Procuring Fallen Animals:

Introduction to Different Life Philosophies Regarding Differing Relationship Types Between Tribal Peoples & Wild Animals

    Just as there are many different types of animals on this planet, there are many types of humans; some people hunt, & of course many people are vegans.  The same is true for wild-dwelling people- even some Native American nations were originally vegans according to these two following videos by Dr. Rita Laws of the Tsalagi & Choctaw Nations:  (scroll down for in-depth information)

   While traversing the wilds, it is not uncommon to find recently-deceased animals. Knowing how to prepare a comfortable hide that will keep you warm in the winters & be soft to sleep on can be the difference between danger & survival.  There is no pleather for sale in the wilderness!

  There are many animals hit by cars every day in the United States- several right in your area.  Rather than having the precious resources these animals bodies provided our ancestors with for thousands of years go to waste- fur being one of the most efficient insulators for outdoor comfort & safety-  would be an absolute travesty.

   A Few Words from Distance regarding wearing furs, leather, cashmere, etc. “as a vegan

“I had originally stopped eating cows following September 11th, 2001 in order to “bridge cultural gaps” between myself & people from India, & also stopped eating pigs as a sign of peace to Muslims & Jews.  I had recently begun practicing Qigong meditation, & had gotten really into it.  Following one meditation, where I was given a very clear & intense vision of my spirit body & some encounters it made during this “inward quest”, I stopped eating animal products altogether, & instead began seeking a mutually-beneficial relationship with plants.  While figuring out this new way of life I was embarking on, I came across some videos on PETA.org, & also read The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak; ss an impressionable child who wanted good in the world, & who learned the values of The Golden RuleI actually found it heart wrenching at age 21 to learn “where the meat & dairy come from” while managing two restaurants.  I didn’t appreciate how animals were being exploited & tortured in factory farms, fur farms, & in medical labs.  After a lifetime of being inundated by television & magazine commercialism where talking cows, chickens, pigs, etc. who all had personalities would ironically (unbeknownst to us) advertise for the meat industry, I felt firm in my new commitment to an animal-free way of living, & again- drawing upon that Golden Rule- I thought about how is were in the position of those animals, I would want someone “out there” to speak up for me.  I ordered a 12-string guitar off Ebay, & would walk & hitchhike the USA barefoot for the next 7 years before having a shift in my thought process, instigated by meeting a wild turkey vulture & Randall White Feather, who taught me of what “Vulture Medicine” means on the Lakota Medicine Wheel.

From that point on, I realized that I could hold to my principles & also “honour the animals” by wearing them.  As an artist & musician, I feel the difference when I’m wearing my gear & when I am not; there is a power within these animals when worn by a spirit who seeks to live in a good way among their wild-dwelling families.  I do know fabrics from plant fiber that would sustain wild-dwelling people, but I do not know how one would live among the wild without utilizing all the parts of the animals unless they were to leave the wilderness to purchase more artificial materials.  I have found that for me- I feel a strong connection with an animal that as recently passed, & when I get secondhand materials from thrift stores (leather, cashmere, silk, fur) to craft gear, I have no shame.  I know that through the songs & deeds, the animals will see their honour, & that by what I have been blessed to be able to do this lifetime, so shall others get to experience oneness among the elements & creatures.  I see good things coming for humanity.”

Preparing Rawhide The Native Way

Preparing Fur the Native Way

Preparing Strong Sinew for Sewing, Tool Crafting, etc.

Rendering Fat (for Soap, joint repair, cooking & lamp oil, & more)

Tanning Leather with Oak Tree Galls

Database Entry: Distance Everheart 8-1-31, 8-14-14, 10-21-14

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