Review: Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall

I had first discovered Christopher McDougall’s writing when a friend had suggested the book, Born ToRun, a few years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed that book, and so I was looking hopefully toward McDougall’s latest book. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of taking some extended time with Jamie for vacation, rest, and refreshment. We found ourselves on the Atlantic coast, and each of us brought a couple of books with us to read. My book of focus was Natural Born Heroes: How A Daring Band Of Misfits Mastered the LostSecrets of Strength and Endurance by Chris McDougall.

As I sat reading and listening to the rhythm of the Atlantic waves crashing against the Maine coastline, I found myself quickly enthralled by McDougall’s latest text. He had woven together several themes of personal interest for me in this fast moving text (including history, functional strength, mobility, nutrition, heroism, asymmetrical warfare, and Greek mythology).  The book sets as its backdrop the battle for the Island of Crete during World War II and how the Cretans and special operators from other parts of the world were able to work together to prevent Hitler from being able to swiftly invade and overcome Russia during the war.

McDougall does an incredible job of weaving what at first glance seems to be many disparate themes together to recount a historic moment in the modern era, along with many lessons to be learned from those who are willing to listen to and apply a different methodology for living. It is also clear to me that he writes out of both passion, experience, and an intense desire to seek out ways to cultivate his own physical health and stamina.

The author moves from a recounting of the time and the land of the battle of Crete and even going further back to look at Greek mythology and how some of these stories related to the values of the Cretans up to the modern era to reflecting on his own personal development and discoveries that he is working to apply to be a more fit and strong individual.

The most notable starting framework comes from looking at what makes a hero. When we think of heroes, we think about people who are doing extraordinary things for the good of others. We often perceive these people as extraordinary people, but McDougall reminds us that these are normal people who are able to do extraordinary things when the time calls for it, but that part of the extraordinary is that they have done activities that have trained them to be ready.

The text goes back and forth between World War Two Crete and modern day activities and groups who are working toward improving functional mobility, fitness, and health, and leaves the reader with much to consider with regard to endurance, perseverance, and  what prepares each and every one of us to be heroic in our responses when the situation calls for it. I highly recommend McDougall’s book, especially for those interested in history and personal development.

Reflection: Visiting Fort Frederick's 22nd Annual Market Fair

Last weekend, Jamie and I had the privilege of traveling from Morgantown to Fort Frederick (near Big Pool, MD) with our friends Dan and Lori. The entire day was filled with memories to savor, and new ones to be made. There's something heart-warming about taking a road trip with friends in the first place, but this was the first extended period of time we had together for a long time. Dan and I grew up together, and so the drive was a mix of laughter over old memories and adventures, and in depth discussions about what is happening in our lives right now. An automobile, with no screens and no music is a great place for these types of discussions, but walking together in a park is even better, and that is EXACTLY what we did upon arrival at Fort Frederick.

Fort Frederick State Park has hosted Market Fair for 22 years, and I have probably attended about half of those years. My old chief used to love going to the event because the focus of the weekend was the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) era frontier. The event is a large rendez-vous and historic reenactment weekend with individuals donning the attire of British troops, militia, settlers, and some First Nations peoples wearing traditional regalia. Back in the 90s, going with my chief was like going with a celebrity. Everybody seemed to know him, and enjoyed having him stop by their weekend lodging. Hundreds of canvas tents scattered around the stone fort and these become the homes of participants for four or five days during the event.

Many of these participants are also artisans who specialize in various primitive skills. Every year when I go, I love seeing a variety of incredibly talented gunsmiths, knife smiths, blacksmiths, tailors, tanners, tobacconists, potters, silversmiths, and more. Some of the participants have spent weeks and months making absolutely beautiful quill work designs (they even dye the porcupine quills using traditional dyes). Still others make large belts of wampum, weaving the beads by hand.

In the early years of Market Fair, I remember my chief was brought in as a consultant for a group of Native American re-enactors who were interested in constructing a traditional eastern woodlands village. The photo above was taken at the edge of the woods where this village once stood--I participated in a wedding out on that. A number of native people from the region, including a strong contingent from our Native student group at WVU, would make the annual trek for Market Fair to trade, to find traditional wares, and to connect with other folks from various tribes as well as with other people who simply had a deep appreciation for history and simple living. For many years, this event served as an unofficial and unplanned reunion for many of us. We spent many evenings around the campfire swapping stories and drumming and singing very, very old songs and sometimes writing new ones.

This year was probably the busiest Market Fair I can remember. There were multiple overflow parking areas when we arrived at 1130AM. There's something to be said for perseverance, tradition, and time. This event has grown huge over the years. And, like every other time I have traveled to it, there was an unofficial and unplanned reunion. This year, it was with one of my former roommate's parents, Mark and Debbie Culp. Of course we had to take a group photo and send it off to their son Nic. We were able to enjoy a meal together, and I was able to introduce them to Dan and Lori as well as give them an update on the latest happenings with Nuru. Nic's parents have a love for wilderness, for traditional skills, and for history, but it was their first time visiting Market Fair--they LOVED it!

I highly recommend stopping by Market Fair if you find yourself near western Maryland in late April. The event itself has a longstanding tradition, and you never know who you might run into there. There's something really beautiful about meeting and connecting with individuals who are keeping old ways alive, and who are incredibly dedicated to their craft. There's also refreshment to be found by taking a step away from screens and devices for a few hours to breathe in the fresh air, and to engaging in the quickly fading art of conversation. May you find time and space in this hurried world to slow down and enjoy people and the beauty of the outdoors.

Walking Along The Thames and Catching A Glimpse Of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

I've been meaning to post some photos and share some stories from my recent trips to visit Nuru's work in Kenya and Ethiopia as well as from the long layovers I had in London but time waits for no one. So as I'm getting adjusted back to life in Morgantown, I thought I could start taking some time to reflect before the memories fade. There was a lot of travel back in August, and a lot more stories to share, but for a starter I thought I'd share this photo of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London.

During my layover on my return trip back to the US, I had enough time to leave the airport, take The Tube and walk along The Thames. I walked by a number of landmarks including the rebuilt London Bridge.

So as I walked along the Thames it was simply amazing to look around and see so many historic landmarks, and to just think about the history of this city. As some already know, among other degrees I received a BA and MA in English from WVU. My focus for my Master's was largely the literature of early America, but during undergrad I took a variety of survey courses--including a course that was entirely Shakespeare. In high school, I used to love it when we would go through sections of Shakespeare in English class as well.

The reason why I loved these classes and times was because we would always dig into the drama. Even in college, we would take time each week for people to read dramatically or act out parts from different plays. We would watch scenes from movies like Hamlet (with Mel Gibson) or Kenneth Branagh Shakespearean plays, or at WVU, we were encouraged to visit the Lansburgh Shakespeare Theatre--which was amazing. Plays always seemed to have a lesson at work, and they always seemed to lend themselves well to re-reading and experimenting with different ways of presenting the words--they were always fun. They were especially fun when people would read in-character.

A flood of memories from English classes and movies came to my mind as I saw this building--The Globe--a rebuilt replica of the place where Shakespeare's plays were performed (the original site was a few hundred feet from this site). In my mind I tried to picture what that world was like. The Theatre was built right around the time of multiple explorations to the New World, and it was estimated to have a capacity of 3,000 audience members.

Even though the building I saw was a re-creation of the original, it stood as a reminder of a different time in England's history, world history, and as a testimony to the power of a good story. Shakespeare's plays are still being read and performed--they have stood a four hundred year test of time--there are not many stories that have echoed down through the centuries like this--it seems like Shakespeare understood the intricacies of human experience--both the good and the bad of human nature and could help people see their own selves (or people they knew) in the lives of the characters of the play. Maybe that's why his plays have stood the test of time, and why people have chosen to resurrect a replica of what the original Shakespearean experience might have been like.

Everyone loves a good story, and as much as it's great to hear a good story or watch a good story on the big screen or in the media, I think the world would be the better if we chose to live a good story as well. So as each of us goes about our day, may we take time to reflect not only on the good stories we have heard or seen, but may we take time to create and live a good story through the events of our daily lives. We've each been given a story to live, and we have an opportunity to live it out in an incredible way that shapes not only ourselves, but also shapes this world to be a better place.

Review: Pagan Christianity by George Barna and Frank Viola

It’s been a few years since I read Pagan Christianity, but, since I had recently finished the sequel to this book and I as planning on writing a review of it, I thought it might not be a bad idea to write a review of this one as well. 

One of the greatest strengths of the book is the credibility of George Barna. Barna has been a well respected researcher of trends in society, culture, and the church for many years, and I can’t help but wonder if the reason he chose to co-author the book, aside from his own conviction regarding church history, may be that the statistics show that ‘the way we do church in the West’ may not be leading to the results we would either like or expect.

Aside from the credibility of Barna, Viola himself establishes a level of credibility by including hundreds of footnotes for the case he makes for how much of what we deem as ‘normal’ in our Christian faith gatherings may not as rooted in biblical tradition as we have been led to believe.  Chapter after chapter, Viola and Barna offer an informed critique of these practices that they believe have stronger roots in Roman cultural traditions than they do in the scriptures themselves.

The book is definitely not a ‘light’ read, as no book with tons of footnotes could be considered light. It is also a book that I do not imagine many in the church will sit comfortably with. While it doesn’t outright condemn practices in the church, it does lead the reader to question “why?”, when it comes to the practice of our faith in the contemporary church, that we insist on certain trappings and practices.

As I read, it didn’t make me broad stroke question practices and structures in the contemporary church as much as it made me start to think about whether or not there may be better ways for the Church of Jesus Christ to help individuals grow in their love of God and humanity than the systems that are in place. It also left me thinking back to the times and communities in which I experienced my deepest growth, and ways that some of those structures and practices might better cultivate the growth of others in their faith.

One criticism I had of the book was that it didn’t really present a viable alternative. I was told that the alternative that Viola had in mind can be found in his book ReimaginingChurch.  A review of that book will follow in the weeks ahead.

I believe that there is something to be said for traditions that have stood the test of time, in spite of the counterpoints brought up in the book. I do believe that one should regularly practice healthy scrutiny and criticism of one’s practices, but that it does not necessarily mean that the entirety of tradition should be jettisoned to pursue a new path.  That being said, if you are interested in exploring church traditions and history, or you are interested in pursuing a different way of expressing faith in community, the book may provide some good food for thought.

Prophet's Rock

During my visit to the village of Tippecanoe, a local told me about a place where Tenskwatawa was supposed to have gone to pray and to encourage the members of the confederacy. I'm sure that Tenskwatawa visited this place, as did his brother Tecumseh.

In light of my last post and Willie's statement about a Shawnee walking through this area 200 years after the battle, it was kind of cool to stand atop this rock, look out on what would have been the site of the Tippecanoe (Prophetstown) village, and think about what once was, as well as think about what 200 years hold for all of us on this planet.

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of these photos and taking a moment to imagine what this part of the world might have looked like 200 years ago. Imagine traditional home structures that represented a wide array of cultures (tipis, wickiwas, longhouses, and more).  Imagine large agricultural plots to meet the food needs of a diverse village. Imagine a community rallying together to maintain some semblance of a traditional way of life and a heritage.

It was a rainy day in Tippecanoe, and I am grateful for the ability to walk in this place as well as for the ability to imagine a different world. I think that this is one of the great gifts we have been given, not only do we have the ability ot imagine what the past was like, but we have the ability to imagine, and be active participants in creating a future world, and playing our part to make this world a better place for future generations.

The Battle of Tippecanoe: 200 Years Later

On my way back from a recent trip to Columbus, Cincinnati, and Chicago for Nuru, I had an opportunity to stop at Prophetstown State Park and the location of the Battle of Tippecanoe. I have for a long time wanted to visit this site where Tecumseh and his brother were beginning to build a confederacy of American Indian tribes to resist the encroachment of western settlers into Indian territory. Over the last several years, I have made it a point to visit historic and sacred sites for my tribe with members of my family and tribe.

It was a bit ironic to me as Jamie and I took a break from our long drive to visit this historic site. The date we visited was November 7th, 2011--exactly 200 years to the day of the original battle. It appeared there were a number of people who came out for the weekend to commemorate and remember the combatants (based on the number of re-enactors I saw dressed as militia people walking around the grounds).

So a bit about the significance of the battle for me. My family is Shawnee. Tecumseh and his brother were also Shawnee. Tecumseh is seen by many as one of the greatest orators and military leaders in history. He and his brother had begun assembling an array of people from tribes all over North America to stand as a united front against the illegal encroachments of settlers into Indian territory. Not only was Tecumseh a brilliant orator and military strategist, he was also an astute diplomat and a champion of justice. He's one of my personal historic heroes, and holds a special place in the hearts and minds of all Shawnee people.

For every good thing that Tecumseh represented, his brother Tenskwatawa was the anti-thesis. In early November 1811, while Tecumseh was speaking to tribes in the southeastern United States to encourage them to join this confederacy, his brother was making claims to great power, influence, and medicine. And a young American leader named William Henry Harrison began driving a militia group to encamp near Prophetstown, the gathering place of Tecumseh's confederacy. Tenskwatawa told the gathered people in his village that if they attacked Harrison and his men, they would become bulletproof, and the bullets in the rifle's of Harrison's men would roll out of their barrels and turn to dust.

But that's not how it happened. Tenskwatawa rallied people to fight and early in the morning, they attacked Harrison's camp. Harrison and his men were ready. They routed the poorly executed attack of the confederacy (without their leader, Tecumseh), and destroyed Tecumseh's dream of a massive confederacy. It also secured Harrison's political future and he later became president of the United States.

As I stood at the site of the battle, I was overcome with emotion. I can't quite describe it. I began bawling my eyes out when I thought about the lives lost in this place, and the possibilities of a different future for shawnee people that were shattered during this event. After spending a couple hours walking around the battle ground and memorials with Jamie, we proceeded to drive to Columbus, OH where I was able to share the whole experience with my best friend in the whole world, Willie, who is also a member of my tribe.

He had really cool insight for me as I told him about the great sadness I felt standing in that place. He said, "You know, nobody who had been there for that battle could have possibly imagined that there would be a Shawnee walking over that land two hundred years later." His comment put things in a little better perspective for me. It was a bright spot of a different sort. It was a reminder of the power of perseverance.

In my tribe, we have a song called Itcheepon. As I walked the battlefield on November 7th, 2011, I found myself singing it. I'd like to share one of the verses here.

"Now you think that we're gone.
Look around you! Hear my song!
Aren't the skies still blue? Don't the rivers run?
We're still here on Itcheepon.

And as I close this reflection, I'm encouraged in the middle of walking through such a sad place, because there are still Shawnee people walking on this earth. Things look different than could have been even imagined two-hundred years ago, but we are still here. HeYa!

Battle of Bushy Run

Among the stops made with Dad and Jamie this weekend was the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run. This particular battle is believed to mark the turning point of the French and Indian War and resulted in a treaty being signed at Fort Pitt just a few months afterward. The Native confederacy was led by a man named Pontiac who was an Ottawa. He and his intertribal group had started their uprising in detroit, and had pushed settlements as far east as Bedford, PA. He is considered one of the great Native leaders in history, and his idea of an Indian confederacy was revisited a few years later by a leader from my own tribe, Tecumseh.

I found out about the event through following the twitter account of Pittsburgh City Council member, Bill Peduto, and I had hoped that the event would afford me a bit of a walk down memory lane. Usually these events have a large array of primitive artisans and craftspeople, and I thought it could be a cool way to share a little bit of my own culture with Jamie as well as remember other occasions where I would share old tribal songs with re-enactors and others at similar events.

By the time we arrived, the events of the day were mostly over, but we were still able to see a plethora of people dressed in the period attire of eighteenth century british, colonial, or native people. There's a really unique community that surrounds these living history events, and it can be like a large reunion for the participants. While I did not personally reunite with any of my kinsmen or any re-enactors, I enjoyed seeing and hearing the passion this community had for preserving the nuances of the early history of the United States as they gathered on the site of the Bushy Run Battlefield.

I wonder what these passionate people will conspire to organize for the 250th anniversary of the battle?

Happy Birthday West Virginia

The Ultimate Gift, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This photo was taken of a sunset behind my house in Morgantown, WV.
Not only was yesterday Father’s Day, but it also marked the 147th year that West Virginia has been a state. We are not western Virginia, and we have not been part of the Commonwealth of Virginia for over a century. We are the Mountain State, even though there’s not a single point in our state that exceeds the 5000 foot qualification to meet the topographical definition of a mountain.
Our state has produced amazing athletes like Jerry West, the man whose silhouette is the NBA’s logo. We have a rich history of a close relationship with the land, and have a history of conflict within these hills we call home as well.
West Virginia’s chief export isn’t coal, but people. Contrary to what most people outside our state might think, our capital has never been Richmond, although it has been Wheeling a few times. West Virginian’s are resilient, thoughtful, highly adaptive, and persevering people. We have been the site of major challenges, including some of the most greedy, deceptive, and downright evil exploitations of humanity outside the slave trade in this country.
West Virginians have always risen above though. Some of the most wonderful people I have ever known were born or raised in this state, or along its borders. As our motto states, Montani Semper Liberi or Mountaineers are always free!
Our state also possesses some of the most beautiful and wonderful parks and wilderness spaces in the country. If you have never visited, I suggest you take time to enjoy a much more simple and affordable vacation away from the hustle and bustle of the city. And if you are a resident, consider a weekend vacation within the confines of our state—it’s a great way to celebrate our state’s birthday! Visit places like Davis, Thomas, and Elkins and take in the beauty of our state. Take a ride on the Potomac Eagle Train, turn your phone off for a spell and enjoy reconnecting with a little bit of our natural world. Or slip on your hiking shoes and hike across North Fork Mountain Trail or visit the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area.
Looking for a little history, cross the Shenandoah river and enjoy a walk through historic Harper’s Ferry. If you are feeling really adventurous, take a thrill ride down one of many West Virginia whitewater streams.
I love this state, and I love the people of our state; filled with gratitude to have called this place my home.
How did you celebrate West Virginia’s Birthday?

THe Past

THe Past, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This is a picture of a shawnee person from about two hundred years ago. We have some pretty interesting traditions, but one I am glad has dropped off is the formation of loops with our ears.

In older times, people would cut their ears and hang weights until their outer lobes stretched like this guy.

This picture is a part of Charles Bird King's portraits of Indian people I believe.