1951 The Illegal Movement
Kmen Černého Havrana ("Black Raven Tribe")
Picture from p. 154 1. The tribe's emblem on fabric. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 154 2. Abseiling at Grúnik, 1953. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 154 3. Campsite preparation at the river Hřmící řeka, 1953. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 154 4. A winter expedition to Slunečné paloučky, 1953. ~z~ JK
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Picture from p. 154 5. On the peak of Grúnik, 1953. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 154 6. A trip to Zbraslav, 1952. ~z~ AW
While the majority of woodcrafter tribes would gradually abolish their operation after the end of LČSW, the Prague-based tribe Černí Havrani remained active for several more years. There were two reasons for this: the boys' relatively low average age, and the enthusiastic young Chief Jan Kamenický – Had (Snake). Unfortunately, chronicle records were not made much in the 1950s anymore, and we are left with drawing on the memories of contemporary witnesses. Nevertheless, let me refer to Černí Havrani's chronicle from the years 1946–50, and list names and nicknames of some of the tribe's members: Vladimír Kroupa - Kulich, Josef Máša - Sob, the Válek brothers, František Karfík - Ježek, Jiří Čech - Pískle, Jiří Vavák, Láďa Kovář, Karel Antropius, Jan Vavák, Vladimír Perout - Žluťásek, Petr Korba - Ťuhýk, Jiří Hrůza, Václav Říha, Jan Kozák - Šíp, Bohouš Urbánek - Bobi, Vojtěch Cepl - Delfín, Procházka - Vlček, Durda - Datel, Sochovský - Sysel, Prášek, Žluva, Erlík, Zajíček, Lasička, Kofroň, Žoužle, Pajda, Zrzek, Lišák, Bobr…
Kmen Vycházejícího slunce Děčín ("Tribe of Rising Sun, Děčín")
Picture from p. 155 1. The emblem of the tribe Vycházející slunce. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 155 2. A LČSW badge, 1945. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 155 3.–4. Pages from the tribe's chronicle, 1951. ~z~ MK
Picture from p. 155 5. High school students' party, Děčín. From the left Milan Kaluš, Mirek Čech, Vladimír Bartoň, Bedřich Moldan, Ivan Studničný. 1953. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 155 6. Bedřich Moldan and Jan Kozák – Šíp at Dívčí skok in Divoká Šárka, 1953. ~z~ JK {{{3}}}
Picture from p. 155 7. Bedřich Moldan playing "Bolero" by Ravel on the flute, 1957. ~z~ VK
At the end of 1950, the last LČSW tribe was created in Děčín under the name Kmen Vycházejícího slunce ("Tribe of Rising Sun"). It was based on a youth camping troop founded after the war by the Grešík brothers within the organization Sokol. Its Chief was Zdeněk Fišera – Klen (Sycamore), an employee of the Municipal Forests Administration in the Děčín region. Klen gathered Bedřich Moldan – Beďár, Ivan Studničný – Bivoj, Milan Kaluš, Sváťa Novák – Bojek, Ivan Holub, and Ivan Bílek. The Děčín-based tribe traditionally camped at the river Hřmící řeka. In the fall 1951, Klen migrated to Canada via Austria, and passed his leadership of the tribe onto Bedřich Moldan. Kmen Vycházejícího slunce was active until September 1953 when its members went to Prague to study. Its successor was the university tribe Kmen Větru ("Tribe of Wind").
Kmen Větru and Kruh ("Tribe of Wind" and "The Circle")
Picture from p. 156 1. At the lake Litvorové pleso in the Tatra Mountains. From the left: Lída Kozáková, Bedřich Moldan, Atahualpa. 1960. ~z~ LL
Picture from p. 156 2. The bulletin of Kmen Větru, 1954. ~z~ LA
Picture from p. 156 3. Lída, Bedřich and Had at Martalúzka, 1956. ~z~ LL
Picture from p. 156 4. The members of Kruh at Bobin's hut. 1961. ~z~ LL
Picture from p. 156 5. Jan Pfeiffer – Racek's troop camping, Řevnice 1959. ~z~ LL
In the fall of 1953, Jan Kamenický – Had left for military service; the tribe Černí Havrani joined forces with university students from Děčín to establish a new tribe, Kmen Větru ("Tribe of Wind"), under Bedřich Moldan's leadership in Prague. The tribe members cooperated with the tribe Sisseton as well as with members of the rover tribe Kruh. The leader of the latter – Pavel Křivský (a participant of Chautauqua 1947) – was arrested. Lída Kozáková, one of the attendees of the common events, later recounted that at that time, "The Circle" group consisted mainly of: Honza Pfeiffer – Racek, Janka Pfeifferová, Míla Moravec – Očko, Jindřiška Moravcová – Ina, Josef Skalický – Čán, Milada Skalická – Ilka, Vratislav Řehák – Áček, Irena Řeháková, Vašek Břicháček – Gigant, Láďa Pešl – Balú, Majka Pešlová, Vláďa Kopřiva – Vlk, Pavel Blažka, Ruda Seidl – Punťa, Danka Seidlová, and Miloš Zapletal. The tribe ended its operation most probably in the fall of 1956.
Illegal woodcrafters
Picture from p. 157 1. The Ojibways on a trip, 1955. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 157 2. Archery, Norek Samotář is kneeling, Blansko 1962. ~z~ BH
Picture from p. 157 3. Sisseton's camp, Hehun at Stvořidla, 1958. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 157 4. Family camping. In the middle: Bobr and Čejka, 1958. ~z~ BH
Picture from p. 157 5. An archery troop from Brno, led by Bobr and Čejka, Blansko 1964. ~z~ BH
Of course, most members of the disbanded LČSW continued to be active and remained loyal to the idea "Woodcraft is Lifecraft". The Ojibways, Kmen Ohně ("Tribe of Fire") from Brno, or many members of Sisseton never completely interrupted their activities...
The river Hřmící řeka
Picture from p. 158 1. Teepee of Kmen Ohně at Hřmící řeka, 1948. ~z~ JC
Picture from p. 158 2. Sýc surpassing Belá, 1950. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 158 3. Descending to Kamenistá dolina, 1950. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 158 4. Vlaštovka the kayaker on the rapids, 1948. ~z~ JC
Picture from p. 158 5. Černí Havrani's totem and campsite, 1953. ~z~ JK
Picture from p. 159 6.–9. Kmen Ohně from Brno camping at the river Hřmící řeka, 1951. ~z~ BH
Picture from p. 159 10. The river Hřmící řeka in winter, 2020. ~z~ FC
In 1948, Bedřich Homola – Osamělý Bobr (Lone Beaver) departed for an exploratory trip to the surroundings of the Walden hut. The flow of the river Belá was asking for exploration. It did not take Bobr long to find the right place for LČSW's campsite. The sound of the nearby rapids inspired him to name it "Hřmící řeka" – "Rumbling River". The campsite became popular for many more decades; Jaroslav Foglar camped nearby too and renamed Belá "Zelená říčka" ("Green River"). In Kmen Ohně's chronicle we can find Bobr's record from summer 1948:
The campfire smoke scent is the same in the Rocky Mountains, on the plains of Dakota, or on the banks of Canadian lakes, and in the rocks of Stvořidla on the Sázava river or under a spruce at Zelený potok. The logs crackle the same way, the fire burns in a teepee as well as in Chautauqua scouts' hearts on Hučivá Desná, just as the fire burns above the currents of Hřmící řeka...
Light mist is hanging above the river where high rapids by the camp seem far and unreal as if wrapped in a fairytale-like spiderweb. The rising sun is playing with beads of dew on the meadow and with the needles of juniper bushes, a waterfall of shiny pearls is running down with the river's cool waters in the leaves of alders, willows and tamarisks to disappear in the depths of the spruce forest as a wild, whirling current. All boys are already out, standing behind the speaker in silence. The tom-tom pulse is slowing down, the morning song "Wah taho taho" is getting carried away to the sun and to the broad blue spaces as thanks to the Great Spirit for the beauty of life...
Vlk's tribe in Prague
Picture from p. 160 1.–5. Images of the tribe's activities in 1957. ~z~ VK
Picture from p. 161 6.–9. The tribe camping, 1957. ~z~ VK
In spring 1957, Vladimír Kopřiva – Vlk (Wolf) and Bedřich Moldan founded a tourist group at a school in Bílá (a high school in Prague 6), which was part of a pioneer group. Its program was based on the combination of elements of woodcraft and scouting. Soon it found dozens of young fans. Everything was, understandably, leading up to a very successful summer camp. So successful that it was even used as an example for other camps.
The popular group unfortunately could not hide from the undesirable attention of State Security (the secret police), and both leaders were subjected to hours-long interrogations. Thus, the group officially ceased to operate already in the fall.
Dakota Prague
Picture from p. 162 1. A brass badge of the rover tribe Dakota. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 162 2. The Dakota members on the river Želivka. From the left: Pikta, Sokolí oko, Malý medvěd, Letící šíp and Šošon, 1960. ~z~ IM
Picture from p. 162 3. Dakota on the Sázava river, 1962. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 162 4. Dakota camp totem by Orko, 1962. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 162 5. Malý medvěd with a guitar, Roháče 1963. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 163 6. Orko and Medvěd at Dakota, 1963. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 163 7. Indian Games at Brdy, 1964. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 163 8. Dakota at Indian Games, 1965. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 163 9. Dakota wandering, Sv. Jan pod Skalou 1964. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 163 10. Dakota in scout costumes, Brdy 1968. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 163 11. Watercolor painting "Apache" from Dakota's chronicle, 1961. ~z~ AW
Influenced by E. T. Seton's and Karl May's books, the student Ivan Makásek – Malý medvěd (Small Bear) established the Indian alliance Dakota in Prague on 21 March 1959. Other members included Jindřich Kejha – Sokolí oko, Jan Záruba – Letící šíp, Miroslav Janďourek – Rychlý mokasín, Eda Havel – Šošon, and Zlatko Šorm – Arapaho. Dakota's activities were very varied, which was partly due to the fact that Sokolí oko and Malý medvěd were the members of Jaroslav Foglar's troop for a short while two years earlier. Besides that, they made bows and arrows, tomahawks, knives for throwing, and cowboy lassos following the examples of Yan and Caleb. Nature exploration, tracing, tying knots, map reading, orientation, knowledge of constellations, and many other areas were also practiced.
Dakota also brought its own ideas to the table, such as regular Indian Games. Individuals competed for an overall victory in a number of contests (archery, running, tomahawk throwing, knife throwing, etc.).
Bobří hrad (Beaver Castle)
Picture from p. 164 1. A family camp at Bobří hrad, 1971. ~z~ BH
Picture from p. 164 2. Migisi's, Bobr's and Medvěd's families at Little Walden, 1973. ~z~ RP
Picture from p. 164 3. Petr and Pavel Homola at Bobří jezero, 1964. ~z~ BH
Picture from p. 164 4. Bobr with his family and friends at Bobří hrad, 1968. ~z~ BH
Picture from p. 164 5. Bobří hrad has come alive again, 1973. ~z~ RP
The beautiful, romantic hut at the pond Sklenský rybník left after the German baroness Teuber was assigned to Bedřich Homola – Bobr (Beaver) for administration by State Forests Enterprise Directorate in 1964. Bobří hrad became an asylum for both young and older woodcraft and scouting enthusiasts who did not have the possibility to meet up freely under communist totalitarism. During the Normalization period in Czechoslovakia, semi-legal woodcrafter camps, meetings, councils and Kiwendothas were held there. Today it is the base of the tribe Jezerní lidé ("Lake People") from Brno, and the technical facilities of the hut are taken care of by Brother Wakai.
Kmen Neskenon Praha (Tribe Neskenon Prague)
Picture from p. 165 1. A cover of the magazine Neskenon 6/1966. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 165 2. Indian Games 1965. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 165 3. A cover of a fire warden's handbook, 1967. ~z~ AA
Picture from p. 165 4. Neskenon camp at Výsluní, 1967. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 165 5. A lacrosse tournament on the meadows Šavanské louky. ~z~ IM
The history of Neskenon started on 3 September 1965 in the clubhouse of the Karst section of Sbor ochrany přírody (Nature Protection Crew) in Jaromírova Street in Nusle, Prague. It consisted of a handful of boys from the former section Medvědi, some members of the tramping tribe Dakota, and Ivan Makásek – Malý medvěd (later Hiawatha). The founding fire was lit a day later at the camp Stará Dakota ("Old Dakota") in Brdy where the attendees accepted Hiawatha's program for the tribe Neskenon and thus became its first members. They were Jan Pechlák – Kazan, Miroslav Vorlický – Orlík (later Miše Mokwa, son of the woodcrafter Jindřich Orlický), Michal Peprník – Wahb, Roman Janyš – Dick, Jaroslav Bursík – Atpui, Petr Jilich – Čáp, Milan Hofmann – Kaktus (later Bowery), Hynek Spurný, Jiří Čujan – Ludva, František Průša – Lišák, Lumír Kasel – Lumík, and Pavel Cach – Sam. The Medvědi section got divided into two new kins: Modrá Želva ("Blue Trutle") and Černý Medvěd ("Black Bear"). In the beginning of October, Lišáci ("Foxes") led by Petr Ráb – Had (later Čingašgúk) approved the name Klan Bílého Jestřába ("Kin of the White Hawk"). In the end of November, some of the members of the section Vlci came from Zikán's Psohlavci ("Dogheads") troop. The 3rd troop of Prague-based Psohlavci was established. They had the Indian peculiarity of actual Iroquois. These can still be found in the United States and Canada today as The 6 Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, also called Ne-Ske-Non (Great Peace), which was, after all, the purpose of the confederation of the tribes Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, and Tuscarora.
Zdeněk Fišera - Klen, Jan Kamenický - Had
Picture from p. 166 Z. Fišera, 1996. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 166 Klen in Canada, 1957. ~z~ AW
Picture from p. 167 J. Kamenický, 1953. ~z~ ID
Picture from p. 167 On the far right: Had at Little Walden, 1990. ~a~ JB
Picture from p. 168 Drawing "An Indian Camp", 1972. ~z~ ZR
- Zdeněk Fišera - Klen
- (* 1. ledna 1929, Jičín – † 16. února 2014, Edmonton, Kanada)
A forester by profession and a post-war woodcrafter. In order to avoid the war, Klen (Sycamore) migrated to the American occupation zone through Austria in 1951, and continued to Canada.
He was caught trying to escape the Russian occupation zone on the bank of the Danube. He was lucky though. The Austrian investigator, a communist from Brno who, according to his own words, had had to flee his homeland himself shortly before that, organized a permit for Klen to get to the other side.
Klen applied for resettlement in Linz, Austria, where he would spend two more years before finding out that the abbess at the monastery where he worked would keep his correspondence back on purpose in order not to lose him as cheap labour.
After his arrival in Canada, he worked for the national parks administration – he built hiking trails. He lived in Edmonton with his English wife Ywone and their two sons.
Klen never stopped being a woodcrafter. When LLM got renewed in 1990, he helped František Kožíšek – Biminiji, the representative at that time, get photocopies of Seton's correspondence with Czech woodcrafters from the Canadian national archive. As a representative of Canadian woodcrafters, he took part in international camping at Little Walden near Sklené nad Oslavou in 1996.
A year later, an expedition of Czech woodcrafters from the tribe Walden visited him in Edmonton.
Klen founded the Woodcraft Association of Canada; right before he died, he left it his house in Edmonton as well as his land in British Columbia. He had bought the land in order to organize woodcrafter camps for his compatriots' children.
- Jan Kamenický - Had
- (* 12. července 1930 – † 10. listopadu 2014)
An electrotechnical engineer by profession, a member of Kmen Šelem ("The Ferine Tribe") originally under the nickname Lasička (Stoat), later on the Chief of the tribe Černí Havrani ("Black Ravens") in Prague.
In 1961 he married Jana Knapová, they had two children (Zuzana and Jan). He kept cooperating with his friends from the rover tribe Kruh ("The Circle") and with woodcrafters. In 1968 he participated in the renewal of LLM.
After his serious injury in a car accident in 1973, he was unfortunately unable to be active in any way, but he still went on trips to nature with his family at least.
In 1985 he made it possible for František Kožíšek – Biminiji to get in touch with other post-war members of LČSW.
In 1990 Had took part in the renewal Council of LLM in Sklené at Little Walden, and joined the tribe Wahpeton.
