Instructors

Gathering Instructors - In no particular order. Each year will bring some returning instructors and some new ones will join us. This page is to introduce you to all of our dedicated teachers who travel from far and wide to make the gathering a success! If you are interested in being an instructor please scroll to the bottom of the page for contact details.
- This symbol (*) next to the name = teaching at this year's gathering -

Albert Abril

Albert is a long-time teacher of the old ways and hails from Phoenix, AZ where he retired from a career with EMS. A practitioner of the fiber arts, he teaches backstrap weaving techniques that he learned from Native weavers in South America, and he also teaches knotless netted bags, Peruvian Rep Braiding, and other fiber arts.

Mike Wells*

Mike hails from Malad, ID where he resides with his wife, Rosemary and their Navajo Churro sheep. He will be guiding students in the use of old fashioned tools to construct rustic furniture from cordwood. He will also be teaching how to tap trees and make syrup from the sap, and natural beekeeping.

Karie Lee*

Karie is a long-time practitioner and teacher of primitive skills. She has taught wilderness and self-reliant skills at Inner Pathworks School and a variety of other skills gatherings, such as Wintercount, Rabbitstick, Between the Rivers and Saskatoon Circle. Even though she practices many of the skills in her daily home life, she focuses on teaching brain tanning, buckskin sewing, beading, awareness skills, herbology, and energy medicine. Her passion is to bring forth the spiritual aspects of the ancestral skills and the Art of Sacred Living.

Dale 'Blond Bear' Coleman *

Dale 'Blond Bear' Coleman is one of the founders of Echoes in Time Gathering in Salem, Oregon each July. He is well-versed in primitive skills and historical reenacting of the western fur trade. He comes to teach and share some of the skills that cross both worlds including wolf-eared hats, Saami Buckskin bags, housewife, and stone bowls using pecking and grinding! Follow his latest project here.

Hal Farneman *

Hal hails from Spring City, Utah where he is finishing up a log cabin. He is making the trek north this spring to teach several ancient and very necessary arts. His skills include friction fire and Southeastern Soft-soled moccasins & other footwear.

David Wescott *

David is one of the men responisble for much of the modern momentum of primitive skills, and is the owner of Backtracks, the company that sponsors Rabbitstick, Wintercount and Woodsmoke gatherings, from which most of the other gatherings around have sprung. He is a man of many skills, and he shared a few of them with us at Between the Rivers in 2013 including stone and bonework, cordage, adhesives, gourd fishing boxes, and more!

Patrick Farneman*

If you send an email or correspond with gathering business, Patrick is likely the person you will be dealing with. He is the executive director of Bridges to the Past, the non-profit parent organization that hosts this event. At the gathering he will be the person scurrying around helping things to run smoothly. Please direct questions and feedback in Patrick's direction at: patrickf@bridgestothepast.org

Christian Bond *
Christian will be coming from Southern Arizona where he spends his time hiking, learning primitive skills, carving spoons and telling stories while working as a trail walker for Anasazi. At Between the Rivers he will be helming our Teens Immersion Program.

Heather Phillips

Is coming from Northeastern Oregon. She ahs many skills to her name including working with clay, felting, and working with horses. This year she will be teaching primitive pottery! (and we're pretty sure her horse is staying home)

Rick Lindsey*
Rick is a wealth of knowledge in historic skills and self-sufficiency, and he lives what he teaches. He is joining us to teach the art of book binding - the real deal. He has years of experience reenacting history, especially the years of the American fur trade.

Canada Jim*

Jim is joining us in 2014 and bringing a range of skills including Flintknapping, Traps & Snares and AtlAtl and Dart use. Jim brings a lot of knowledge with him from years of primitive skills and historical reenacting. He is also a skilled kayaker, hunter and forager!

Dr. Nicole Apelian
Nicole Apelian is a researcher and the CEO and primary guide for her company Eco Tours International, which specializes in tracking and wildlife safaris in Southern Africa. She is also an instructor and graduate advisor for Prescott College and holds a MS in Biology and a PhD focused in Cultural Anthropology and Sustainability Education.
Nicole's experience in scientific research is distinguished and her background in biology, anthropology, and real-world experience with global issues adds an unparalleled legitimacy to guiding and leading workshop and safari participants.
Nicole is currently engaged in an ethnobotanical study on how the Bushmen utilize the plants of the Kalahari Basin. She also teaches traditional skills and is using her unique cultural experiences as a leader in the field of transformative education. You can reach Nicole at nicole.apelian@gmail.com or visit her website at www.ecotoursinternational.com and join her in the Kalahari.

Randy Russell *

Randy teaches native awareness and nature connection, and he leads a gratitude ceremony every morning before breakfast for those willing to join him. He directs a self-discovery school in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for young adults. He has spent a lifetime participating and teaching camp craft, pioneering and wilderness survival skills. Check out Randy's work at Soulore.

Shaun Dellar *
Shaun has been practicing primitive skills and living history for years and has become proficient in many of the old skills including hide tanning, blacksmithing, and tracking and trapping. He is also into historical trekking, has all the gear and accoutrements from the early 1800's, and will be demonstrating and teaching fur trade life and camp skills. Peruse his etsy store here.

Chris R. Cawley*
Chris is a teacher and founder of EarthWalk Wilderness School. He spent his earlier years exploring the natural world around the American West and sharing his passion for nature with those around him. Working in the fields of restoration ecology, outdoor education and carpentry he has spent time teaching at local schools, leading outdoor summer camps, and working as a guide for a wilderness therapy program. He developed a diversion treatment program for youth using adventure-based education as model. Chris enjoys teaching drum making and other hands-on ancestral skills such as friction fire and tanning hides. This year, he will be joining us to teach a hoop-frame style drum class.

Mike Goot*
Antler Mike Goot has a love for the Atl Atl and Dart and all things primitive, and is especially crazy about...Antlers! He is also an avid nature lover, woods wanderer, tree hugger and loving husband, not always in that order. He is especially enthusiastic in the evening at raffle time - if you need tickets, he's got 'em!

Ray Jacobs*
Ray is a one of a kind musician, singer and instrument builder and is the designer of the Rocky Mountain Dulcimer. He and his wife, Shirley, travel the West teaching classes in how to build and how to play the Rocky Mountain Dulcimer, and we are lucky enough to have them coming to Between the Rivers Gathering.

Jean Jones *
Jean is a one-of-a-kind multi-talented lady! She has been dedicated to our children's program for several years and does a great job teaching the skills and games of our ancestors to our young ones. She is a volunteer with our local radio station, KCHW, and is an avid musician, singer and guitar player. This year she has some special tricks up her sleeves for the young'uns!

Steve McGrew*
A number of years ago, Steve made a trip to China with his family, and when he was unable to bring back a sword his son wanted due to a lack of space, he offered to make one for him instead. This project sparked a journey into blacksmithing and a passion for teaching the art. We welcome Steve as an instructor at Between the Rivers Gathering. His blacksmithing website is found here.

Hazen Audel*
Hazen has a broad range of primitive skills that he has cultured for over 25 years of practical travel and living among Native peoples around the globe. If given the raw materials, there isn't much of anything he can't make. Lately he has been able to show his skills and his comfort in harsh regions with a broad range of people as the host of the television shows, "Survive the Tribe" and "Primal Survivor" on the National Geographic Channel. Hazen will be teaching useful knots and will also be doing a presentation for us on his global travels and work with indigenous peoples.

Kala Wellman*
Kala has attended gatherings in the Northwest US for years with her son, Kyle. She first attended Between the Rivers Gathering in 2015, and in 2016 she will be helping us create our own Between the Rivers T-Shirts during the event. Bring a dark colored, 100% cotton T-Shirt and join the fun.

George Michaud*
George has been around for a long time, and has a wealth of experience running traplines in wintertime by dog sled and tanning everything from mice to buffalo. He is joining us from Driggs, ID, and plans to teach fur brain tanning, and sewing of small buckskin items. George also makes and lives in his own Tipis. You may recognize him; he was featured for a season on the television show, "Mountain Men".

Bradley Phillips
Bradley is an Eastern Oregon resident, he has been interested in primitive skills since childhood. Hugely influenced by Mr. Jim Riggs, he has been immersed in a variety of skills since 1994. His senior thesis was on primitive skills. He has degrees in Anthropology, Sociology, and Geology. His expertise is too vast to be limited, if you have a question about anything pertaining to primitive skills, he more than likely has an answer, or at the very least a suggestion on how to achieve it. Need to find him? Check the knapping pit.

Austin Roberts
Austin has gained a healthy array of skills in his few years through a combination of study with Native peoples, participating in The Stone Age Project with Lynx Vilden, and attending and teaching at numerous primitive skills gatherings including Wintercount, Rabbitstick, Sharpening Stone, and others. He has developed fluency with friction fire, hide tanning, weaving, felting, wild foraging, tracking, and living in nature. At Between the Rivers he plans to teach Buffalo Parfleche - rawhide containers.

Drea Rightsell*
Drea has been a student of the outdoors her entire life, and she brings that knowledge and enthusiasm for nature, the old ways and teaching children to Between the Rivers Gathering. She is one of the amazing people who make the Children's Program at BtR such a success!

Tom Prang *
Tom is a generalist, life-long learner, and has a BA in Archeology (specialization in lithics), and MS in Science & Environmental Education. For decades, he has done seasonal and contract fieldwork over much of the western U.S. His passion is sharing natural and cultural history experience with others (especially youth after his own struggles with Catholic grade school, and dropping out of high school). He has lived a subsistence hunter/gather lifestyle for years in Alaska. He also has backgrounds in wildland and structural firefighting and EMS. He moved to the Washington Cascades in 2015, and still enjoys the novelty of seeing the abundance and diversity of foods available in the Pacific Northwest

Adam Brown*
Adam is a valued member of our staff, and if you have navigated our camp at night by the beautiful torch and lamp light, you have Adam to thank for it. He is our Lamplighter! He is also a huge supporter of what we do at Between the Rivers, and to show that support, he offers a scholarship opportunity for full tuition to one participant each year who needs to attend, but has difficulty achieving the tuition cost. If you are interested in applying for the Lamplighter Scholarship this year please email Adam at fulywobb@hotmail.com to request an application.

Mel Beattie
We are pleased to welcome Melvin who was recently honored in the Montana Circle of American Masters. Jackie Bread, a Blackfeet beadworker and MCAM artist from Great Falls who nominated Melvin Beattie, points out that he has a wealth of knowledge surrounding a component of Montana's cultural past - the era of the mountain men, a tradition carried forward in today's trapping culture. "He shares his knowledge and art generously, and is one-of-a-kind, a true Montana cultural gem," she says.
Mel will be helping people learn to make hard-sole moccasins, and will often be found lurking in the hide tanning area.

Ed Buzbee*
Besides being a ski bum in the winter, He has been the lead instructor for Northwest School of Survival for 10 years, professional ski patrol and avalanche control/forecaster for 10 years, he was a whitewater raft guide for 25 years, and is a natural born hillbilly! At BtR Ed will be focusing on Woodsy Wisdom for Wilderness Wanderers teaching the skills folks need to have the confidence to get out and really experience the environment safely and competently.

Nicholas Tomihama*
Hi, my name is Nick! I’m an avid archer and bowyer and absolutely love archery in all its forms. One of my dreams is to teach everyone the value of archery and the lessons that can be learned. I spend a lot of time teaching others to make their own archery equipment. I have a few books out on building bows as well as some videos on Youtube all about making your own bows and other archery tackle. I try a little bit of everything but my favorite bows are short, lighter weight recurves. There is just something about them that makes them fun to shoot and their small size usually means less handshock even at higher weights. For me there is nothing quite like a short bow with a smooth draw and good speed.

M. Clutch Lambert*
Since childhood, Michael 'Clutch' Lambert has felt a connection with nature and dreamed of being an explorer. That connection inspired him to earn his Eagle Scout, get a degree in Recreation Management at BYU-Idaho, become a Park Ranger, and work for the Utah Conservation Corp. Clutch considers his best skill telling jokes, but he also enjoys practicing and teaching friction fire, cordage, navigation and basic survival skills. He currently works for Anasazi working with youth.

Ania Palinska* is an mama of two wild ones, an artist and a crafter whose approach to art and life is to work with what you've got. She has been practicing ancestral skill since 2012, though she's been curious about ancestral and preindustrial ways of being since she was a child. She resides in the beautiful Methow Valley where she divides her time and energy between work and play, while attempting to live in such a way where she cannot distinguish between the two.

Justin Swensen
Justin is coming in from Southern Utah where he is the field director at RedCliff Ascent; a wilderness treatment center for troubled youth and struggling young adults. Justin has a degree in human development and art. He is versed in a variety of primitive skills and backcountry travel. He has taught moccasin, capote, Native American style flute making, and wood carving classes for many years. Justin was introduced to woodworking and woodcarving by his grandfather at a young age. He later studied caricature and wood spirit carving under Susan Hedrix and has been carving wooden spoons for twenty years. This year Justin will be teaching spoon carving, wood spirit carving, and small totem animal carving.

Amber Rose*
The practices of Yoga & Qi Gong are traditional movements that date back at least 5,000 years. These movements were ways that people learned to care for their body, mind, and spirit. Amber has been studying yoga since 1986, and has joyfully taught throughout the Northwest since 2011. She is a Native Montanan of Ojibwa heritage and has spent her life weaving in and out of the holistic healing field. In addition to yoga, her studies include Reiki, Qi Gong, Chinese Meridian Therapy, Sound Healing and Meditation. Amber has received numerous yoga trainings in a variety of styles: Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga and Prenatal Yoga are among the yoga styles she shares with her students.
Amber’s greatest joys are to explore the body thru movement, enjoy the great wilderness of our home with her family, and mother her two beautiful boys. She loves helping people of all ages and abilities weave yoga into their joyful journey of life.

Kevin Kimmel*
Kevin is a Northwest local who loves to spend his time in the outdoors. Kevin is also passionate about knives and bladesmithing and he will be teaching bladesmithing at this year's gathering, and walking students through the entire knifemaking process.

Joshua Walters*
Joshua Walters was born and raised hunting, fishing and wildcrafting in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. He has been mentoring youth
and adults in ancestral skills since 2005 in a variety of different ecosystems from the Ozarks, Azores, and the Rocky Mtns. He has designed and coordinated nature awareness and ancestral skills programs with Twin Eagles Wilderness School, Ozark Tracker Society and enjoys sharing his passion of the wilds with whomever he shall be sitting around the fire with. A builder of shelters, lover of life, singer of songs and a gifted storyteller who calls the Priest River watershed of Northern Idaho home.

Tom Lutyens*
Tom started his teaching career at the age of 13 at scout camp through swimming. He was a canoe guide and taught wilderness skills with the Boy Scouts of America for 60 years. Tom worked as a United States Air Force Survival Instructor at Ely and Quetico from 1968-1988. A retired Air Force Tech Sergeant, Lutyens spent the last eight of his 20 year military hitch as a survival instructor in Alaska, training air crews how to protect themselves if they crashed in the arctic.He worked as a contractor for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school at Fairchild Air Force Base and also as an instructor for Alaska Search and Rescue/Emergency Response. He has assisted with many outdoor program groups as a mentor and continues to learn new ideas with younger outdoor folks. He says he will keep going as long as God allows.

Ford Erickson*
As a young lad Ford despised boy scouts and camping but then after a series of strange events possibly related to aliens, his heart changed. Ford went on to work at the Anasazi Foundation as a backcountry guide and primitive skills instructor to at risk youth and young adults. He also has been an instructor for the teens at Rabbitstick gathering in Idaho.
Ford’s other interests include shredding on guitar in a touring rock opera, making strange youtube videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/FordThunderErickson), Taco Bell, donuts, pizza, eggo waffles, talking to Clutch Lambert, and eating donuts with Clutch Lambert.

Meg Evans*
Meg is a lifelong student and outdoors enthusiast, Meg hails from the forests of Virginia. Currently residing in Tucson Arizona, she works for the Anasazi Foundation as trail staff and spends the rest of her time learning new skills, painting, and petting cats. She is joining the team working with our teen program this year which is going to be out of this world!

Terry Kramer*
Terry has been instructing at skills gatherings for many years and is proficient at many skills. He plans to share a few with us this year including flintknapping and woodcarving.

Kandis Larson*

Kandis currently lives in Colbert, WA and is one of our local primitive skills practitioners and outdoor living enthusiasts. She has picked soft-fiber basketry, stone carving, and beadwork from her many talents and skills to share with us at the gathering.

Cat Farneman *

Cat is a well-known herbalist and wild medicine specialist. She has been teaching herbal medicine at gatherings since 1997, and she will guide you through holistic processes of finding and choosing your herbs and learning to make appropriate medicines that are tailor made for your body. Check out her wares on her website here.

Kyle Chamberlain

Kyle is a one-of-a-kind individual who will be teaching one-of-a-kind classes at this year's gathering! These days he is rather nomadic, but does live sporradically near Kettle Falls, Washington when he isn't wandering in the woods looking for wild edibles. His classes may include from year to year: hide tanning, bark craft, foraging, packing with animals, and growing feral and wild foods using Permaculture principles. Follow his blog here.

Bob Kitch*

Bob Kitch is well known around the country for his skill in making and using the ancient weapons system of the Atlatl and Dart. Many have made an Atlatl with Bob and learned to use the technology that brought down the mammoth, and that was still in use until nearly modern times. This weapon has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent times. Bob will be in charge of the ISAC World Atlatl competition at BtR.

Kamber Farneman*

Shown here teaching a class in the technology of writing, Kamber loves the unique bits of human history that many take for granted. In her classes you will not only learn skills, you will learn the historical context that surrounds that skill and brings it to life. At Between the Rivers she will have a display about spinning and fibers, and will be involved in orchestrating the visiting groups of children from our local schools. Kamber also has an antiques and vintage store in Chewelah, WA - follow her on facebook here.

Gayle Kitch*

Gayle is a long-time enthusiast and fine human being at primitive skills gatherings around the West. A resident of Washington State, she will be at Between the Rivers Gathering this year teaching students the art of beadwork.

Rosemary Wells*

Rosemary is accomplished in a myriad of primitive skills and simple living. She has a Master's degree in Clinical Social Work, but at the gathering she will teach Felting (felt-making) from natural wool, and maple tree tapping and syrup making as taught to her by her grandfather from Nova Scotia. She also teaches spinning, food preservation and natural yeast breads.

Bryon Olmsted*

Bryon is coming in from La Grande, Oregon to spend the week with us and teach students how to use hard-shelled gourds to make canteens and other containers. He will also be teaching students how to make knotted net bags so those canteens can be easily carried.

Emil Daily*

Emil will be teaching a selection of classes this year including crosscut saw use, sharpening and care. He is also an avid gardener and homesteader, and has a host of other skills that you will want to learn. Watch for him in the evenings around raffle time for good fundraising fun!

Kirby Records*

Kirby is the Man in Buckskin! He is also a man of many skills, including flintknapping, bow making, leather tanning and use, and more. He is also the author of the young-adult novel, "Grandfather's Cave." This year he will be teaching the art of leather tooling, and he will often be heard singing and playing the guitar. Kirby's literary works and projects can be seen here.

Dr. Leland Gilsen*
Retired State Archaeology for Oregon. Helped run echoes-in-time event for years. Has made replica artifacts covering 14,000 years of Oregon prehistory for a Traveling Museum, now run by Dr. Patrick O'Grady who works for the Oregon State Museum of Anthropology in Eugene. His web site is here. He is the author of a young-adult novel: Diggin' It available on Amazon. If you have questions about archaeology or early technology he can probably help you out.

Leah Daily*
Leah grew up off-grid and after leaving home, finishing college, and starting a family, has returned to a simpler way of life (mixed with some modern conveniences). Leah has a love for gardening and self sufficiency. This year she will teach primitive gardening tools and demonstrate how to make simple cheese and yogurt without the use of electricity.

Andrew Straup
Andrew will be coming all the way from Logan, Utah to teach flintknapping. He has recently made several trips to Denmark to study the techniques of the ancient Danes, including how to make their axes and daggers. Students can look forward to expert instruction using all stone-age tools including antler, stone, bone and wood. Andrew is also skilled in many other ancient and modern arts.

Cassie Faggion*
Hailing from North Idaho, Cassie has been learning and teaching skills and nature awareness to all ages for over a decade. When she's not out chasing down that mystery bird song, or hunting whatever herbs are in season, she loves to weave. This year, she will be teaching Adirondack-style pack basket making.

Annie Olmsted *

Homesteading skills and simple living are a passion for Annie. This year she will be teaching us how to use a treadle sewing machine, making homemade deodorant, and baking bread in a wood-fired cook stove! She is also proficient at simple weaving.

Mick Robins*

Mick is a retired archaeologist and resides in Southwest Washington with his family. He has a passion for modern homesteading, country crafts, and living history. He volunteers at the carpentry shop in Fort Vancouver, (a reconstructed Hudson's Bay trading post), and has taught several classes in bowl turning on a pole lathe. In addition to woodworking Mick has skills in tin and copper smithing. He plans to teach tinsmithing at this year’s gathering.

Todd Isaac*
Todd is a Hunter/Gatherer who loves the great outdoors. I hang my hat in Northeastern Wa. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, organic gardening, self sufficiency, angling, traditional archery, and practicing primitive skills. He is one of the core staff that keeps the camp running each year!

Jean Lindsey*
Jean is a long-time buckskinner and historical reenactor in the Pacific Northwest. She and Rick have a beautiful Tipi and set it up traditionally with all the trimmings. They plan to bring it this year and teach Tipi Living. Jean will also be teaching beadwork in the style of lazy, or lane stitch, which is a historical method for decorating clothing, bags and such.

Jessica Spurr *
Jessica is a student of many things, traveler and lover of plants. She finds the more she learns, the less she realizes she knows, but is so in love with plants, the endless information intensely intrigues her intrinsic imagination and intuition. This year she will be teaching salve concocting as well as orchestrating a plant walk.

Rene' Nolting*
Rene' (skeleton lady), has 10 years’ worth of experience in Industrial EMS working in remote locations. She currently resides in Leduc, Alberta, Canada. She is a long time participant in gathering and survival courses, and this year she will be teaching silversmithing, casting molten copper and weaving hemp jewelry at Between the Rivers Gathering.

Rod Dotson
Rod has been practicing ancestral skills since he was very young, and he is a highly skilled primitive technologist in many areas including flintknapping, stonework, tool making, primitive pottery, and blacksmithing, to name a few. He currently lives in Boise, ID. He will be teaching primitive pottery at this year's gathering.

Goode Jones*
Goode is a long time primitive skills practitioner, artist, and one of the founders of Echoes in Time Gathering near Salem, OR. There aren't a lot of skills that Goode isn't good at, so if you have a chance, sit down with him and learn whatever he happens to be teaching. He is also an accomplished guitarist - one of several in camp!

Vicki Hillstrom*
Vicki learned felt making from Jack Fee over 7 years ago while apprenticing with him for 5 months, and since she has taught felting at Acorn, Elements, Saskatoon, Buckeye, Echoes in Time, Rabbitstick, and Wintercount gatherings, and she holds workshops in felting everywhere. She will be one of our felting instructors this year at Between the Rivers.

Katie Russell*
Katie is a driving force in primitive skills in the Northwest. She is instrumental in making Saskatoon Circle happen every year in September in the Methow Valley, WA. For the past few years she has led Buffalo Bridge in Montana helping traditional hunters to process their kills. She has also spent time teaching people on the Nez Pierce reservation how to make brain tanned buckskin. Katie has a diverse skill set, and we are thrilled that she plans to share some of it with us at this year's gathering!

Caren Larsson*
Caren hails from Victoria, BC and has been attending and teaching at primitive skills gatherings for more than 2 decades. She is proficient in a myriad of skills, especially those of the northern forest. At Backtracks gatherings she has most commonly taught birchbark containers, and we presume that she may do that at BtR this year.

Hari Heath*
Hari is coming from Santa, Idaho where he lives and works in the woods. He will be teaching an Abo powerpoint on native paddlecraft designs from a perspective of utility, purpose, history and construction from available materials. He will also share in the Scottish Highland fun.

Jack Fee*
Jack has been a fixture at primitive skills gatherings around the west for longer than he cares to admit. He is a master felter, and he has taught many of the other current felting instructors. He is also highly proficient at many other old skills. He is joining us from Trout Lake, Washington, and will be teaching quickie bows.

Judy Heath
Judy lives in the mountain forest of Northern Idaho. She has been living off-grid for 30 plus years and has developed many skills and crafts associated with simple living. She will be sharing a simple braiding technique with us, for people 8+ years old.

John Huffstutter*
John Huffstutter's Quailside Forge in Chewelah, WA grew from his passion for making "stuff." A change of careers gave him the opportunity to turn an eclectic collection of interests and hobbies into a focused avocation. He has now been blacksmithing for more than ten years, with a focus on traditional styles and methods. He blends smithing with woodworking and his other hobbies to produce attractive and functional items. Blacksmithing is physical, mental, creative and fun... come learn how to use an anvil, a hammer, and a fire to make metal bend to your will.

Hilary & Jed Petterson
Hilary and Jed live off grid in the forests of Northern Idaho and are both passionate about a variety of primitive living and homestead skills. Jed is a natural builder and craftsman and will be primarily offering classes on primitive shelters and backwoods building skills. Hilary has been teaching primitive skills for the last decade and this year at Between the Rivers will be teaching how to make a variety of primitive containers from bark to buckskin.

Pete & Kerri*
Pete and Kerri became involved in the traditional skills world while being trail staff at Anasazi Foundation. Pete is a certified in Permaculture, he had studied Western Herbology for many years, has taught traditional woodworking in a middle/elementary school, he is a treasure hunter, he has also been a farmer, and is a proud papa to four boys. Kerri loves long walks on the beach and a good reads, between providing and making home for five boys, that number includes her husband.

Jim Langell*
Jim Langell enjoys fishing and hunting. He is a father and grandfather and loves helping children connect with using bows and arrows. Jim puts a lot of time and effort into making template bows for kids of all ages. He is an extremely generous man and we are thrilled to have him teach bow making at Between the Rivers Gathering!

Daniel Coyle*
Daniel is going to light up the night at Between the Rivers with his Torch Making classes. He hails from Corvallis, OR where he runs Coyle Outside providing instruction in wilderness, survival and primitive skills. He also designs and builds bicycle helmets from natural and recycled materials. He has worked as a wilderness guide at Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy and holds a degree in biology from Cornell University.

Michael Ridge was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. At age 21, he began learning from the native plants of the west. At 23, he began living full time on horseback, traveling side by side with Finisia Madrano, who had been living on horseback and wild tending for 30 years.
2018 marks Michael's 5th consecutive year living a full-time nomadic lifestyle on horseback. He has committed to a living practice of mending our relationship with the land by perpetuating indigenous culture and walking through each season, leaving the land flourishing behind him.
Michael travels, starting in the spring and finishing in the fall, and makes a camp for the winter. Through his journey of rewilding, he has learned a variety skills, including: cordage twining, brain tanning, beadwork, horsemanship, identifying/gathering food and seed, and replanting seeds.

Peter Michael Bower *
is a student and teacher of ancestral technology, specializing in basketry, bone tools, and friction fire. He is the organizer of Echoes in Time, Oregon's oldest ancestral skills gathering.

Larry Roberts *
For as long as he can remember, Larry has enjoyed the outdoors and the solitude it provides. Growing up..., Larry enjoyed hunting, fishing, backpacking and anything else that would allow him to spend time in the woods. After marrying his high school sweetheart at the age of 18, Larry soon switched his focus to starting a family and raising his two kids. Now that his son and daughter have left home, he has refocused his life to the outdoors with a new emphasis on survival and primitive skills. Over the last few years, Larry has taken and taught many survival classes, written articles for a self-reliance magazine, made and uploaded over two hundred YouTube videos. Larry’s videos show case both primitive as well as modern fire, shelter, and water purification. Recently, Larry tested his survival skills as a participant on History’s Alone show. On Vancouver Island he put his skills to the test, self documented his adventure, and survived solo for 64 days.

Barnes*
When I asked Barnes what he will be teaching this year at Between the Rivers Gathering next month, he said, “Bison!” “All things Bison.” “I’m gonna team up with Katie and we are gonna teach a bunch of bison stuff, and tan a robe, and make tools, and tail switches, and whatnot.” It sounds good to me!

Randy Breewsma*
I was born in Edmonton, Alberta on December 17, 1958 to Dutch immigrants from the Netherlands. As a youngster I had to walk to school which gave me lots of time to wander in the woods, often late getting to school and way late home.
I met my wife while working for her father at his plastering business and we would go random camping in the mountains as often as possible. Married the boss’s daughter in April of 1979 and have 3 kids who all love the outdoors. We have 4 grandkids who enjoy coming to our place and playing in the woods.
My oldest son joined Scouts and I soon became a Scout Leader. Our scout troop would go camping every month. They all enjoyed camping, cooking over the fire, natural crafting, and everything to do with the outdoors. All 3 of my children were involved with scouts and were also involved with outdoor education while in junior high school.
While volunteering at the CJ93 Scouting Jamboree in Kananaskis, Alberta, I met Mors Kochanski and my life changed forever. I soon took my first winter course, then a summer course and just kept on going back to Mors’ courses. Mors was having trouble filling his classes so in 1997 I talked to him about running the courses under Karamat Wilderness Ways’ banner at our place and hiring him to come in and do the instruction. Here we are many years later and still running courses.
After meeting Mors in 93. I went to Northern Lights Primitive Skills Gathering in Slocan, BC and learnt how to tan deer hides from Matt and Molly. I enjoyed tanning and soon got asked to tan hides for the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton. We built them a 22′ moose hide teepee along with 12 other replicas. We started a gathering called the Rat Root Rendezvous where we promote the sharing of bushcraft, wilderness living and survival.
Mors had his small books (very small) and we increased the size of them and published 17 different titles. We decided to produce a set of videos on plants, then people were asking for skills videos so we did a few of them. We started our YouTube channel around this time and have received very positive comments. I have been to and instructed at Rabbitstick, Wintercount, Winter Camping Symposium, Northern Lights primitive skills gathering, Sundog, Frostbite, and Junior Forest Wardens gatherings.

Dan Nanamkin*
Dan is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes. His people are from the kettle falls and arrow lakes area as well Okanogan tribal territories. He has worked for 18 years with native culture and youth education. He has stood for the environment and our sacred water at Standing Rock for 7 months and since then has been traveling across the country doing presentations and workshops. He realizes the importance of our self sustainability, to return to our natural ways of living and building bridges of unity amongst all our people. It is a good time to share and learn and to help one another. He will offer teachings he has learned on the drum which has been a very valuable healing and prayer instrument on his journey. How a drum is made and for what purposes and why songs are important and how they heal us. He is grateful to come here and to meet new friends and to learn from many experienced people so thank you for this great and kind opportunity. lem lempt

Callie Russell*
Callie has been on the trail and teaching primitive skills for many years. As far as we know, she and Katie are not related, but they like a lot of the same things. Callie plans to share her knowledge of whole-shoot basketry, rice processing, and wild edibles!

Other Instructors for 2018 Gathering: Susan Labiste, Callie Russell, Eddie Spicer

So, you want to teach at a gathering...
Information for Instructors

It is important for our Instructors to know what to expect and to be prepared for a successful event. Instructor spaces are limited at this event and are pre-arranged because we are trying to provide a wide array of classes while avoiding too much class subject duplication. We wish to have the basics covered and still have a good variety of subjects & skill levels. Instructors who have taught a subject in previous years will have preference. Please do not show up at the gate with no prior communication with us and expect to be an instructor.
Practical skills (hard skills) are the emphasis at this gathering. We believe that awareness is fantastic, and we desire to take people to the next level of competence and confidence in primitive skills, survival, wilderness and homestead basics, and the fine-arts of outdoor living.

If you are an interested primitive skills instructor please email Patrick at patrickf@bridgestothepast.org for more info, or call 509-936-1599. We will email or snail mail an instructor packet to you with detailed information. (email preferred) We will confirm your acceptance as an instructor prior to the event start date. You will not be able to show up at the gate and have instructor status without prior contact and approval!

Instructors who have already confirmed attendance - please email Patrick your Bio Info & a photo of yourself for inclusion on the website if you haven't done so already. Thanks!