4 tracks, 100+ lessons, over 6 months to learn at your own pace. An extraordinary learning opportunity awaits you!
The 2025 Buckskin Revolution Online Skills Gathering, a transformative online course featuring skills for the wilderness, the homestead, and a wilder version of the modern life .
In this immersive experience, you will:
✅ Explore ways to survive and thrive in the wilderness, on the homestead, or in modern society
✅ Gain hands-on skills rooted in ancestral knowledge
✅ Connect with like-minded individuals passionate about traditional skills and a land-based lifestyle
✅ Walk away with practical tools to rewild and reimagine your capacity and your life
Why This Gathering Matters
In a world that regularly moves too fast, provides too much stimulation, and misses the important things even while drowning in over abundance of many trivial things, the BROG offers an opportunity to slow down, remind yourself of your innate capacity, create the substance of your life with your own two hands, and reclaim the skills that helped our ancestors thrive. All within the context of supported, like minded community, and expert mentorship.
Whether you're new to these practices or seeking to refine your craft, this gathering is designed to connect, empower, and inspire.
Testimonials from students in the early session of the 2025 BROG
"It’s hard to beat a live ancestral skills gathering but Woniya’s virtual gathering is a way of taking in new information slowly and implementing things right away in real life. Endless veins of expansion in all her tracks, accessible to anyone in any lifestyle, all that’s required is care for our natural world. Woniya is wildly knowledgeable, passionate, and inspiring…and just perfectly wild."
-Jennifer Medley
"I've never been a huge fan of learning online, let alone learning ancestral skills over the internet; however, Woniya's Buskin Revolution Online Gathering (BROG) has changed that. Given that I live at the bottom of the planet, getting to participate in training like this can be expensive, not to mention the flights! I found Woniya to be incredibly responsive and generous with her time in answering my questions, and the course material was clear and concise and highlighted things I need to develop my knowledge and abilities in. There are still dozens of training videos on other subjects I have yet to watch, so I'm looking forward to watching and learning those skills too."
-Toby Yorke, New Zealand
"If anyone is considering taking a Buckskin Revolution Online Gathering, I say 100% go for it! It is such an incredible wealth of information. Woniya's level of knowledge and skill in so many subjects are incredible. She is also an awesome teacher, really engaging with her students, motivating, and super kind. The class structure is set up so well that it gives you a good understanding on a subject, you go out and try it yourself, and then you're also provided with resources to help you dive deeper if you want. Super effective, and I feel kind of amazed and proud at all of the things I know how to do now, and I've just scratched the surface! I also love that she has created an online community to connect with and share with other like-minded people all over the world, even after the gathering is over. 10/10 recommend, totally loving it!"
-Andrea McFarland
Over six months of incredible learning
Over six month of incredible learning! April 21- December 1
4 modules, one released every 6 weeks with live Zoom calls to discuss each module
$295
From the skills of our ancestors through modern surthrival skills the BROG is a deep dive into the skills you need to survive and thrive in the wilderness, the homestead, the urban jungle, or anywhere in between.
There's never been a better time to boost your capacity, your resilience, and your sense of connection.
Over six months of supported, interactive, in-depth learning
Includes classes, downloadable resources, weekly interactive Zoom Circles, and access to an ongoing online learning community.
First round of classes released April 21
Opening Circle May 6
Closing Circle October 21
BROG's can work for everyone, regardless of their location or schedule. Got an internet connection? You can be a BROGger. Here's how we do it:
There are 3 elements to the BROG: pre-recorded video classes, an exclusive online chat platform available 24/7, and weekly interactive Zoom calls. You can watch the classes on own schedule, whether it takes you four weeks or four months, and if you aren't able to join the live calls, no worries. They are all recorded and posted to the class platform after they happen, so you can still submit questions and watch the answers later, or just benefit from the groups questions and conversations.
You have six months to watch the classes, and can view them as many times as you want, and we'll meet to discuss them every six-seven weeks.
Done a BROG before and wondering if you'll get more out of this one?
Every BROG shares similar themes, and many of the classes repeat from year to year, but each BROG is unique with a different combination of learning tracks. New classes are always mixed in with the old standbys so that you can keep participating in BROG after BROG and always have something new to learn and the inspiration of doing it alongside new people.
Bio section
I am delighted to be your teacher and guide on your BROG learning journey
I am an instructor, a craftsperson, an author, and a mother. I have been practicing and teaching wilderness, ancestral, and land-based living skills for 30 years.
While best known for being the first woman to win the self-filmed solo survival challenge, Alone (Alone Frozen, 2022), survival has never been my focus. I consider myself a surthrivalist. Instead of focusing just on not dying (the definition of survival), I choose to focus on living a vibrant, abundant, deeply connected, and joyful life using the skills that have served humans for millennia, and to help you do the same.
I combine my decades of wilderness experience with a Master's Degree in Environmental Science for a teaching style that bridges craft and survival know-how with a knowledge of and love of the living world around us.
After decades of teaching at ancestral skills events and smaller in-person classes, my two seasons on the hit survival show Alone and the release of my memoir, Never Alone, a Solo Arctic Survival Journey, combined to help me reach a wider audience of people hungry to learn to do what they saw me do on screen. The BROGs were my solution to be able to teach hundreds of people the kinds of skills that kept me not only alive but happy, long term, in some of the harshest climates on the planet.
It has been tremendously satisfying seeing the many lives the BROGs have touched and changed for the better since I first began offering them in 2020 during the advent of the Corona Pandemic.
More about what you get and what you can expect from the gathering.
Focus on one subject of interest, or get ambitious and learn it all!
Every BROG has 4 learning tracks that change from BROG to BROG.
While focused on different core topics, all the subjects covered relate to the general themes of empowerment, traditional and ancestral skills, and reaching our full potential as wilder and better-adapted humans.
This year's four themes are:
Wilderness Living and Survival
Rewilding Your Life
Homesteading and Off-grid Living
Ancestral Skills: Fiber Craft
Students are encouraged to pick one "home track", but have access to all classes on all tracks. Within each track, every week of the gathering will have a different focus, and the classes will all build upon one another over the course of the gathering for a comprehensive, curated educational experience.
You can view the pre-recorded classes on your own schedule. They will be available to watch as many times as you'd like throughout the gathering, and your access will continue for an additional 6 months.
Why limited instead of lifetime access? Because this learning experience is designed as a gathering, not a standard online course. Interactive learning with your fellow students and Woniya is a key component, and that will only happen if you engage in real-time, not years down the road when you finally get around to it. The limited access window is designed to keep you motivated, interacting, and still excited to learn more when the next BROG rolls around!
Get to know Woniya and your fellow students in live Zoom meetings with opportunities for Q&A and show and tell. The community connections and camaraderie with other students make a huge difference in motivation and in continuing to practice the skills.
Every call has opportunities to meet with the larger BROG community and small group break out sessions for each track. The smaller groups allow opportunity for closer connection and a deeper sense of community within your focus track.
In addition to the live video calls, you'll have access to a private online community where you can connect with other students and experts in a friendly and welcoming space. Get the opportunity to ask questions and get personalized instruction on projects, to multiply the learning potential many fold.
In-person courses can be prohibitively expensive for many students, especially when the cost of travel and lodging is factored in. One of the motivations of the online gatherings is to make similar instruction accessible to as many people as possible. The BROG price is considerably less than comparable courses in any one individual tracks, but with the BROG you get access to all four tracks for your one registration fee.
Creating online courses and running high-quality online courses is a tremendous amount of work and a labor of love. We believe in the value provided and we hope you do too. The course is a wonderful investment in a future enriched by all you’ll learn!
Included:
Introductory lessons on the larger themes of Buckskin Revolution learning
4 six week sessions with new video lessons (all taught by Woniya) released in each track in every session
Zoom calls for each session where you'll connect with Woniya and other students.
An online community for 24/7 support.
Access to all course content as often and as many times as you want for over 6 months
Downloadable resources like reading lists and other instructions
We believe these skills are important parts of our shared human heritage, but recognize that all people do not have equal access to them. Our goal is to help change that and our scholarship program is one way we do so, and creating a safe and inclusive learning environment is another.
We have 2 different scholarships: Inclusion and Needs-based.
Inclusion Scholarships are intended to increase diversity in the fields of outdoor, survival, and wilderness skills. These are areas in which people of color and people outside of the binary gender spectrum have typically been underrepresented and not always safe. In the spirit of equity and reparation, our inclusion scholarships are available for people of color and LGBTQ2Ia+ with particular emphasis given to BIPOC and transgender and gender non-binary participants.
Needs-based Scholarships are intended to increase access to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds by helping those with financial need be able to attend.
Buckskin Revolution funds several full and partial scholarships of each kind and also invites others to contribute to the scholarship fund to further increase participation.
What’s this gathering about?
The gathering is intended to give a foundation in fundamental skills for living a life more grounded in doing for yourself rather than relying on modern technology and industry. Wild and homegrown foods, practices for living a more deeply connected life, and related skills are just a handful of the topics covered.
What sets this gathering apart is that the physical skills are just one part of it. The bigger picture intention is to help you feel more connected to the natural world through being more in touch with your own hands and how they work with that world to help you find materials for food, fiber, shelter, and more. It is also very much about connecting you with a greater community of people interested in similar things so you have support and camaraderie in your learning journey.
It's an online class, why call it a gathering?
We call it a gathering because, while you can view the pre-recorded classes on your own schedule, the interactive live conference calls are a big part of the learning experience. They build a sense of community and group learning that multiplies the value of the course content.
In addition to the scheduled weekly live group conferences, you’ll be able to access the online experience any time you like. You can interact and ask questions on a range of topics, within or outside of the course content, and share projects, knowledge, and more.
The limited time frame is also part of what makes it a gathering- the hope is that it encourages the students to watch the classes now, rather than pushing them further down their to-do lists, so that they are more likely to interact with the other students who are viewing them at a similar time.
It is also gathering as opposed to a focused course because it is designed as an immersive experience covering a broad range of topics, not a comprehensive course on just one topic.
I don’t know anything about wilderness living. Is this course right for me?
Yes! The classes are designed with beginners in mind, with plenty of background on the skills and context to help you understand why we chose to include particular subjects. The live calls and online skills community are a wonderful resource for you to ask further questions of both Woniya and fellow students. The additional lessons, calls and online community are also a great place for more experienced students to get support in diving deeper. The community nature of the gathering means beginners benefit from the questions and experience of the advanced students and the advanced students benefit from the more detailed mentorship from Woniya, and from providing mentorship and advice to the beginners.
I live in a city without much access to nature, how will I be able to take advantage of the skills I learn?
Even if you live in an urban environment, there are a lot of ways to apply these skills to your life. That is part of what we mean when we say “it is about how you learn, not just what you learn, and how that learning changes you.”
I have a busy schedule. Will I be able to work this course around it?
Yes! The classes themselves are all pre-recorded, so you can watch them whenever works for you, and you’ll continue to have access to them for 6 months after the gathering itself. The interactive calls are scheduled ahead of time, so you’ll be able to plan for them, and if you can't make them live, they will be recorded and shared so you can still experience them. There is also the Online Skills Sharing Community, so even if you can't make the calls, you can still ask questions and interact with Woniya and the other students.
Does this course appropriate indigenous culture?
There is a big and important difference between using the resources in the wild land around us and appropriation. At Buckskin Revolution, we believe that being in right relationship to the land and connecting with it through tending, harvesting, and giving back is important and is part of our birthright as humans. That is different from appropriating specific traditions from specific indigenous people. We are very mindful of not doing that. There is no doubt that it can be a slippery slope, and all will have their own opinions about where to draw the line.
We are also committed to social justice and reparations. We offer scholarships to BIPOC (black and indigenous people of color), and transgender and gender non-binary participants. We also donate to groups working toward social and environmental justice like the Lakota Law Project, NAACP and others. Your donations towards the scholarship fund support both of these things.
How much time will this take?
It is up to you . Each week there will be 1-2 hours of lessons for you to do on your own time and two options for 60-90 minute live zoom call.
You will also get more out of the gathering if you put aside an hour or two a week to reflect on and/or practice what you’re learning.
Where does this information come from?
The information in these classes draws from Woniya’s experience of 30 years studying traditional skills and making them a way of life. She has applied these skills in wilderness living situations, including 123 days living off the land in Northern Canada between her two season on Alone. She has spent decades living off grid in a variety of places and climates, growing, gathering and preserving a lot of her food and making her tools and material goods herself.
She also has a formal education in biology, including a Master's degree in Environmental Science, with a focus in Botany and Entomology.
She combines her science background and her hands-on living skills for a well-rounded, thorough, and engaging teaching style.
How do you determine the cost of this gathering?
Putting together such an event is a huge effort and a labor of love. We have priced the course well below the suggested value for courses of this kind because it is important to us to make it more accessible for more kinds of people. After the first Buckskin Revolution gathering, the students' feedback was that it was more information than they had expected and cost less than they would have expected to pay for such an experience. If the cost feels prohibitive to you, please read about our scholarship programs.
Do you offer scholarships?
Yes! We have 2 different scholarship programs. One is designed to help those with financial need be able to attend. The other is designed to increase diversity in a field in which people of color and people outside of the binary gender spectrum have typically been under represented. Buckskin Revolution funds the majority of the scholarships and collects donations to increase how many we can offer.
We hope to not have to turn anyone away because of financial hardship and to have a student body truly representing the diversity of people in our culture.
You can apply for either category of scholarship using the same application. Scroll up for the link!
What happens on the live calls?
The live calls are one of the most potent parts of the gathering for those who participate. They are not only a way to connect with and get to know the other students and Woniya, but they offer an opportunity to dive deeper into the subject matter, get your questions answered, and hear the other students' questions.
Everyone is encouraged to attend whether or not they are up to date on the week's classes. It isn’t unusual for people to work through the course on their own timeline and still participate in and get a lot out of the weekly calls. They are a great way to learn more, be inspired, and be supported in your learning.
They are not required, and most students don’t make the calls every week or even at all, but those who do are those who get the most out of the experience and integrate most thoroughly into their lives.
How much interaction will I have with Woniya?
The full gathering Zoom calls will all be hosted by Woniya, and the track calls will be hosted by her or one of our peer mentors. Woniya also regularly checks and provides feedback in the online community, while encouraging students to engage with each other on these topics as well. That is part of what makes it a gathering!
The online community and calls provide an avenue for questions and feedback that multiple students can benefit from them. Since we typically get a high volume of messages and questions, this is the best way to ensure everyone is heard and the group can benefit from their question. It also provides a way for students to communicate with and get support from one another. This is one of the intentions and strengths of this being a learning community, not just a teacher and student learning experience!
Is this course appropriate for kids?
Yes! While the gathering was not specifically designed for kids, the subject material is appropriate for children, and we not only encourage their participation, but see it as very important.
Imagine how different your life might be if you had been given a foundation in these skills as a young person and had the sense of empowerment, capability, and connection that comes with them early on!
We have had children as young as 10 and as old as 16 participate in the gathering, and they have been some of our most enthusiastic participants, to the delight of their parents. The classes are also set up in a way that can dovetail beautifully with homeschool and distance learning curriculums. We already have some parents planning to incorporate the gathering into their children's schooling, so if you choose to do so, you’ll be in good company!
I see this isn’t the first time you’ve offered a gathering. Are they all the same?
No, each BROG overlaps with prior versions but with a different combination of topics and classes and some new and different material. Additionally, a lot of the value is in the live calls and student interaction in the community forum; these are always new with each gathering.
What if I don't have access to the kinds of materials discussed in the classes?
You don’t need anything at all to participate in the gathering. You will learn a ton just by watching the classes. If you want to take your learning to the next level and follow along with them in a hands-on way, that is great too! Students will receive a materials list after they register, as well as some suggestions on how to go about finding the more obscure materials.
In the past gatherings, some students have participated hands-on in only a few classes, and most have participated just by watching the videos. All have reported learning a tremendous amount regardless.
More questions?
Feel free to email us at team@buckskinrevolution.com if you have further questions. Keep in mind that we get a lot of email these days so it might take some time to get your reply!