What do you do with your Buckskinning?

Buckskinning? We like to call ourselves living historins. Both my wife and I are involved which make it easier. We have gone to schools, helped with the Boy Scouts Dutch oven days, worked with the Corps of Engineers on their Red Feather Praire days. In March we are going to a retirement village where we will do a bit on the early days of Iowa. We have a Native American friend that we help put on a Pow-Wow to honor a son of his who was killed. We got to go with this friend to the Black Hills and participate in and observe some very old cermonies. Talk about being a minority, but I have wondered off the trail. The point is we need to share our love history. This is what keep "Buckskinning alive.

Wow, what a rich, rewarding way to study, and become history...
There is an old quote that goes, "THOSE WHO DON'T STUDY HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT"... This does not apply here, we strive to repeat and thus, become history...
I built my own teepee and lived in the woods with just 1825 era survival gear.
I follow the Mountain Man era for the most part,
I also like the Civil War period.

Like No Powder, I consider myself a living history enthusiast rather than buckskinner. I put a lot of effort into historical research and a lot of emphasis on historical authenticity. I am active in all three of the living history sports (rendezvous, reenacting and historical trekking) though since moving to Alaska 10 years ago trekking has become my primary interest.

I portray two different historical characters. "Swanny the Elder" is a fur-company clerk ca. 1761 - 1770. "Swanny the Younger" is the Elder's son, and is a NWC wintering partner ca. 1791 - 1800. I'm also the only black powder dealer in the Interior region of Alaska and operate my trade store (Nor' West Company) up here. The trade store is an important part of my persona.

I'm an active hunter education instructor, bringing a "traditionalist" perspective to both general and muzzleloader hunter education courses in my state. I do presentations for schools and special events, and am president of the Coalition of Historical Trekkers

Mostly I spend as much time as possible reenacting the day to day activities of a Nor' Wester by hiking, camping, trapping, dog-sledging, fishing, canoeing and generally batting about the woods in proper historical fashion.

Swanny

My interests have steadily drifted back in time to where I now "hang out" (circa 1770), old movies in the early 60's and a lifelong love of early American history are some of the reasons why I do what I do, I've done the BSA and local school gigs, but my main thrust is pretty much self serving as I have found another level of enjoyment when I hunt with a flinter and dressed in the same type of clothing and use the same gear from the past when fall hunting seasons roll around.I enjoy this much more than the 'vous or any other group events.