YOUTH-ORIENTED BIOGRAPHY
| James Bruchac was raised in the Adirondack foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York. The eldest son of Abenaki and Adirondack storyteller Joseph Bruchac III, he grew up immersed in the natural world, storytelling and native culture. | |
 AUTHORJim has both authored and co-authored books for kids and adults alike. Childrens' books include How Chipmunk Got His Stripes, Turtle's Race with Beaver, and Racoon's Last Race, all by Dial books, When The Chenoo Howls from Walker books and Native American Games and Stories by Fulcrum Publishing. Upcoming childrens' books include Rabbit's Snow Dance, Dial Books, Nature Tracks With Jim Bruchac, Bowman Books, and Jim Bruchac's Animal Tracking Adventure Guide by Fulcrum Publishing. Adult and general public titles include three animal tracking pocket guides by Falcon Press, Scats & Tracks of The Northeast, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Upcoming Titles include The Girl Who Helped Thunder, an anthology of Native Tales from Sterling Publishing and Jim Bruchac's Guide to Woodland Survival, Bowman Books. Jim is a member and former president of the Word Craft Circle for Native writers and storytellers as well as a member of The Native Writers Circle of The Americas. | |
 STORYTELLERAs a Native American storyteller and youngest member of The Adirondack Liars' Club, Jim has offered programs for hundreds of schools across the United States. In 1999, Jim was nominated Storyteller of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Authors and Storytellers. He has performed at festivals, museums and libraries, including the Smithsonian Discovery Theater (Washington DC), the Corn Island Storytelling Festival (KY), Noble Tales Festival and the Connor Prairie Museum (IN), Indian Summer and Riverbend Festivals (WI), The Boston Children's Museum and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum (MA), the Hudson River Clearwater Festival, the Noteworthy Indian Museum, and The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake (NY). You can hear Jim perform some of his stories on audio - Northeast Native American Animal Stories, as well as the two CD audio set of When the Chenoo Howls, Native Tales of Terror. Jim and other members of his family were featured on the PBS special Adirondack Storytellers (WMHT/PBS). | |
 WILDERNESS EXPERT & GUIDEJim has conducted tracking and wilderness survival-based research in all corners of the United States and Lower Canada. He has also traveled to places such as West Africa and Central America and continues his work with John Stokes and The Tracking Project in Corrales, New Mexico. Jim is a graduate of the Tracking Project's "Nurturing The Roots Community Mentor Program." Jim's tracking & wilderness programs include a variety of learning experiences: primitive and modern survival techniques, animal tracking, appreciation of the natural world, and Native uses of natural resources among other things. Jim's new DVD INTO THE WOODLANDS, features many of these skills. Jim has worked with numerous schools and organizations including The National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, Cornell Outdoor Education, Syracuse University Forestry School, Environmental Education Council of Ohio, SUNY Albany, Skidmore College, Miami University Ohio Outdoor Pursuit Center, Iowa Conservation Education Council, The National Parks Service, Ohio Metro Parks, YMCA of the Rockies, Pocono Environmental Education Center and many others. Along with his upcoming survival books Jim has also been featured on such television shows as Wild TV on PBS and Ray Mears Ultimate Survival Guide, on the Travel Channel. Having acted as a survival consulted for numerous local and National News Stations Jim has been seen on such programs as the FOX & FRIENDS MORNING SHOW. | |
 ANIMAL TRACKERWith his first-hand knowledge of animal tracking coming from his father as well as his grandfather Joe Jr., noted outdoorsman and member of the Taxidermist Hall of Fame, Jim continues to broaden his knowledge of tracking and observation. Over the years, to improve his knowledge of the science of tracking, he has made many trips to Wyoming and Montana to do field research and training in advanced - professional level tracking with world renowned tracker and naturalist, Dr. James Halfpenny. During these trips, he has tracked bison, elk, wolves, mountain lions, grizzly bears, and many other animals both big and small. Since their first introduction at a National Wildlife Summit in Estes Park Colorado in 1996, Jim Bruchac and Dr. Halfpenny have co-authored three books (Scats & Tracks Of The Northeast, Scats& Tracks Of The Southeast and Scats & Tracks of The Mid-Atlantic). Jim's tracking skills recently featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Jim is a member of the Trackers' Research Association (TRAcks), and The International Society of Professional Trackers (ISPT). Over the years Jim has trained people of all ages and levels of expertise from Kindergarten students to professional biologist and wildlife officials. Due to their combined dedication to the education of others about the natural world, in March of 2005 Jim and his father Joseph received a 2004 National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award. | |
THE GREENFIELD REVIEW / NDAKINNA EDUCATION CENTER For over ten years Jim has worked as the Assistant Director of his family's non-for-profit business, The Greenfield Review Literary Center and Press and their North American Native Authors Catalog. In 1998 Jim formed a new division of the Greenfield Review, The Ndakinna Education Center and Nature Preserve, offering hands-on field trips to his family's 80+ acre nature preserve and educational center focusing on Native American history & culture as well as environmental education. | |
| ACADEMICS / ATHLETICS Jim studied exercise science and English at Ithaca College, and has a degree in American Studies from Skidmore College. Active in both high school and college athletics, Jim was a member of the 1988 Ithaca College National Championship football team and went on to be an Empire League Semi-pro All-star defensive end in 1991. He has studied martial arts since the age of twelve holding the rank of Sensei (fourth degree black belt) in Tenkara a traditional Japanese style of Karate. In The Spring of 2006 Jim also begain to train and compete in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu under team Renzo Gracie. | |
| COMMUNITY SERVICE Jim served several years on the board of directors of Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land And Nature), formerly The Land Trust Of The Saratoga Region, and is a member of The Greenfield Environmental Commission. |
