Our historical and archealogical research has focused mainly on the Anishinaabe, petroforms in the Whiteshell Park area, and the fur trade with some First Nations.
Our basic knowledge is based on the human need for nature. We all need clean water, clean air, wood, minerals, fire, and building materials. We live on a planet that provides us with our basic materials. We have experienced countless backcountry trips. Our best are in the middle of nowhere, away from human trails, and deep into the wild woods. There is no other experience like it. Every trip is different, and you never know what to expect. Few people know in detail the fascinating history of Manitoba, the gateway to Western Canada. The First Nations in this area were the first to sign the numbered treaties, and they have a rich and varied history during the fur trade era. Even before contact with any Europeans, there are great stories passed along to us through artifacts, petroforms, art, and oral history.
The Legislature Building in Winnipeg is unique in Canada. It is one of a kind and built by Masons. The neoclassical designs, art, architecture, and statues make the building priceless and irreplaceable. There are many mysteries and unanswered questions to explore.
The ancient petroforms in Whiteshell Provincial Park are also mysterious. You do not want to miss seeing these sites of rock art, shapes made from boulders, and sacred places. Many of the boulders were aligned to astronomical events, the four directions, and used as guides. For thousands of years these granite rock areas were used by natives who traveled and lived in this beautiful wilderness. There are ancient rock quarries used for mining and making rock tools and arrow heads. These places were important grounds where rivers meet, traders gathered, and ceremonies were conducted. The high rock cliffs and flat granite tops provided an excellent surface for large gatherings. Even today, many gather to keep old traditions alive.
One remote destination is the Prairie Edge Ecovillage with miles of undeveloped wilderness surrounding it and babbling creeks flowing out of the vast boreal forest. This unique place has many edible native plants, endless tamarack trees, and various kinds of wild creatures. Drinking water from one of the clean creeks is a rare experience in our day. There are few places in southern Canada where the surface water is pure enough to safely drink. We encourage you to visit and explore the wilderness areas of Canada to see what you are missing.
We love to hike on the granite rock ridges of the Canadian Shield. These were the highways of ancient peoples, with many reminders left by them. Aboriginal peoples made petroforms of beautiful geometric figures, animal shapes, and medicine wheels. Endless remote lakes and creeks cover this awesome landscape. One can quietly sit near a pristine lake forever while watching the birds and listening to the waves. Wilderness places can provide moments of rapture. The last few places of pristine wilderness are priceless and need to be protected for countless generations.
The best trips are in the moon light with the long shadows, clear skies, and endless stars. When far off the beaten trails with a hot fire, one can experience great wonder and awe. Nature can never be fully described. One needs to get out and be there. These words are not adequate to symbolize all the sights, landscapes, smells, sunsets, and the feeling of wind across your face. A night swim with glimmering waves is a magical sight. So few city dwellers have experienced the profound beauty of nature. Nature is often quiet, peaceful, with feelings of joy, fear, and curiosity filling our souls. I urge you to explore nature, to experience remote places, and to learn about what exists in untouched wilderness. We are connected to this planet, and our bodies need the clean air, the pure water, the warm sun, and the good food that grows out of the soil. Nature is an extension of our body. The forests, lakes, rivers, clouds, and rain are needed by countless species. All life needs nature to survive and thrive. This planet is our only home that we must protect.
On the remote east side of Lake Winnipeg we were told great stories by an aboriginal elder. I cannot mimic his tone of voice, his story telling ability, and all the magical details. This place is at the end of a gravel road. Only a few winter roads that go across lakes and rivers can take one deeper into the boreal forest. Only a canoe can follow the rivers of rapids. There are endless forests of caribou, wolves, bears, lynx, moose, and eagles. First Nation peoples, trappers, and very few loggers and miners are the only human beings in these remote places. The remote boreal forests and beaches can only be experienced. It is impossible to completely capture these places in words and on video. You have to be there.
Canoeing along the Maskwa River we saw turtles basking in the sun. Later we enjoyed a wood fired sauna to ease our muscles. In the dark night we made fire from red coals, and used an ancient hand drill technique. The moon rose and bathed nature in a wonderful glow, and threw sparkles on the surface of the river water. What a wondrous place.
On our way back to Winnipeg we rested along the Broken Head River, and we discovered one of the largest turtles ever seen. This grandfather turtle was very old with moss growing on the tail and shell. A perfect sight to end our trip. The snapping and painted turtles were so abundant this year, especially along the dirt roads while they layed their eggs.
We welcomed green nature again after a long winter. The warm breeze, the green grass, the first flowers and leaves inspired us to explore this wondrous place.
We went for a night hike off the trail, plowing through the snow, spruce trees, and finding a good place to call home. We made a warm fire with ease, and welcomed the dancing fire light. The moon shadows were beautiful and the tree branches flickered with orange light from the flames. I encouraged each of us to go far into the darkness, alone, and to notice what kinds of thoughts run through the mind when far away from the fire. It is easy to get a little scared. In the moon light there is a lot to see, unlike a summer night with cloud cover. False images often run through our mind, and we often frighten ourselves for no good reason. The silence allowed us to hear the blood rushing through our veins with each heart beat. The silence that can be found in natural areas is soothing and peaceful.
We each returned to the fire and roasted some food. Talking in the forest and eating around a fire is an old tradition. One feels like they have stepped back into time. A nice wild tea made fresh from some local plants and trees makes one feel more secure. The silence in these remote forests is far unlike any noisy city or town. Often coyotes can be heard howling at night, or wolves, or barking foxes. This place felt magical, awesome, and unlike our usual experiences day to day in cities and towns. A fire in the woods at night returns us to ancient memories. We are confronted with nature, as it is, and we wonder about our relations and connections to it all. Illusions in our minds can scare us, but nature itself seems calm, unmoving, and the stars are so bright above us as Orion, Mars, and Venus move and Polaris sits at the centre of the circling sky. Nature is a marvelous place to explore, and full of great mysteries.
One of our main goals is to educate ourselves and others. This can be done with a greater awareness of our natural surroundings. Botany, medicinal uses of plants, astronomy, and geometry are all topics we teach about. We often teach about the chemistry in our atmosphere, the formation of geological patterns on the landscape, the physical properties of rocks, and the human history and archaeology of specific areas. The most inspiring knowledge are basic mathematical principles, philosophical questions, and an understanding of our planet in this solar system. We desire to find the same passion for learning as those ancient humans who have been here before us. We search for anwers to explain the world around us. We carry our assumptions, opinions, knowledge, habits, and imagination with us every time we enter the deep woods. Nature is rarely sensed completely with open eyes. Our words, thoughts, and even false images can get in the way, or be a careful tool to interpret nature. What truly is nature? This question is an ancient one, with many different claims.
When we enter into natural areas, our goals are to be inspired, to learn, and to discover the real world that exists outside of us. We can improve our thoughts about ecology, about the interconnectedness of all things, and the mysteries that lie in the physics of this universe. Nature is seen through our concepts, our ways of dividing up the world, and by how we use it. Nature is often seen as objects to be used in industry, science, and for basic survival needs. We do need food, shelter, water, air, clothes, and some buildings. We need books and writing to pass along wisdom through the ages. Many great ideas are expressions or symbols that correspond to the real world around us, and within us. A book, or a classroom, is cut off from nature until the student actually spends time observing, thinking about, and questioning about their relation to all that naturally exists. We need to seek the right relation to nature, as it truly is. Otherwise we are merely projecting our opinions, our habitual thoughts, and possibly false ideas upon the universe. This planet, these ecosystems, and this biosphere, are all ideas that attempt to explain what this place is, and what it means to be living, breathing creatures that are connected. We live within this star system of darkness, light waves, orbits, gravity, and the thin layer of atmosphere that encircles this planet. Many human beings wonder about how this universe began. Most humans will eventually wonder about the origin of this marvelous cosmos. Was there a First Cause? Will the universe end? Will this planet end? A more direct experience of nature, under the stars, and under the moon and the sun, can help us to come closer to discovering the true nature of this universe. We can seek ideas that every self-conscious being had during their lifetime. A direct experience of nature, along with careful thinking, can give humans the best understanding so far of their relation to this mysterious cosmos. Many humans before us sat under the stars and wondered about the same questions. We are living history and keeping old ideas and experiences alive by returning to natural areas. For thousands of years most human beings have experienced nature more directly and less cut off than millions of city dwelling humans in our time and place. Television, radio, theatres, large buildings, cars, trains, and planes often keep us insulated from the real, natural world around us. We can return to pristine areas that are beautiful, and search for what many humans might have missed. A whole wilderness awaits us. An outdoor experience, an adventure, and ancient wisdom can be combined into one. Join us for a trip unlike any other.
Here is an interesting link we found recently:
It is the idea of a potential eternal letter, with the intent that it will be recopied and kept alive without ever decaying or being forgotten.
The Longest Lasting Letter at http://longestlastingletter.blogspot.com
The longest lasting letter is a living time capsule, written, edited, and translated by an anonymous team. There is now a wiki version of the project or experiment. The main goal is to provide just the right medium and message that will endure for billions of Earth years. This project has the potential to be the best and greatest type of time capsule, that can endure the great changes in the future of humanity.
