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You have a choice of
three different
Living History Programs
available for a presentation at your school, a private party, corporate retreat,
or outdoor gathering:
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Tipi Program
Join Bruce in his character as the
Mountain Man and help him set up a Cheyenne style canvas tipi. Kids and adults assist in putting up lodge poles and cover, then all are seated inside for a discussion of Plains Indian lore, tipi etiquette and questions. Bruce brings artifacts such as hides, skins and furs, tools, weapons and trade goods to create a strong sensory connection and deeper meaning to the Plains Indian culture that invented this unique and graceful dwelling.
Tipi Program: $250 for a 2 hour presentation
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Mountain Man ~ Pioneer
Cooking Demonstration
Bruce "in character" as the Mountain Man kindles the cooking fire using flint and steel and uses authentic frontier cookware of cast iron and tin-lined copper to bake Dutch oven cornbread, roast buffalo meat, boil seasonal wild greens and pine needle tea, or brew campfire roasted coffee beans into delicious mountain coffee. He regales his diners with a running historic monologue describing the life of the early western mountain men and overland pioneers.
Cooking Demonstration: $250 for two hours plus $10 per diner
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The Mountain Man Program
The Mountain Man program is a dramatic portrayal by Bruce introducing audiences to 19th Century America's rugged, heroic, buckskin-clad explorers, trappers and traders. Their names might be familiar but Bruce guides his audience into a much deeper
understanding of the men and women who became folklore myths and heroes in the fabric of western history.
Watch Bruce demonstrate frontier skills such as fire starting with flint and steel, the Indian bow drill; how a flintlock fires, and a beaver trap works. You'll practice real Indian sign language and learn more about clothing and accoutrements needed for historic comfort and survival. You'll see a blanket capote, snowshoes, half axe, water gourd, molding tools, pack basket, trade beads, blankets, knives, saddles and more.
Instead of the conflicts, Bruce focuses on the cooperation and trade that resulted in a cross-pollination and integration that profoundly affected the cultural identity, arts, language, spirituality and ecology of the region we call "the West". He then suggests ways that every member of his audience can unearth and explore their own cultural roots thus beginning a journey of personal discovery leading to a richer, broader and deeper understanding and acceptance of the numerous similarities among the many cultural traditions that nourish our American identity.
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Bruce sets up a large display of relics and regalia or "eye candy", creating a
fascinating backdrop for his demonstrations. He uses guitar-accompanied songs and sing-alongs to involve and engage everyone at the program. It's not all talk; Bruce's active skill demonstrations keep the interest level high and focused. Audience
involvement is achieved through sign language gestures and sing-alongs. Discussion evolves during the question and answer period following every program. Bruce can provide suggested reading titles, sources for accoutrements and offers his
contact information for follow-up questions.
Bruce's expertise and research have developed over a lifetime of reading, western living in a frontier setting, experiential anthropology and his work as a National Park Ranger, tour guide and teacher of outdoor education.
Mountain Man Living History Program: $250 for 2 hours
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