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.

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.

We have done research into pricing of similar courses and priced FIRES significantly lower than most courses of its type, and have designed different tier options with accesibility in mind.

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 by being more in touch with your own hands and how they work with that world to 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 community we create during the course are an important part of the learning experience. Whether you participate in the community via our exclusive chat platform, the Skills Circle with the Sparks or Embers options, or live community calls with the Coals option, learning alongside and connecting with your fellow students multiplies your learning exponentially.

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 after the gathering itself. How long depends on the option you choose. The Coals 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.

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 Timeless Ways, 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. Your donations towards the scholarship fund support both of these things. 

How much time will this take?

It is up to you. Modules are released every two weeks until all classes are available. Depending on your track, there will be 1-2 hours of lessons for you to do on your own time in each module.

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 Woniya's first online gathering in 2020, the students' feedback was that it provided more information than they had expected and cost less than they had expected to pay for such an experience. We have adapted the course every year based on students' reflections and now offer different options to better suit differing needs. 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 is funding a minimum of 20 such scholarships, and is collecting donations toward more scholarships to increase how many we can offer. 

We hope to avoid having to turn anyone away because of financial hardship and to have a student body truly representing the diversity of people in our culture. We ask people who apply for scholarships to pay what they can and offer both partial and full scholarships.

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.

All Coals students are 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?

It depends on your learning mode choice, and this is why we offer three different option, from Sparks to Coals. 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 one 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!