Re: [at-l] the NPS & Smokie balds.

["Coosa" <coosa@alltel.net>]

If my memory serves me correctly, the Balds were created by the OLD Natives
as feeding areas for the Mastodon, then later for the Bison and the Elk, and
later the Deer.  The Natives could gather around the area and choose their
game, then go after it with spears or arrows and other means of capturing
their game.  The Game would hopefully be maneuvered so that many spears or
arrows could kill it -- or it could be caught in the woods as it ran away in
nets or in pens which would at least slow the game down so that it could be
killed.

Once the Europeans (some of those married into my family; a family who had
been here since at least half of forever if not before) arrived, knowing so
much more (in their inflated opinions) than those who had lived in the land
for so long,  they took over, did not have controlled burns, did not know
how to hunt or survive without the help of some of my (misguided?)
ancestors, and once they had taken over control, they allowed the land to
'return to natural' -- which meant that the Big Game remaining here (don't
know why the Mastodons left) went West (as someone later would tell young
men to do) leaving this part of the country.  As the forests became thick
with briars and brambles, there was no place for bigger game to run.  Some
of the balds were allowed to grow over and have become second/third/fourth
growth forests.  Meal for logging machines.

SO, do we leave the Balds as the Old Natives had them?   YES.  The various
units of the Federal Government charged with overseeing the forests and
parks and lands have come up with Clear Cutting and any number of other
"great ideas" which have destroyed our land and our water.  We could do with
some Old Ways of doing things (and I do not mean 'European' either --
remember, these are the people who have cut down EVERY Old Growth Tree in
most of their countries -- at least all of them that they could get a saw or
an axe into!)

Oh, yea, I forgot, many if not all of you are from European descent --
hopefully some of you have some American Native blood coursing through your
veins, too.

Do I sound Highly Opinionated???  Good, HW

>>>> Tom Fort <tjfort@netdoor.com> 02/04/00 01:19PM >>>
> Is it in the best interest of the Park to let the balds disappear?  Should
they make an attempt to keep them cut so they can continue to exist.  Or, if
it is
>natures desire, it will find a way?
>thanks. t.
>


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