scouts...
Teach me to be the eyes of my people.
Teach me to move like the shadow.
Allow me to become the winds, the rocks,
the soils, and the life forces in all its forms.
Allow me to suffer for my people and take
away their pain.
Honor me by allowing me to die for my people.
For I love my people beyond myself and I will
sacrifice my all for my people, my earth,
and for you.
Test me beyond all hardship and pain.
Create me as you would forge a tool, and
if you find I am worthy, then bless me
as your servant - your Scout."

"Shadow Walker" 1807
Panther Ridge
Age 91

Poison Oak Info!! for would be trackers



Poison Oak

If you've spent time in the back country, there's an excellent chance you've had a Poison Oak experience. If not, well, it's probably a matter of time. Nearly every Search and Rescue member is quite familiar with poison oak and has a favorite story to tell. Below are some of the remedies we have found that work well, as well as some links to other pages to help out those afflicted.
A Brief Summary

Poison Oak Sketch

Poison oak is a woody shrub that is related to poison ivy and poison sumac. It is plentiful below 4,000' and is generally identified by its oily leaves in groups of three. The leaves can be green, yellow, or red and fall off each year. The leaves and stems contain an oil (Urushiol) that causes an itchy rash in 85% of the population. It's powerful stuff - 1/4 ounce would give a rash to every person on earth and the oil can remain active for up to five years.
Search and Rescue Remedies

Since the oil is the nasty part of the plant, most of the remedies include some surfactant to break up the oil and wash it away. Everyone reacts differently, so try as many remedies as you need to until you find one that works. The important thing is that you wash your gear and clothes so you don't expose yourself again the next time you use them. The treatments described below are all over-the-counter, but for extreme cases, consider consulting a physician.

Adventure Race Team Remedies - C. Hare
Poison Oak Leaves "My adventure race team has a variety of remedies. I've found green soap works well for me. My teammates use a variety of remedies. One uses Oil of Oregano, found in health food stores. Just rub it on, it will sting/itch for less than an hour and then that's it. Applied 2-3 times and the itching is done. Another has had luck with 1% hydrocortisone creams, just be sure to follow the precautions."

Lots of Personal Experience - M. Winter
Poison Oak Patch "Unfortunately, I have had several opportunties to try treatments and have found the following the most effective for me. I remove my contaminated clothes as soon as I can since the oil works through fabric (especially behind your knees and inside your elbows). Then I take a cool shower with regular soap to remove any oil. Everything (clothes and gear) that might have oil on it is washed twice in a five-gallon bucket with regular laundry detergent. The itching starts 2-3 days after exposure, with blisters three days later. When the itching is bad, I use ice cubes or ice packs for a few hours of relief. Before sleeping, I run the affected areas under very hot water. It itches like mad for a few minutes, but goes away for several hours. A layer of 1% hydrocortisone cream (not ointment) generally gets me through the night itch free. If I do wake up, I use the ice treatment. If I follow this routine, the itching lasts a few days. I always crack after the blisters form and scratch them (but it feels SO GOOD!!), so I use ice to stop the itching and a hair dryer to stop the weeping.

Someone told me oatmeal works the best on poison Ivy, Some people aren't affected by it, but if you have a low tolerance, this article might help, at least with the photos so you know what to avoid. -Thunder

Saturday

Feathers


Native American Indians believed that feathers were gifts from Great Spirit. Birds were regarded as the highest spirit animal on earth and feathers were used to carry prayers to Great Spirit. They were decorated with stones, beads, and sometimes bones. Each Indian had their own power symbol for their prayer feathers.

Friday

Apache: Early Special Operations warrior

This video just got updated at: 10:31 pm On Friday may 22, 2009

Thursday

Cochise's Stronghold / Dragoon Mountains



Painting of Cochise



Cochise

Capture, escape, and retirement
Cochise Stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, southeastern Arizona.

Following various skirmishes, Cochise and his men were gradually driven into the Dragoon Mountains but were nevertheless able to use the mountains as cover and as a base from which to continue significant skirmishes against white settlements. This was the situation until 1871 when General George Crook assumed command and used other Apaches as scouts and informants and was thereby able to force Cochise's men to surrender. Cochise was taken into custody in September of that year.

The next year, the Chiricahua were ordered to Tularosa Reservation located in New Mexico, but refused to leave their ancestral lands in Arizona, which were guaranteed to them under treaty. Cochise managed to escape again and renewed raids and skirmishes against settlements through most of 1872. A new treaty was later negotiated by General Oliver O. Howard, with the help of Tom Jeffords who had become blood brother to Cochise, as the Americans relented to some of the Apaches' terms. Cochise quietly retired to an Arizona reservation, where he died of natural causes.

Sunday

The Scorpian / Surviving in the desert / Spiritual view



Painting by Jessa Huebing-Reitinger

In some Native American societies, the stars we call Scorpius played a significant role in determining annual milestones. The Navajo called the upper body of Scorpius "First Big One." When they saw this group rising, they knew spring would soon be over. They referred to the three stars forming the stinger of the scorpion as "Rabbit Tracks," because they looked like the meandering tracks a rabbit leaves in the snow. The position of the Rabbit Tracks in the sky helped tell the Navajo when it was appropriate to hunt game. When the open end of Rabbit Tracks tips toward Earth, as the tail does when the constellation dips toward the western horizon, it is fall, and hunting season begins. When the open end points upward, as it does upon rising in the spring, hunting season ends.

The Skidi Pawnee referred to the two stars comprising the scorpion's stinger as the "Swimming Ducks." When the ducks first appeared just before dawn in late February, they knew that spring and the "time of thunder" were close at hand. They thought Swimming Ducks represented loons that rose late at night in the spring to tell the water birds to fly north again.

Today, most sky watchers associate the appearance of the scorpion with the onset of warm, fragrant nights and hot days: summertime. Still, there was a time long ago when the first people to inhabit this country depended on these star patterns to help them live. See if you can find First Big One, Rabbit Tracks, and Swimming Ducks tonight!

On a practical level / make friends and live in tune with them.


Crossing the threshold into the Sonoran Desert can be an extreme experience. Tucson and Arizona and its environs have more wildlife habitat than most metropolitan areas: Animals—from tiny bugs to large mammals—thrive there, and coexisting with them can run from awe-inspiring to downright scary. Use common sense, and watch where you step and reach.

BARK SCORPIONS

These straw-colored friends grow to about two inches long and have crablike claws, a flat belly, and a segmented tail with a stinger. Outdoors they live in woodpiles, plant debris, or cracks in masonry. Indoors they like sinks, cabinets, or floor drains. New homes can attract scorpions—fresh concrete and plaster create a tempting, moist environment for them.

Scorpions sting humans in defense, they are not out to get you. All scorpions will hide in clothing, shoes, gloves, or bedding, so it's a good idea to shake out these items before use. Although reactions to the venom vary, a bark scorpion sting is never pleasant. If you get stung, call your doctor or Arizona Poison Control (626-6016) for advice.

Saturday

Sacred Visions of an Apache Elder




Night of the Red Sky: The Prophetic Vision of 'Grandfather'

By Tom Brown Jr. (1991), from Nexus Magazine, Volume 7, Number 1 (Dec '99 - Jan '00)
December 22, 1923

In the 1920s, an Apache wise man had a Vision of four prophecies that foretold death and destruction for mankind, unless we incorporate Spirit in our daily lives. Two of these prophecies may already have come true.

A number of people can predict the future, but few get the timing correct. "Grandfather" was an Apache wise man and scout, named Stalking Wolf, who grew up outside white man's influence. His many predictions not only came true in the manner he predicted, but also when he predicted...

Grandfather had been wandering for several years and was well into his forties when the Vision of the four signs was given to him. He had just finished his third Vision Quest at the Eternal Cave when the Vision made itself known. He had been seated at the mouth of the cave, awaiting the rising Sun, when the spirit of the warrior appeared to him. He felt as if he were in a state somewhere between dream and reality, sleep and wakefulness, until the spirit finally spoke and he knew that it was not his imagination. The spirit called Grandfather's name and beckoned him to follow.
As Grandfather stood, he was suddenly transported to another world. Again, he thought that he was dreaming, but his flesh could feel the reality of this place; his senses knew that this was a state of abject reality, but in another time and place.

The spirit warrior spoke to Grandfather. "These are the things yet to come that will mark the destruction of man. These things you may never see, but you must work to stop them and pass these warnings on to your grandchildren. They are the possible futures of what will come if man does not come back to the Earth and begin to obey the laws of Creation and the Creator. There are four signs, four warnings, that only the children of the Earth will understand. Each warning marks the beginning of a possible future, and as each warning becomes reality, so too does the future it marks"...



The First Sign


..."Welcome to what will be called the 'land of starvation'. The world will one day look upon all of this with horror and will blame the famine on the weather and the Earth. This will be the first warning to the world that man cannot live beyond the laws of Creation, nor can he fight Nature...

There will come starvation before and after this starvation, but none will capture the attention of the world with such impact as does this one. The children of the Earth will know the lessons that are held in all of this pain and death, but the world will only see it as drought and famine, blaming Nature instead of itself"...

In his dream, the spirit spoke to Grandfather. "It is during the years of the famine, the first sign, that man will be plagued by a disease, a disease that will sweep the land and terrorize the masses. The white coats [doctors/scientists] will have no answers for the people, and a great cry will arise across the land. The disease will be born of monkeys, drugs and sex. It will destroy man from inside, making common sickness a killing disease. Mankind will bring this disease upon himself as a result of his life, his worship of sex and drugs, and a life away from Nature. This, too, is a part of the first warning; but, again, man will not heed this warning and he will continue to worship the false gods of sex and the unconscious spirit of drugs." [Author's note: This is presumably a reference to AIDS.]


The Second Sign


The spirit looked at Grandfather for a long moment, then finally spoke. "Holes in the sky... will become the second sign of the destruction of man. The holes in the sky and all that you have seen could become man's reality. It is here, at the beginning of this second sign, that man can no longer heal the Earth with physical action. It is here that man must heed the warning and work harder to change the future at hand. But man must not only work physically, he must also work spiritually, through prayer, for only through prayer can man now hope to heal the Earth and himself"...

"These holes are a direct result of man's life, his travel, and of the sins of his grandfathers and grandmothers. These holes, the second sign, will mark the killing of his grandchildren and will become a legacy to man's life away from Nature. It is the time of these holes that will mark a great transition in mankind's thinking. They will then be faced with a choice-a choice to continue following the path of destruction, or a choice to move back to the philosophy of the Earth and a simpler existence. It is here that the decision must be made, or all will be lost"... [A reference to harmful radiation from holes in the ozone layer caused by burning fossil fuels.]


The Third Sign


Grandfather spent the next four days at the cave entrance, though for those four days nothing spoke to him, not even the Earth. He said that it was a time of great sorrow, of aloneness, and a time to digest all that had taken place.
He knew that these things would not appear in his lifetime, but they had to be passed down to the people of the future with the same urgency and power with which they had been delivered to him. But he did not know how he would explain these unlikely events to anyone. Surely the elders and shamans of the tribes would understand, but not society, and certainly not anyone who was removed from the Earth and Spirit.

He sat for the full four days, unmoving, as if made of stone, and his heart felt heavy with the burden he now carried.

It was at the end of the fourth day that the third Vision came to him. As he gazed out onto the landscape towards the setting Sun, the sky suddenly turned to a liquid and then turned blood-red. As far as his eyes could see, the sky was solid red, with no variation in shadow, texture or light. The whole of Creation seemed to have grown still, as if awaiting some unseen command. Time, place and destiny seemed to be in limbo, stilled by the bleeding sky. He gazed for a long time at the sky, in a state of awe and terror, for the red color of the sky was like nothing he had ever seen in any sunset or sunrise. The color was that of man, not of Nature, and it had a vile stench and texture. It seemed to burn the Earth wherever it touched. As sunset drifted to night, the stars shone bright red, the colour never leaving the sky, and everywhere the cries of fear and pain were heard.

Again, the warrior spirit appeared to Grandfather, but this time as a voice from the sky. Like thunder, the voice shook the landscape. "This, then, is the third sign, the night of the bleeding stars. It will become known throughout the world, for the sky in all lands will be red with the blood of the sky, day and night. It is then, with this sign of the third probable future, that there is no longer hope. Life on the Earth as man has lived it will come to an end, and there can be no turning back, physically or spiritually. It is then, if things are not changed during the second sign, that man will surely know the destruction of the Earth is at hand. It is then that the children of the Earth must run to the wild places and hide. For when the sky bleeds fire, there will be no safety in the world of man."

Grandfather sat in shocked horror as the voice continued. "From this time, when the stars bleed, to the fourth and final sign, will be four seasons of peace [that is, one year]. It is in these four seasons that the children of the Earth must live deep in the wild places and find a new home, close to the Earth and the Creator. It is only the children of the Earth that will survive, and they must live the philosophy of the Earth, never returning to the thinking of man. And survival will not be enough, for the children of the Earth must also live close to the Spirit. So tell them not to hesitate if and when this third sign becomes manifest in the stars, for there are but four seasons to escape."

Grandfather said that the voice and red sky lingered for a week, and then were gone as quickly as they were manifest.



The Fourth Sign


He did not remember how many days he'd spent at the mouth of the cave, nor did it make a difference, for he had received the Vision he had come for.

It was in his final night at the Eternal Cave that the fourth Vision came to Grandfather, this time carried by the voice of a young child.

The child said, "The fourth and final sign will appear through the next ten winters [that is, ten years] following the night that the stars will bleed. During this time, the Earth will heal itself and man will die. For those ten years, the children of the Earth must remain hidden in the wild places, make no permanent camps, and wander to avoid contact with the last remaining forces of man. They must remain hidden, like the ancient scouts, and fight the urge to go back to the destruction of man. Curiosity could kill many."

There was a long silence, until Grandfather spoke to the child spirit, asking, "And what will happen to the worlds of man?"

There was another period of silence until finally the child spoke again. "There will be a great famine throughout the world, like man cannot imagine. Waters will run vile, the poisons of man's sins running strong in the waters of the soils, lakes and rivers. Crops will fail, the animals of man will die, and disease will kill the masses. The grandchildren will feed upon the remains of the dead, and all about will be the cries of pain and anguish. Roving bands of men will hunt and kill other men for food, and water will always be scarce, getting scarcer with each passing year. The land, the water, the sky will all be poisoned, and man will live in the wrath of the Creator. Man will hide at first in the cities, but there he will die. A few will run to the wilderness, but the wilderness will destroy them, for they had long ago been given a choice. Man will be destroyed, his cities in ruin, and it is then that the grandchildren will pay for the sins of their grandfathers and grandmothers."

"Is there then no hope?" Grandfather asked.

The child spoke again. "There is only hope during the time of the first and second signs. Upon the third sign, the night of the bleeding, there is no longer hope, for only the children of the Earth will survive. Man will be given these warnings; if unheeded, there can be no hope, for only the children of the Earth will purge themselves of the cancers of mankind, of mankind's destructive thinking. It will be the children of the Earth who will bring a new hope to the new society, living closer to the Earth and Spirit."

Then all was silent, the landscape cleared and returned to normal, and Grandfather stepped from the Vision. Shaken, he said that he had wandered for the next season, trying to understand all that had been given to him, trying to understand why he had been chosen.

Grandfather had related the story to me in great detail during that night of the four prophecies. I don't think that any event had been left out, and his emotions and thoughts were such that he actually relived it for us. Thus the power of his Vision became part of our spirit, our driving force, and a big part of our fears.

I sat for a long time up on the hill. The fire had gone out, and all had retired to sleep for the night. Creation seemed to be at a standstill, awaiting this darkest part of the night to pass by. I felt alone and vulnerable, as if all of Creation were scrutinizing my every thought.

Grandfather had this Vision some time in the 1920s.


Analysis

The prophetic accuracy of Stalking Wolf's visions are quite stunningly clear thus far, both in their highly detailed descriptions and sequence of events, as presented to the young Tom Brown and friends. Here is the prophesied time line as interpreted in the context of the ongoing magnetic polar reversal:

1st Sign............ 1975 - 1985 . African famine and AIDS spread
2nd Sign........... 1985 - 1995 . Holes form in Earth's ozone layer, permitting destructive solar rays
3rd Sign........... Dec 22, 2012 . Magnetic reversal ignites a plasma canopy seen as red skies worldwide
4th Sign............ 2012 - 2022 . Large-scale destruction of low-resonance human technology ensues

This interpretation of the time line of Grandfather's visions is based on the notion that plasmas in our skies (now seen as auroras) will become more and more visible, eventually forming a complete canopy enveloping Earth. Identical scenarios of firestorms and the Red Dawn are prophesied by several other indigenous traditions from the Americas, including the Hopi, Sioux and Maya.

Contemporary solar scientists as well as Mayan timekeepers are predicting the most intense solar event in the history of humanity, culminating in a system-wide magnetic reversal involving all of Sol's planets on December 22, 2012. The Prophecy of the Night of the Red Skies predicts an atmospheric change of epic proportions in our imminent future, however, without providing a specific date, after which time humanity is advised to abandon his technological traps before they become lethal.

The precursors of this oncoming energy wave are already manifesting, as the electromagnetically oriented patterns of weather, animal and plant activity around the world are collapsing. Even more specific to the prophetic warnings are recent incidents of anomalous electric fires, such as the igniting cellphones and shavers in Vallejo, California, as well as in the Berici Hills of northern Italy and Messina, Sicily.

The changing ambient conditions of Earth are mitigated by the world's gigantic pyramidal transducers of infra sound, the Orion pyramids at Giza, which serve to balance the energy moving through our planet to reduce erratic earthquakes. This energetic build-up process has already reached evacuation levels in various parts of the world. Piezoelectric firestorms are concurrently being experienced in waves of erratic activity, also measured as infra sound pulsation, in Ratria, India, Bodibe, South Africa, Seattle and Santa Barbara, USA.

"TheTracker" Tom Brown Jr.



Tom Brown Jr. is a renowned outdoors man, tracker, teacher, and author of 16 books. He was born Jan 29, 1950 in South Tom's River, NJ. Starting when he was only seven Tom was taught by Stalking Wolf (Grandfather), an Apache elder, shaman, and scout. For ten years Tom was mentored in the skills of tracking, wilderness survival, and awareness. After Stalking Wolf's death when Brown was 17, Tom spent the next ten years living in the wilderness throughout the United States with no manufactured tools - in most instances not even a knife - perfecting these skills and teachings. Brown came back to" civilization" looking for people interested in all he had learned. He felt lost and confused until a local sheriff who knew Tom called him in to track a lost person. Tom found the missing person and in the process, found his path in life.

For the next few years, Brown earned his reputation as "The Tracker" finding lost people, and sometimes fugitives from the law. Tom has since worked with many law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and internationally on cases involving abducted children, lost hunters and hikers, and fugitives. He wrote his experiences in a book titled The Tracker which was published in 1978. Soon after, "Reader's Digest" ran a condensed version of his story, and included information on the Tracker School. That was twenty years ago, and today Tom Brown's Tracking, Nature, and Wilderness Survival School is the largest school of its kind, teaching people from all over the world in all walks of life who share an interest in learning the simplicity of a natural way of living.

Stalking Wolf

Stalking Wolf was raised free of the reservations in the mountains of northern Mexico. Born in the 1870s during a time of great warfare and violence, he was part of a band of Lipan Apache that never surrendered. He was taught the traditional ways of his people and excelled as a healer and a scout. When he was twenty, a vision sent him away from his own people, and for the next sixty-three years he wandered the Americas, seeking teachers and learning the old ways of many native peoples. Stalking Wolf traveled the height and breadth of the Americas, living on his own as a free man. He never held a job, drove a car, paid taxes, or participated in modern society.



When he was eighty-three years old, he met his grandson Rick's friend, Tom. He recognized that boy as the person he would spend his final years with, teaching him all he knew. That boy was Tom Brown, and Tom became the recipient of not only all that Stalking Wolf had learned during his travels, but the distillation of hundreds of years of Apache culture as well. These teachings are what Tom teaches at his famous Tracking, Nature, and Wilderness Survival School.

Thursday

An Apache / Jicarilla Legend


An Apache / Jicarilla Legend

Apache Tear Drop is a form of black obsidian. It is a calming translucent stone, found in Arizona and other parts of the U.S. It is composed of feldspar, hornblende, biotite and quartz. It was formed by rhythmic crystallization that produces a separation of light and dark materials into spherical shapes, and is a form of volcanic glass.

There is a haunting legend about the Apache Tear Drop. After the Pinal Apaches had made several raids on a settlement in Arizona, the military regulars and some volunteers trailed the tracks of the stolen cattle and waited for dawn to attack the Apaches.

The Apaches, confident in the safety of their location, were completely surprised and out-numbered in the attack. Nearly 50 of the band of 75 Apaches were killed in the first volley of shots. The rest of the tribe retreated to the cliff's edge and chose death by leaping over the edge rather than die at the hands of the white men.

For years afterward those who ventured up the treacherous face of Big Pacacho in Arizona found skeletons, or could see the bleached bones wedged in the crevices of the side of the cliff.

The Apache Women and the lovers of those who had died gathered a short distance from the base of the cliff where the sands were white, and for a moon they wept for their dead. They mourned greatly, for they realized that not only had their 75 brave Apache warriors died, but with them had died the great fighting spirit of the Pinal Apaches.

Their sadness was so great, and their burden of sorrow so sincere that the Great Father imbedded into black stones the tears of the Apache Women who mourned their dead. These black obsidian stones, when held to the light, reveal the translucent tear of the Apache.

The stones are said to bring good luck to those possessing them. It is said that whoever owns an Apache Tear Drop will never have to cry again, for the Apache Women have shed their tears in place of yours.

The Apache tear drops are also said to balance the emotional nature and protect one from being taken advantage of. It can be carried as an amulet to stimulate success in business endeavors. It is also used to produce clear vision and to increase psychic powers.

Black obsidian is a powerful Meditation stone. The purpose of this gemstone is to bring to light that which is hidden from the conscious mind. It dissolves suppressed negative patterns and purifies them. It can create a somewhat radical behavior change as new positive attitudes replace old, negative, egocentric patterns.

Wednesday

Basic Wilderness Survival Skills : Wilderness Survival: Making a Snare



A snare is a noose that traps small game as they run through a trail, which is an important wilderness survival skill to learn. Discover how to make and place a snare with tips from an experienced outdoorsman in this free video about wilderness survival skills.

Expert: kevin Barrett
Bio: Kevin Barrett is an experienced outdoors man who has been honing his survival skills for many years.

A Copper Age Bow



Making a hunting weight bow using "copper-age" technology (A copper adz, antler wedges/chisels, and stone tools. Paleo Planet

Sunday

My early days in Arizona





I grew up in Arizona and when I was in my young manhood I did many things in this arid-zone. Most of my activity was outside and in the desert and surrounding mountains. The temperatures would sometimes sore to 115 degrees in the summer and the nights were cold. My exploration, and scouting of the local terrain around the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa area's was way before the urban sprawl. The west was barely settled in those days. I had a friend who would usually be with me, it was the buddy system in case we ever got hurt, the other could go for help. There are many mountains streams and gullies that we explored. We climbed to the very top of all the surrounding mountain ranges such as Camelback and South mountain, the Papagos, and others.
Camel back mountains

South mountains

We hiked the Apache trail and superstition mountains and dove from cliffs into the green and blue waters of Canyon Lake in the squaw peak range. We would sometimes carry a canteen but usually we could go all day with little water.
superstition mountains

Apache trail & Canyon lake

A lot of times we would go barefoot and the bottoms of our feet were like leather. Other times we would wear moccasins or your early sneaker, which was a lot different then the Nike's of today. The landscape and lay of the land were awe inspiring. There was every kind of plant life from the regional saguaro cactus, jumping cactus, prickly pear, and Mescal plant to wild blooming flowers and sage. We would track coyotes to the caves in the Papagos, look under rocks for lizards, and scorpions.
Papago mountain area

But we were always keeping an eye out for snakes of which we saw many. There were coral and rattlesnakes as well as Gila monsters. We would find many arrow heads and pieces of pottery from our ancestors and walk through the ruins of the Hohokam. There were many flying creatures like the Hawk, Crow and Vulture, and I enjoyed seeing a roadrunner dart across the landscape. In those days the canal system was criss-crossing the land for irrigation and often times we would catch craw fish and catfish with our hands. We would have a friend drive us out in his old pickup and drop us off miles outside of town by the Verde river, then we would take old car inner tubes and float for miles through the rapids until we were back in town.
Verde River (docile part)

Our family had an Indian pony named Cotton that I rode bareback without a saddle. Cotton always knew how to get home with or without us. Sometimes without us. In all that time I was never injured seriously, or bitten by a snake or scorpion. We were taught to respect the natural order of things. We always carried a knife and that was all. I think the only time that I got hurt was when I fell in a bed of jumping cactus. This was very painful and the thorns had to be pulled from my body with pliers. But like I say these incidents where rare. If you go to these areas today you will find overpopulation, urban sprawl, golf courses, and fancy hotels and resorts. People go hiking and have to take a whole variety of things with them that they don't really need. We were raised next to the land and became one with it. There was always a shade tree we could find or a stream we could wash in. If you wanted water you could cut off a piece of cactus and suck on it, or drink from a stream. Our exploration often would take us to northern parts of the state like Flagstaff and Prescott. This would usually happen when my Dad got a spur of the moment idea, and would throw us all in the car and take off. I look back on those times with fond memories. The world has gotten complicated, and crazy. Those were simple fun times that I cherish in my memory. They are a part of me, the tough as nails, warrior, desert rat part. Sometimes I draw on that part of me to survive the trials we must all go through. Nature has become foreign to many but the spirit of the land, the mountains and deserts have a power of their own. It has Spirits that can be our allies and guides. Just ask any Apache and he will tell you.