Native American Survival Skills

by W. Ben Hunt

W. Ben Hunt, whose Sioux name was Tasunka Witko, traveled throughout the Midwest, living with several Native American tribes, finally settling near the site of the last Sioux uprising. Here he provides step-by-step instructions and exact dimensions to make Sioux ghost shirts, Plains Indian shields, box traps, Iniut snowshoes, and more. From making rawhide to putting the finishing touches on a pair of moccasins, beginners and seasoned woodsmen alike will enjoy making the tools and camp equipment that were used for centuries. Native American Survival Skills is a remarkable source of information about the Americans who first pioneered self-sufficient living. In it, there are lessons for all of us today.

Genres: Survival, Native Americans, Native American

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1991

About the author

Walter Bernard “Ben” Hunt (March 13, 1888 – March 30, 1970) was an American artist, outdoor educator and author whose books and articles covered topics such as Native American arts and performance, woodworking, whittling, scoutcraft, pioneering, jewelry making, metalworking, and calligraphy.
Hunt was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin and grew up in a log cabin. He attended Milwaukee’s South Division High School, but did not graduate, dropping out to become “a lithographic engraver” (now graphics designer) at the Bruce Publishing Company. Hunt moved to Hales Corners, Wisconsin with his wife, Laura, in 1920. In 1924, Hunt, along with his father-in-law and brother, Edwin C. Hunt, built a log cabin behind his home. The cabin, a 16x28-foot structure made of tamarack logs, was the subject of Hunt’s first article, “How We Built Our Log Cabin.” During the late 1930s, Hunt began to study the work of Native American artists. As part of his research, Hunt met with artists and leaders such as Nick Black Elk, Frank Smart (or Chief Gogeoweosh), and James F. "Buck" Burshears. Hunt shared his knowledge of "Indian lore" with Milwaukee's boy scout leaders and, in 1942, Hunt started writing articles for Boy's Life. He became a regular member of its staff, ultimately writing over 1,000 articles, an average of three to four per issue. Hunt's work for Boy's Life, led him to serve on the staff of the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 1950, 1953, 1957, and 1960.

Reviews

[Kyle Brown]

This book was more of a review of construction of ceremonial items rather than survival skills. If you seek books on indigenous bushcraft, seek elsewhere.

[Fredrick Danysh]

The work is misnamed. While many Native American survival tools and skills are covered there are numerous projects that are not truly related to survival per say. Instructions are in italic print which can be difficult to read for young children. It is informative with numerous drawings.

[Ronald Lance]

Great book

This is old school survival
Native American knew more about survival then anyone
They had to in their living conditions and their hunting trips
If you want a book on survival
This is a good start

[R.B. Nease]

I really enjoyed this book. There is a lot of precise discriptions on how to make or create the object in this book. This book was found in the youth section of my local library but I dont know why it has a reading level that I would say is above a youth level. This book thourghly explains how to create bows, arrows, tepees, wigwams, how to build different fires, etc. This book contained more information then I had orgionally thought and I will most likely read over it again in the future when I want to make a few of the items.

[Cws]

AI J970

[Robert Lewter]

Long term living skills.