So, we’ve all heard that scalps were often taken as trophies following battle-kills by both Indigenous Tribes and Anglo-adopters of this fearsome way. At times scalps were used as decorations to add fearsome aspect to war lances or as saddle adornments or used as “markers” to collect bounties and a few other sundry uses “decorative” and transactional. What is seldom asked is, “Exactly how does one go about scalping a human?” In cinematic representations it is often a time-shortened quick one-handed affair. But…the actuality was often far different. A more labor-intensive thing that demonstrates stopping to take a man’s scalp demands a bit more time, a bit more effort, and a lot more inclination that crosses the border into the unimaginable. How to Scalp ONE --Fell your victim. TWO --Grip the hair on top of their head with the left hand [assuming you are right-handed.] THREE —Make two semi-circular incisions around the skull with your knife—treat the skull as if ...
An Indigenous Teaching/Awakening [Excerpted from our upcoming book The Great Seeing: Walking the World in the Path of The Scouts of Old—Lessons in Living Where Science & History Meet. ] Where in the World are You? To become a Good Scout, Warrior, Wayfarer of the Planet one must be alive and awake to our ever-changing surroundings. The Comanche tradition has a strategy called “ Ha’kus’a t’zare ‘ene ” which is a series of loose questions that an elder would ask often of the young. As one moved beyond childhood, the Warrior asked these of him or herself several times per day. Such four-dimensional locational surveys are common in many indigenous traditions. The questions are myriad and often keyed to particular environments but here we will begin with a mere four. ONE: What Time is It? · Without looking at your smartwatch, or any other device—assess the sun, the moon, relative shadows, your own internal “feel” for the ...