Tribal Edge

         For all the people of the earth, the Creator has planted a Sacred Tree under which they may gather, and there find healing, power, wisdom and security.  The roots of this tree spread deep into the body of Mother Earth. Its branches reach upward like hands praying to Father Sky. The fruits of this tree are the good things the Creator has given to the people: teachings that show the path to love, compassion, generosity, patience, wisdom, justice, courage, respect, humility and many other wonderful gifts.

            The ancient ones taught us that the life of the Tree is the life of the people. If the people wander far away from the protective shadow of the Tree, if they forget to seek the nourishment of its fruit, or if they should turn against the Tree and attempt to destroy it, great sorrow will fall upon the people. Many will become sick at heart. The people will lose their power. They will cease to dream dreams and see visions. They will begin to quarrel among themselves over worthless trifles. They will become unable to tell the truth and to deal with each other honestly. They will forget how to survive in their own land. Their lives will become filled with anger and gloom. Little by little they will forget how to survive in their own land. Their lives will become filled with anger and gloom. Little by little they will poison themselves and all they touch.

            It was foretold that these things would come to pass, but that the Tree would never die. And as long as the Tree lives, the people live.  It was also foretold that the day would come when the people would awaken, as if from a long, drugged sleep; that they would begin, timidly at first but then with great urgency, to search again for the Sacred Tree.

            The knowledge of its whereabouts and of the fruits that adorn its branches have always been carefully guarded and preserved within the minds and heart of our wise elders and leaders. These humble, loving and dedicated souls will guide anyone who is honestly and sincerely seeking along the path leading to the protecting shadow of the Sacred Tree.

The Sacred Tree

Four Worlds International Institute

The Combat class was a great day with a great group of people. It's nice to know that people are excited about making the world a safer and happier place. Please feel free to share any of your thoughts about the day.

Here are a few notes from Dr. Robert Humphrey's book Values for a New Millennium. I particularly enjoy the two rules for staying out of trouble anywhere in the world, as well as the last part on the education system.

Species-Preservation: Love and group-belonging

Life, a self-and-others value

"In summary, life is humankinds most basic natural, earthly value. But this is not primarily a selfish value-Species preservation is the stronger half of the drive. For practical guidance from this fact of universal human nature, if you wish to travel the globe and avoid serious trouble, here are the two top rules:

1.    You can get yourself into the second most dangerous position anywhere in the world by threatening a person’s life.

2.    If that is second, what is the most dangerous action? The answer is obvious isn’t it? By threatening someone’s loved ones. That describes the most basic nature of the human animal.

This balanced-self and species-life value, as the basic value in human nature, may not as yet be recognized as an accepted scientific fact. That may require more scientific observation to establish it conclusively, especially in our excessively competitive (individualistic) society heavily conditioned toward the self.

Nonetheless, the balanced life value is definitely a respectable scientific proposition for your consideration. Most important, have confidence in your own judgment.

You do not have to wait for experiences similar to mine or Iwo Jima for equally credible evidence. Talk with other observers who were in comparable realistic testing situations such as the Anzio beachhead or the battle for Tarawa, or Stalingrad, and listen to them.

Please do not place credence at all in any intuitive contradiction from the Ivory Towers of institutionalized education comparatively comfortable persons who make up our educationally elite, even the brilliant ones, in general are out of touch with the common people and the controlling survival values of the world.

They have allowed the values of materialism, relativism, and elitism to dominate their detailed daily lives and, therefore, saturate their thinking. This causes them to overlook the deepest causes of our modern problems and even to denounce such issues as “boring.”

At least a few of the more unusual scholarly elite, themselves, including a few college presidents, have admitted that our universities are overly- specialized anachronisms that produce cultural barbarism. Please stop ignoring the fact that our colleges train our high school teachers and administrators. That training is failing us and our children."

One interpretation of the name "Tribal Edge" can be found by splitting the word Tribal into two parts: Tri- as in triangle, meaning to consist of 3 parts; and bal- short for Balance. Together they may represent "the Balance of three parts". For example, the Balance between Body, Mind, and Spirit. Or the balance between oneself, creation, and the Creator.

The Edge in this case may represent the consistant awareness and action required to maintain balance in this way, as well as the effect of the whole which is greater than the sum of its parts.

Here are some great tools to help you find balance in your life.

• Spend time in nature- go outside.
• Seek solitude.
• Get physical exercise.
• Keep a journal.
• Keep good company.
• Find good teachers.
• Be present and aware- focus on now.
• Practice concious eating and drinking.
• Slow down.
• Practice prayer and meditation.
• Have fun and laugh.
• Focus your intention and pay attention.
• Partake in the arts.
• Practice kindness and forgiveness.
• Amplify feeling of love and gratitude.
• Know yourself and listen to your body.
• Be flexible and open to feedback.

Remember, nothing is ever handled. We are only given moment to moment opportunities to chose again, and keep things moving forward.

Modern 'tree traveler' teaches 'primal arts'

BLYN — At the end of a tunnel of trees, Tarzan awaits.

He's a modern, Olympic Peninsula version of the jungle guy: Ben Sanford, founder of the Tribal Edge Primal Arts Training Center. For years, Sanford has taught — and studied — wilderness survival skills, tracking and, of course, tree climbing. He's also dreamed of opening a learning center, a place where people of all ages can connect with nature, near his hometown of Sequim.

This Sunday, Sanford, 34, will realize that dream on his 5-acre property at the end of Corriea Road, behind the 7 Cedars Casino in Blyn. The Tribal Edge grand opening celebration will run from 9 a.m. until dark on Sunday, and include activities such as bow-making and archery, free massages, a medicinal-plant workshop and demonstrations of CrossFit, an exercise program. Visitors to the center will have the chance to learn how to build wilderness shelters, start campfires without matches and cook outdoors without a lot of heavy gear.

They will also be invited to watch a demonstration of what Sanford fondly calls "tree travel." Sanford is an arborist, owner of Tarzan's Tree Service — and a lifelong student of what he calls "warrior arts" as well as healing arts. As a child, he was an avid tree climber. That still shows today when he moves with a gibbon's grace among the slim alders near the Tribal Edge entrance. This place is a fantasy of green: Branches reaching above Corriea Road mesh like the fingers of two hands, and on the property, a meadow, yurt and tipi are surrounded by luxuriant thickets of maple and fir.

On Sunday, Sanford and his staff — "an awesome volunteer team," and three apprentice instructors — will provide information about Tribal Edge's programs for various age groups. Along with weekly "training clubs" in martial arts, tracking, primitive skills and fitness, Tribal Edge offers an eight-day vision quest for adults, a weeklong "rite of passage" training for youngsters age 12 to 15, and Edge-u-cation, an outdoor supplement for home-schooled students age 12 to 18. An advanced Edge-u-cation program is available for college-age men and women.

Sanford, inspired as a boy by Tom Brown Jr.'s book The Tracker, has traveled to Brown's Tracker School near Waretown, N.J., to study wilderness awareness and skills.  And he's spent the past 15 years exploring the woods of the North Olympic Peninsula.

Wilderness a teacher
Being in the wild calls on us, Sanford said, to use not only our reasoning abilities, but also our intuition. "Setting up a survival camp, or building a fire — it's a huge teacher," he added. The name Tribal Edge reflects Sanford's reverence for tribal culture. "I don't claim to be Native American," he said. "But I'm native to the Earth." His belief is that all humans belong to the same tribe, and that we're given opportunities to learn from those around us, be they older or younger. "I'm interested in reactivating the connection to elders," Sanford said. "There's an amazing continuum of wisdom," available to us.

And the edge, Sanford said, denotes the location of learning. "It's the place where we grow, the place between the known and the unknown." He plans a Sunday filled with new experiences for visitors, as well as plentiful play time.
Children's games, snacks and lunch are on the daytime schedule, as is a 4 p.m. "labor auction," when training center volunteers will offer to do various jobs to raise money for Tribal Edge scholarships. Dinner will be at 6 p.m., and the evening agenda includes a 7 p.m. open-mike gathering for musicians and others. "Fireside stories with the elders" will begin at 8 p.m.

Sanford has been imagining the Tribal Edge since he was a teenager. He wants it to be a place that promotes mind-body-spirit health, and where children, teens and adults can explore the natural world together. Still supplying inspiration: the Edgar Rice Burroughs character who swung onto newsstands in 1912. Tarzan was simply "a natural person," Sanford said. "There was a purity there."

ALL AGES are welcome at Sunday's grand opening of the Tribal Edge training center, at the south end of Corriea Road behind the 7 Cedars Casino on U.S. Highway 101 in Blyn. Free wilderness skills and fitness demonstrations, activities such as bow-making and fire-building, nature walks, healthful food and fireside storytelling are part of the event from 9 a.m. until dark on Sunday.

For more information, visit www.tribaledge.info or phone 360-683-7641.

Tribal Edge celebrates 1-year anniversary

Published in Sequim Gazzette on Wed, Jun 10, 2009 by Ashley Miller

A year ago, most people wouldn't have guessed that just one mile south of 7 Cedars Casino through a thicket of tall alder trees is a training center that helps people become one with nature and themselves.
Now, passersby driving along U.S. Highway 101 who see the sign for Corriea Road smile fondly with memories of their time spent at the Tribal Edge Primal Arts Training Center, which celebrated its first anniversary with an all-day festival

June 7.

Guests took part in a variety of guided tours, demonstrations, games and competitions. Primitive skills workshops taught children and adults the basics of fire making, basket making, fiber arts, cordage, hide processing, making clothing and cooking. Participants were able to try their hand at archery, building primitive camps and earth shelters, tracking, martial arts and more. During an auction, Tribal Edge volunteers sold their labor to the highest bidders in effort to raise money for scholarships so disadvantaged students can attend programs at the wilderness facility.

Some people attended with the purpose of networking and vision building. Others simply stopped by to explore what Tribal Edge is all about. A celebration feast with fresh, organic homemade soups, salads, bread and cheese provided guests with a nutritious lunch and dinner for those who chose to stick around. As darkness approached, the elders sat around the fire telling stories, sharing personal experiences and answering questions.

About the founder

Born and raised in Sequim, creator Ben Sanford, 35, has been dreaming about such a center since he was a teenage boy and first read the book "Tarzan." His goal, Sanford explained, was to design programs to help people arrive at their own powerful self-discoveries through real experiences.

The center provides training in natural living skills, nature, self-awareness, team and leadership skills for all ages through a variety of classes, programs and events."Primal arts are the essential skills which are core to our existence as human beings," Sanford said. "By training in the skills of awareness, tracking, survival, healing, the warrior arts and others, we can remember our original instructions to be naturally balanced individuals and communities who live with the Earth. "These 'edge' experiences balance body, mind and spirit as you connect with yourself, creation and the Creator in a natural way."



Programs, services offered

Youths, adults, families and organizations utilize the facility.

Group rates are available and programs can be tailored to meet training needs. Participants are coached and guided through programs with inspirational stories, questioning and role modeling by four apprentice instructors and a large volunteer team.

"(They) develop respect for all life as they begin to see the interdependence and connection between all things," Sanford said about enrolled students. "As they journey through the lessons of nature and tribe, they face their edges (and) are left feeling empowered with new skills and insights that they discover for themselves."

The Tribal Edge also offers a home school program and weekly training clubs in primitive skills and tracking, as well as free gatherings on the first Sunday of every month. Martial arts instruction, personal training and group fitness classes also are available at the private gym in the Sequim area.

Seven miles east of Sequim, the 5-acre facility is bordered on one side by the Olympic National Forest adjoining the Buckhorn Wilderness and on the other by Jamestown S'Klallam tribal land.

For more information, go online to www.tribaledge.info or call Sanford at 683-7641.



Ashley Miller can be reached at ashleyo@

sequimgazette.com.