North Star

 

“The Bush is not for or against you… I shall shelter myself from wind, rain or snow and build a fire to warm up. I will not let fear or panic rule my mind as this only works against me.”

– Mors Kochanski –

Do you like spending time outdoors and want to learn how to do so in a more confident and safe manner? Connecting with the outdoors is a beautiful life long journey. No matter your sport, bushcraft or leisure of choice, in the outdoors there are fundamental skills needed in order to ensure your safety and enjoyment. North Star is geared to teach you the fundamentals of survival in the outdoors. From modern camping to surviving using foraged materials, North Star will help you learn skills to build a strong foundation towards being comfortable in the outdoors regardless of the weather.

This bi-monthly program offers adults a chance to develop and hone their wilderness living skills. Instruction will be tailored around participants’ experience, abilities and interests. North Star will help you in getting comfortable with fire lighting methods, finding and purifying water, tool usage, clothing use, tarps and shelters. In North Star you will learn the fundamental theories of survival and rescue which can be applied to most all natural or man made disasters. You will have tons of dirt time to hone
your wilderness skills.

If you are new to camping and overnighting in the outdoors, this program is designed to be a welcoming community initiation into these skill sets. People of all backgrounds and identities are welcome.

The program will end with a two night immersion experience in a wilderness area (1.5 hours from Montreal) where we will put our skills to the test, together and in a safe environment. Various teaching methods will be used such as experiential, self learning, song, didactic, collaborative and a lot of dirt time.

Note that there are three workshop sessions which will have a limited number of (additional) spaces open to the public to attend.

Some of the topics covered:

  • Fire
    • Fundamentals to how to start in adverse conditions
    • Fire lays, starting methods and friction fires
  • Shelters, tarps, knots and beds
  • Wild plants:
    • Edible, medicinal plants and plants used as tools
  • Water
  • Survival Tools
    • Knife, saw, and axe skills
    • Making your own tools from the land
  • Survival Mindsets
    • Sensory awareness skills
    • Being comfortable in the outdoors
  • Clothing
  • The art of staying warm in any weather
  • Community building
    • How to thrive

*** You will also learn about certain traditional ecological and cultural knowledge from the Kanien’kehá:ka instructors, interspersed with the technical wilderness skills. ***

Teachers:

Arndell LeBlanc, Kawisente McGregor, David McComber, community members as well as special guest instructors.

Schedule and Location:


The program will take place at Kawisente’s backyard in Kahnawake. We will be going to a wilderness site for the final trip (location to be determined).

The program will take place on the following days from 10am to 4pm and here are the topics we will cover:

  • Theory and Fundamentals
  • Edible and Medicinal Plants Workshop
  • ToolCraft, Bushcraft and FieldCraft
  • Fire Workshop
  • Survival Shelters Workshop
  • Skill honing ( Adapted Skill day based on group needs )
  • Expedition ( Offsite )

Price:

$700 + tx
It is possible to pay in multiple installments through our registration platform.

Get ready to get your hands dirty! We want this to be a precious and unforgettable experience. Having routine time to “skill it up” with others can really root these skills and connections deeply in all of us.

If you have already completed North Star, we invite you to take the challenge further and try North Star – level 2! Click here to learn more!

A welcome package will be sent a week before the first day of the program with specific details.

Stay tuned for registration!

Contact us if you have any questions or comments!!

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