Summer 2012

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V o l um e 3 , I s s ue 3
N e w s le t te r o f t h e T e xa s A t la t l A s s oc iat i o n
S um m e r 2 0 1 2
Texas Atlatl
R I V E R P I E R C E A T L AT L
WORKSHOP 2012
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
River Pierce Atlatl
Workshop 2012
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San Antonio Missions
Archaeology Day
Flyer
2
A Tale of Two Camps
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Atlatl on the Cheap!
Texas Atlatl Association
4-5
6th Annual Rio
Grande Delta
Archeology Fair Flyer
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Upcoming Events
7
River Pierce Atlatl
Workshop Pics
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Blowgun Dart Quiver
BY CESARIO GUERRA
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TAA Video Links
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Meetup.com Link
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Book Recommendations
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Primitive Skills Ads
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Announcement for
TAA website
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TAA Joins Forces
with Mid Valley
Archery
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Cesario Guerra, Editor
617 N. 42nd St.
McAllen, TX 78501
[email protected]
www.southtexasatlatl.com
Students at the 3-D competition range
This summer I was
excited to head an atlatl workshop in San Yganacio, TX,
sponsored by the River Pierce
Foundation. The River Pierce
Atlatl Workshop was a pilot
program that had been discussed for years pertaining to
atlatl (and dart) construction
and accuracy training. Six
students were selected based
on age, behavior, interest,
and previous experience with
using the atlatl.
The students began
by harvesting carrizo cane in
the chachalaca refuge down
the street, near the river.
Then they started working on
the dart shafts with pre-dried
carrizo I had stashed at the
workshop area. The students
learned to heat-straighten the
cane and fletch the dart
shafts with turkey feathers.
Fore-shafts were made from
hardwood dowels and tipped
with archery field points, the
largest available.
After a few days of
working on the darts, the next
step was to make the atlatl.
Using ¼ inch thick flat pieces
of oak, I instructed the students on how to make a Basket Maker II atlatl with recessed spur and finger loops.
Once each student
had a complete set, it was
time for practice and the fine
tuning of the atlatl and darts.
After the students were satisfied
with their set, we had the students participate in a 3-D target
contest at a private ranch owned
by the River Pierce Foundation.
The students had a great time
and I can’t wait till next year to
see how they progressed with
the atlatl.
To see more photos, go to pg. 8.
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P age 2
V o l um e 3 , I s s ue 2
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T e x a s A tla tl
P age 3
A TALE OF TWO CAMPS
BY
GENE SMITHSON
I saw two camps
today. One had 60 plus children in an air conditioned
gymnasium. They were moving from one activity to another every 15 minutes or so
with three of the activities
designed to introduce them to
a skill. They were happy, they
were exposed to some ideas,
they socialized and exercised
and were generally just like
you expect to see from a
group of kids in that situation.
The second camp I had to
walk a half mile up a rock
road to get to. I started seeing
footprints first, then smelled
campfire smoke and soon
heard voices. I came up on
the scene and there were
three adults, a teenager, and
5 kids from 8 to 11 years of
age. They were all quietly
busy, absorbed in making a
bow and arrow, including the
bow string, from natural materials, or starting fire with bow
drills and hand drills. They
had been at it for hours, in
the hot Texas sun and were
dirty and sweaty and their
energy was not like the kids at
the other camp, they KNEW
they were capable; half of
them had knives out working
away at making a hearth
board or skinning a spindle.
There were not many spoken
entreaties, it was a nod, yes,
you are getting it, keep working at it and a serious nod
back, Its hard but I can do it.
There weren’t any lunch bags,
they had cooked their lunch
over fire they had built, there
was a communal water container with a spigot and without prompting they were hydrating.
I imagined I walked into any
camp at any time in history in
any locale and saw the way
we used to be, and the way
the children were and I was
pretty damned impressed. I
imagine those children and
those men have a hard, quiet
confidence that you will never
find in an air conditioned
classroom full of twenty plus
children. I wonder what will
happen when these new people take over. I hope it’s the
ones who know how to build
fire. I hope it’s a different
definition of fun.
“They had been at it
for hours, in the hot
Texas sun and were
dirty and sweaty and
their energy was not
like the kids at the
other camp, they
KNEW they were
capable...”
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T e x a s A tla tl
P age 4
Atlatl on the Cheap!
Daniel Trevino
E.A.O.S.S. South Texas Heritage Interpreters
Greetings fellow enthusiasts! I have been teaching Environmental Awareness Outdoor Survival
Skills (E.A.O.S.S.) at the Middle school level for several years and constantly look for projects that
my students can replicate and use. We make our own slings, bows, arrows and now atlatls!
I first met up with Cesario and friends at last year’s spring gathering at Falcon Heights, Texas and
decided that atlatls would fit in to the curriculum that is used in E.A.O.S.S. Needless to say, my own
children loved the idea, since at Falcon they got the chance to experience and use this long overlooked tool and skill. So I took it upon myself to make an atlatl and dart on the cheap that can be
used over and over in the classroom setting.
I acquired some materials at True Value and the dart at Home Depot. I know that I am not being
traditional as far as materials, but for the classroom you need stuff that “takes a licking and keeps on
ticking”. In other words we need equipment that can stand the wear and tear applied to it, by well
over 60 students, on a daily basis for at least six weeks! This is what I came up with, even if it is nontraditional, but the same rules still apply.
The materials consist of:
Fluted Birch Dowel Pins ¼ diameter
Garden Sturdy Stake 72”/1.83m
Garden Stake 1x2x24
Elmers Wood Glue
Drill and 15/64” drill bit for dowel tight fit
Dremel with sanding attachment for groove on atlatl handle
Duck Tape for fletching
One ten ream paper box for target (small target, tight groups!)
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P age 5
V o l um e 3 , I s s ue 2
The first step is to shape your atlatl using the garden stake, the fluted dowels, the drill, glue and the dremel
with the sander in place. Shape the garden stake to fit your hand, drill the hole at an angle to insert the dowel
using the wood glue to shape your spur. Then sand and shape to your personal taste. (see picture below)
The second step is your dart. This is made using the 72” garden sturdy stake from Home Depot. Get your
duck tape and make your fletching about 6” from the end, and with your dremel bevel out the end so the spur
from your atlatl fits. If the shaft bends, bend it gently back into shape. If you over bend you can snap the inside and set yourself back another couple of bucks. (see picture below)
Get your box and fill with cardboard in layers. Draw a bunny or javalina and you are set to go! This has
worked really well for us and makes for some really exciting and inexpensive practice. (see picture below)
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P age 6
V o l um e 3 , I s s ue 2
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T e x a s A tla tl
P age 7
UPCOMING EVENTS:
October 27, 2012
Blackwater Draw Atlatl Competition
Location: Blackwater Draw Locality #1, Portales, NM
More info soon:
http://theclovissite.wordpress.com/
http://www.enmu.edu/services/museums/blackwater-draw/locality.shtml
January 20, 2013
Primitive Skills Contest
Location: Old Spicewood Rd, Cypress Mill, TX
Time: 10:00 am—1:00 pm
Prepare for the Archeolympics!!!
Atlatl accuracy contest (ISAC).
Rabbit-stick accuracy contest.
Hand-drill fire starting race.
There is no charge to compete in these contests.
http://thehumanpath.com/
February 2013 (exact date TBA)
6th Annual Archeolympics
Location: Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site, Comstock, TX
Time: 10:00 am—4:00 pm
Friction fire, rabbit stick, and atlatl competitions
Contact: [email protected]
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R I V E R P I E R C E A T L AT L W O R K S H O P 2 01 2 P I C S
Harvesting Carrizo
Building Darts
3-D Competition
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T e x a s A tla tl
P age 9
The Blowgun Dart Quiver
Arturo Longoria-Valverde
When people speak of indoor target practice I think of blowguns. I never use them outside preferring
my slingshot or one of my selfbows instead. But for a relaxing evening of punching holes in a cardboard shoebox I find the blowgun the perfect tool. I set the shoebox on a chair then stand at the other end of the room and
punch holes in the box for a few minutes. There’s a certain satisfaction in being able to hit a half-inch dot
painted on a box twenty feet away.
There are many articles on how to make blowguns as well as making blowgun darts so I won’t spend
much time covering that subject. Suffice it to say that they are made from steel or aluminum pipes and from
plastic conduit and similar materials. But my blowguns are made from stalks of carrizo (Arundo donax) which
is an introduced species of cane that’s pervasive from California to Texas. I’ve made them out of bamboo as
well but since carrizo is so readily available and cheap (as in, free) I prefer using it instead.
This is a picture of one of my carrizo blowguns. It’s only 44 inches long but that’s fine for my indoor
shooting. I had to reinforce the end of the cane not long ago when it started to split. I wrapped a little artificial
sinew around it. I’ve got carrizo blowguns ranging in length from about 40 inches to six feet. By the way, I
make my arrows from carrizo as well.
When it came to making a quiver for my darts I decided I wanted one from leather.
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P age 1 0
V o l um e 3 , I s s ue 2
Here are the quiver’s dimensions:
Length: 10 ¼ inches
Outside Circumference: 8 5/8 inches
I used two different types of leather lace to complete the project. The larger lace secures the quiver’s bottom
and side. A narrower lace is used as decoration along the quiver’s opened end.
I attached a length of parachute cord to the quiver in order to hang it over my shoulders.
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P age 1 1
V o l u m e 1 , I s s ue 1
My darts are made from bamboo skewers obtained at the grocery store. I trim them to nine inches long and
then wrap a little bit of cotton to the end using a thin piece of artificial sinew.
The darts in the photo above are getting old and need to be replaced.
For those of you living in colder regions you might consider making a blowgun for wintertime use. It’ll be
freezing outside and the snowdrifts might be covering the cars but you can still have fun practicing your survival skills in your living room. Oh yes, one more thing: You’ll need a cardboard shoebox.
For contemplations on nature and the acquisition of primitive skills, visit the Woods Roamer:
http://woodsroamer.blogspot.com
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T e x a s A tla tl
P age 1 2
LOOK
FOR US ON
YOUTUBE!
South Texas Atlatl’s Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/southtexasatlatl?feature=mhee
Roy Wenm0’s Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/roywenm0
Atlatl Smith’s Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Atlatlsmith
Robert and Milo’s Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/milosoutside/videos?
Texas Atlatl Events on Meetup.com
For current atlatl and other primitive skill events
and classes visit:
http://www.meetup.com/ATLATL/
This season’s book recommendation:
Poison Arrows
North American Indian Hunting and Warfare
By David E. Jones
http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/jonpoi.html
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PRIMITIVE SKILLS ADS
The Human Path and The Austin Tracking and Primitive Skills MeetUp Group is an ecology-based, wilderness-survival and wilderness-living school offering a huge variety of outdoor, bushcraft classes (outdoor fitness, wilderness and primitive living
skills, wilderness medicine, herbology, self defense, teamwork and leadership, primitive engineering, permaculture certification, aquaponics, green building and much more) in both the San Antonio and Austin areas of Texas.
You can find this group on-line: http://www.meetup.com/austinTrackingAndPrimitiveSkills/
-Roy Wenmohs
PaleoPlanet; World Atlatl Association General Discussion Forum
On-Line: http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/forums/24
Primitive Arts Workshops with Robert Garcia
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Atlatl making
Bow and arrow making
Blow gun making
email: [email protected]
Or, go to a tournament
Photos courtesy of
Roy Wenmohs
A U S T I N A RC H E RY C L U B N E W S L E T T E R
For a free subscription to the
Austin Archery Club Newsletter, contact: Roy Wenmohs:
[email protected]
or click here: http://
atlatl.boganstrictor.com/bodark.html
Photo courtesy of Milo Garcia
Roy Wenmohs at the Austin Archery
Club competing with PVC blowgun
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T e x a s A tla tl
A s s o c i a ti o n
617 N. 42nd St.
McAllen, TX 78501
[email protected]
The Texas Atlatl Association (TAA) formed on July 17th, 2010 at the Duval Ranch in Falcon Heights,
Texas near Falcon State Park. What began as correspondence between the Austin Texas Lithic Arts &
Technology League (ATLATL) and South Texas Atlatl back in 2008, eventually culminated into an organization that will reintroduce the art of the atlatl in the state. One of our main goals as TAA is to provide venues for people to exchange ideas about the atlatl and other primitive skills, experimental archaeology, and survival skills. By no means is membership limited to Texas, we invite those in surrounding states and Mexico to get involved in our competitions and events.
For more information, contact Cesario Guerra at [email protected] or Roy Wenmohs at
[email protected].
Austin Texas Lithic
Arts and Technology
League
TA A W E B S I T E O F F L I N E
The Texas Atlatl Association website is currently offline but will be
up and running soon. For information on current TAA events, visit:
http://www.meetup.com/ATLATL/
TA A J O I N S F O R C E S W I T H
M I D V A L L E Y A R C H E RY
The Texas Atlatl Association has joined forces with Mid Valley
Archery in Weslaco, TX with plans for a Rio Grande Valley Chapter
of the TAA.