This month the Explorers traveled to the Mission Reservoir near St. Ignatius, Montana. This area overlooks the Mission Mountains, the first designated tribal wilderness area in the United States. Tim Ryan, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation in Northwest Montana, joined us for the day in order to explain the importance of tribal wilderness and lead us through several activities related to wilderness survival and traditional tools.
We began the day with an overview of tribal wilderness and traditional tools of the tribe.
Our first activity for the day included making cordage (rope or string) from the dogbane plant. The process involves carefully stripping the dogbane stalks, collecting fibers inside, and twisting the fibers together in a particular fashion to create a strong piece of cordage. Most of us made necklaces or bracelets with our finished product.
Next, Tim taught us how to make a fire with primitive tools. No matches or lighters to help! Trust us, it’ s harder than it looks, but even in the rain we didn’t give up…
Lastly, Tim helped us to identify native plants around the area. He even showed us how to dig up roots properly.
A big thanks to Tim Ryan for leading us throughout the day and sharing so much interesting and valuable information about the tribe and tribal wilderness. To see more pictures, check out the slideshow below. See you next month!
Missoula Outdoor Explorers 