A question by Mason in Woodcraft (1939) to Seton regarding the teachings of a bowdrill compared to using matches.
Mason “Why in a world of matches would you teach bowdrill”? Seton “Youre thinking of the fire that is lighted down there. I am thinking of the flame that is kindled in here pointing to his heart”!
Listening to a speech by Paul Moseley “Situated Knowledges and Poetics of Dwelling”. Mentions the above quote by Seton.
“Bushcraft is often thought of as enabling travel to be further and lighter. This talk will explore how bushcraft might, rather than being thought of in the context of adventuring into another people`s land, be used to create a meaningful kinship with our own?
Paul will explore the potential role of contemporary bushcraft, weaving together themes of place, identity, community and culture”.
Ive purposely haven’t taken notes through the speeches at the GBS to take everything in and enjoy the experience. This is the first speech where Ill be replaying it several times and going back to take notes throughout the talk.
Many of the talks have put me on a path to researching areas that I would not have considered before listening to them. Im now adding Seton to my reading list. With the above quote how couldn’t I.
Basic Biography
Ernest Evan Thompson (AKA Ernest Thompson Seton, 1860-1946), born in South Shields, England, immigrated with his parents to a small farming community in Ontario, Canada before his sixth birthday. The ninth of eleven siblings, his middle name came from an ancestor, Evan Cameron, a 17th century Scottish wolf hunter and important clan leader. (Also spelled “Ewen.”)
He fell in love with wild nature from the time of his earliest memory and discovered a remarkable talent for art in his middle teen years. Combining the two, Seton briefly attended the Royal Academy of Arts in London, but achieved mastery of depicting animal forms from endless hours of life study. He became one of the most successful and highly regarded wildlife illustrators of his generation creating drawings, prints and paintings for his own books as well as for many other authors of his time. Roger Tory Peterson credited Seton’s bird illustrations for providing inspiration for his field guides: “It was on this idea that my Field Guide to the Birds, was based.
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