Tamakoce Wilderness Programs

The People 

     Dan Yacobellis began his journey into the world of indigenous culture and living skills over 17 years ago. Living with the Lakota people in South Dakota, Dan was introduced to crafts such as, brain tanning hides, hunting practices, bead and porcupine quillwork, tool and weapon construction and many more aspects of their ancient Native lifeways. This ignited a fire in him to learn more about the natural world that shaped these and the many other indigenous cultures around the world. 
      Since 1994 Dan has been studying the ancient art of animal tracking both in formal educational settings and on his own. In 1998, Dan began working with groups of children from the Albany Free School on the 240 acre parcel of land held by the school in Grafton NY. From simply spending the day immersed in the forest setting to more structured activities like fire making and maple syruping, they created experiences of connection with nature that many of these inner city kids would not likely have had. 
       In 2000, Dan and his family moved onto that land in Grafton and became the caretakers for the old homestead and the land itself. School groups and other programs have since become a regular part of the scene out there. In the years since, Dan has worked with incarcerated youths, recovery programs, homeschool groups, Scouts, and many others as he has continued his practice and education in natural history, and primitive living skills. 

The  Philosophy

        We focus on providing an opportunity for exploration growth and learning. By immersing ourselves in a world filled with the sights sounds and smells of the forest, we naturally become more attuned to the rhythms therein. This creates an atmosphere where learning about life in this environment becomes a very natural experience and the lessons learned will last a lifetime.

      Having a cultural context for this is also extremely important. Therefore, practices such as creating Clans and Rites of Passage are also a part of what we do. This context can only be achieved with the participation of parents and other family members so we try to encourage this whenever possible. 

The Land

                  The Land we’re on is land that was owned by a man named Hank Hazelton, who throughout his life was an advocate for Peace, Native Rights and ecology. Originally closer to 300 acres, he donated part of his land to the Nipponzan Miyohogi or of Buddist monks. There They built a 100 foot tall beacon of peace in the tradition form of the Buddist Pagodas. Keenly aware and dedicated to the preservation of human rights for all the world’s people, the monks always connect to the native people of the areas they go to. Therefore, during the 7 year all volunteer construction process of the Grafton Peace Pagoda and ever since, these monks have been sure to have a representative presence from many local Native communities.

                    It was during this construction period that The Albany Free School first got involved with Hank and the Pagoda. Then, Hank had a stroke during this time and was unable to maintain the taxes on the remainder of the land. It was in danger of foreclosure and certain development when the Albany Free School offered to raise the money owed to preserve the wild space Hank loved so dearly. Through, this Hank decided that the best caretakers for the land when he was gone would be the Free School and they thoughtfully and humbly took on the task. Hank passed on a few years later in 1995 but to this day the house and land are still known as Hanks house!

                   We owe a great deal of thanks to the man who showed such love, dedication and generosity in his lifetime. His is a legacy that those of us who are connected to this place will always hold dear and true to our hearts.