Lessons from Indigenous Cultures: Sustainable Living and Survival Skills
The more the human race advances in technology, the faster we are destroying our planet. Our transportation systems are choking the atmosphere and we struggle to keep up with the rapidly growing populations, but this is only the way of the modern world which seems to have forgotten how to live alongside our planet without destroying it.
Thousands of small communities around the world have mastered their relationship with nature and thrive in their own conditions, many of which have been doing so for as long as history has been recorded. These people live off the land without destroying it and don’t seem to need modern conveniences to survive, so it wouldn’t hurt to take some advice from the people who can thrive in places where most Europeans wouldn’t last a month.
How to find the sea in the middle of the desert
There are usually no clouds in the middle of the desert because the sun is so hot that it causes all the rainfall to happen around the coastal regions. If you are in the middle of the desert and need to know which direction the coast is, just look for clouds forming in the distance because they can only be made from water coming off the sea. If there are no clouds then you’re far enough inland that reaching the coast probably won’t be an option anyway.
How to stay cool in the desert
Lots of very thin bright layers and a headwrap of some kind are essential for people living in the desert. This is one of the rules that people from Western countries never seem to listen to, as when they visit the desert they always dress like they are planning a trip to the beach, with as little clothing as possible. The thin layers of cloth help trap moisture but allow the air to circulate and cool, while the bright colors do a better job reflecting the sun than darker shades. The head wrap is surprisingly effective and not only blocks the sun from directly heating the skin but also traps moisture. It is usually thick enough so the sun’s heat doesn’t warm all the way through.
How to stay cool in an emergency
The people who live in the desert know how to stay cool and always dress accordingly, but if you find yourself without proper protection from the sun and are in danger of overheating, then wet a piece of cloth and wrap it around your head, even if the only way you have to wet it is with urine. A wet cloth around your head will make a huge difference and not only make you feel cooler but will make your body’s water supply last longer.
How to find water in hot areas
This isn’t one you could do without knowing exactly how to handle the animal in question and having access to pieces of salt. This trick is used in various countries around the southern hemisphere but is more common in southern Africa. An animal is captured somehow, either with a trap or a kind of tranquilizing poison, and then tied to something so it can’t escape. pieces of salt are given to the animal and the person searching for water waits for the animal to eat them and then an extra few minutes so the animal is very thirsty. It is then freed and followed by the person seeking water. Apparently, the preferred choice for this method is to use any kind of monkey, because they not only panic less when tied up but are much easier to follow than a four-legged animal.
How to fish with poison
If you’re in the Amazon and happen to have a load of crushed Barbasco root with you, then pouring it into a slow-flowing stream or small river will stun all the fish and make them float to the surface, allowing the fishermen to collect the big ones before removing the root. the poison isn’t strong enough to kill the fish or harm the people eating them, and the others recover after a few seconds and swim away.
How to Preserve Meat in the Arctic Circle
There is a delicacy that involves wrapping musk ox steaks in cloth and burying them in the ground at the start of winter. They freeze almost right away but very slowly ferment in the ground, changing the flavor and texture. They can remain buried for several months and are supposed to taste like sour but very tender beef.
How to cook anything with bamboo
Bamboo is one of the strongest tall plants in the world and does a great job of staying intact when it’s put over a fire, as long as the plant is fresh and not dried out. To create a bamboo cooker, cut a piece below two of the sections so you create a tube that’s sealed at one end, then carve a plug for the top. This method works best for steaming with the food being put in the tube with some water before being capped and placed over the fire. The bamboo will protect the inside for long enough for the water to boil and cook the food properly, but it should always be in small pieces to ensure it cooks properly.
