Welcome to the Cherokee Artist Directory
Here you will find descriptions of artists who are enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a community approximately fifteen thousand strong in the mountains of western North Carolina. For the most part, these artists have learned from their families and community, using materials native to the southern Appalachians and calling on traditions passed down for many generations. They are among the best practitioners of traditional Cherokee culture. With the exception of a few elders who stay close to home, the artists and consultants listed here are willing to travel and present programs about some aspect of Cherokee culture.
These artists are available and willing to travel to your event. They have been included in this directory because their work represents authentic traditions; because they are good at working with the public; and because they have experience presenting their work in many different settings. They should be paid for their time and their expenses for travel, lodging, and food.
Many travelers to Cherokee, North Carolina, have discovered four institutions there that have long supported local artists and presented Cherokee culture to the public. These institutions continue to flourish today. The oldest, the Cherokee Indian Fair, held its hundredth annual fair in October, 2012. The Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, a Cherokee-owned-and-operated arts and crafts co-operative founded in 1946, is open year round and is one of the most successful organizations of its kind in the United States. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, founded in 1948, opened an exciting new exhibit in 1998 and continues to expand its education and outreach programs. The Cherokee Historical Association runs the Oconoluftee Indian Village and has produced the outdoor drama Unto These Hills for more than fifty years.
The Cherokee Artist Directory supplements the activities of these institutions and other cultural programs in the community by making authentic Cherokee artists accessible to audiences outside Cherokee. Through these artists, new audiences can experience firsthand the traditions and arts and crafts practiced by Cherokee people today on their ancestral homeland in the southern Appalachians.
The Ani-Kuwih, or Mulberry, Dancers perform traditional Cherokee dances, demonstrate blowguns, and can give Cherokee language lessons. A group of about ten children, ages 5 – 12, these dancers can perform for large or small audiences or any age. For the past three years, these children have learned dances, language, and more under the guidance of Myrtle Driver, Tribal Cultural Traditionalist in the Office of Cultural Resources. “They are learning by living,” Driver says. In order to stay in the group, children must keep up their grades, have good behavior in school, and perform community service such as mowing yards or stacking wood for elders. They participate in traditional ceremonies and discuss healthy alternatives to drug and alcohol abuse. “Instead of turning to alcohol and drugs, we say, ‘Let’s go dance at the Tsali Manor [a community center for the elderly in Cherokee].'”
Myrtle Driver was born and raised on the Qualla Boundary, a member of the Deer Clan. She attended local schools until eighth grade, and then was sent to boarding schools at Alexander Mills, Crossnore, and finally the Haskell Institute. She learned to dance from her mother and grandmother, who used to dance with the Big Cove Traditional Dancers under the direction of Amaneet Sequoyah. As a young woman she participated in the First Americans, Inc., a dance group that opened Bicentennial ceremonies in 1976 all over the east coast, from Philadelphia to Florida. Driver went back to school at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, studying anthropology and museum science. She was the recipient of an Honorary Fellowship to the Newberry Library and did an internship in Natural History with the Smithsonian Institution.
Davy Arch tells Cherokee stories, presents lectures on Cherokee history and culture, and demonstrates carving, flint knapping, and mask making. He adapts his programs for audiences of all ages. Using artwork from different mediums, he describes both Cherokee history and contemporary Cherokee life.
Lloyd Arneach tells stories to audiences of all ages. His personal style enlivens stories from Cherokee traditions, from his personal experiences, and based on contemporary and historical events. “I’m fortunate to have a wealth of stories to share,” he says, “and I’ll tell stories to anyone who will sit down and listen.”
Pam Blankenship is a genealogical researcher who specializes in the membership of both the Eastern and Western bands of the Cherokee Nation. Using computerized information and resources created by Bob Blankenship, she can trace the ancestry of anyone listed on any of the Cherokee rolls from 1817 to 1924.
Jean Bushyhead provides Cherokee language resource materials for the classroom and information on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ tribal language program in the schools. Although she did not grow up speaking the language, Jean has worked extensively with her father, Robert Bushyhead, over the past ten years to document the grammar and pronunciation of the Cherokee language and to create a series of lessons for use in the Cherokee schools.
Bill Crowe comes from a family of talented, traditional woodcarvers. He carves masks and other traditional pieces, makes flutes and drums, and can talk about Cherokee history. He also plays the traditional flute, and is willing to perform at weddings and other events.
Gilbert Crowe has been a skilled woodcarver for nearly half a century, carving a variety of animal and human figures. He has also taught woodcarving in many different settings.
Virgil Crowe demonstrates woodcarving. His work includes dance and ceremonial masks, clan masks, and bird and animal figures. Virgil Crowe can also answer questions about the cultural significance of the masks.
Ed and Christina Goings are a young Cherokee couple who demonstrate a variety of Cherokee crafts and talk about Cherokee culture. Ed makes white oak baskets, and Christina finger-weaves the distinctive Cherokee sashes and does beadwork. While Christina demonstrates beadwork, Ed discusses the different styles and stitches she uses.
George Goings carves animal figures in wood and stone, using walnut, cherry, buckeye, holly, alabaster, red pipestone, and soapstone. He prefers to use black walnut more than other woods because its hardness enables him to carve with more detail. He exhibits his work and demonstrates wood and stone carving.
Louise Goings makes Cherokee white oak baskets. She begins by searching out a white oak tree, which she transforms into a beautiful, sturdy basket. Often, she gathers her own materials – using bloodroot, the green leaves of walnut trees, and hulls from nut – to dye her oak splints before weaving. She can discuss this process and demonstrate basketweaving.
General Grant gives lectures and workshops on Cherokee spirituality and medicine, woodcarving, silversmithing, bone and antler carving, flint knapping, drum making, primitive technology, and making reproductions of traditional artifacts. He is also an accomplished powwow dancer and is pictured here in powwow regalia.
Tom Hill tells traditional Cherokee stories. He can adapt his storytelling presentations to any age group, from children to senior citizens. In addition to his storytelling performances, he also integrates Cherokee storytelling into his adventure-based youth programs.
David Hornbuckle carves masks of the seven clans of the Cherokee. No stranger to the forest, he begins by finding and felling the trees for his carvings. In a shop behind his house he carves masks out of buckeye, bell wood, butternut, wild cherry, and walnut.
Jenean Hornbuckle paints mountain landscapes in oil on canvas. She believes that her ability to see beauty in landscapes has been passed down over the years from her Cherokee ancestors.
Marie Junaluska speaks Cherokee fluently and writes the Sequoyah syllabary. In her presentations, she introduces the Cherokee language, incorporates activities based on Cherokee history and culture, and teaches songs in Cherokee. She enjoys working with groups of all ages.
Virgil Ledford carves animal and human figures out of walnut, cherry, buckeye, and cedar, finishing them to a high gloss. A talented and prolific carver, Virgil Ledford has made his living as a carver for many years and enjoys offering demonstrations of his craft.
Amanda Swimmer, one of the best-known potters in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, still hand-builds and fresh pots in the traditional manner. She smooths them with river stones, and impresses designs on them with such things as wooden paddles and sea shells. After drying the pieces in the sun, she fires them in an open pit.
Darrin Bark is a young 
Jerry Wolfe tells stories and talks about Cherokee history, culture, and language. His programs fascinate people of all ages. As a storyteller, Wolfe recounts traditional Cherokee legends, and also tells stories about his experiences growing up in Cherokee, about the boarding schools, and about stickball games. As a young man, he played Cherokee stickball and learned to carve the sticks from wood. Today he is often in demand as a “caller” or announcer for stickball games.
Ernie Lossiah, a member of the Wolf clan, makes and plays the traditional Cherokee flute. He also carves wood and stone, and he is an artist who works in pencil and in pen and ink.
Lucille Lossiah makes double and single weave baskets from white oak, maple, and rivercane. She strips her own cane to make splits and dyes these herself with black walnut, yellowroot, and bloodroot. From her mother, Mary Jane Lossiah, and her grandmother,
Ramona Lossie demonstrates double-weave rivercane, white oak, and maple basketmaking. She can also teach hands-on workshops to groups of any age, but particularly enjoys working with young people. Using pre-packaged materials, she will teach workshops on weaving white oak and maple baskets. Her workshops on rivercane basketweaving begin with collecting the rivercane, making splints, dyeing splints, and finally weaving the basket.
Betty Maney makes white oak baskets, pottery, Cherokee dolls, and a variety of beadwork pieces. In addition to being a talented crafts person and demonstrator, she also excels as an educator in hands-on workshops.
Katrina Maney weaves white oak baskets dyed with bloodroot and walnut. She has made baskets in many forms, such as plant holders, fishing creels, purses, wastebaskets, fruit baskets, and wall baskets. She gives demonstrations and teaches classes in basketry.
Louise Bigmeet Maney offers pottery demonstrations and more general Cherokee cultural heritage presentations, including foodways discussions accompanied by samples for tasting. She and her husband, John Henry Maney, also a potter, work frequently with school groups and adult audiences. Together, they operate the Bigmeet House of Pottery on Route 19 in Cherokee. There they sell their own work and that of other Cherokee traditional crafts people, and also maintain an outstanding display of Cherokee crafts and historical photographs.
Melissa Ann Maney demonstrates traditional pottery making and also teaches hands-on pottery classes to groups of all ages. She particularly enjoys working with students who are eight-to-twelve years old.
Shirley Jackson Oswalt does beadwork, carves designs on gourds, and makes white oak baskets. She demonstrates these crafts at festivals and schools, and can also teach hands-on workshops. She can also lecture about Cherokee crafts in general, for example, explaining how blowguns are made. Shirley grows the gourds that she carves as well as the corn beads she uses in beadwork. Other natural materials such as vines and seeds are incorporated into her work. A native speaker of the Cherokee language, she can lecture on and provide workshops about the language.
Freeman Owle tells traditional Cherokee stories, carves wood and stone, and talks about Cherokee culture and history. He can demonstrate wood and stone carving, and he can provide hands-on carving workshops. Demonstrations and workshops can be arranged for small or large groups of all ages.
Lloyd Carl Owle uses his knowledge of legends and stories to carve masks, birds, and animals, describing his work as “realistic with subtle emphasis on the mystical.” He demonstrates stone and wood carving, and uses a slide program to discuss carving and other Cherokee arts. He also speaks on Cherokee culture, history, and spirituality.
Polly Rattler teaches hands-on workshops in corn shuck doll making, beadwork, and miniature basketmaking. She can work with groups of any age. She has adapted her workshops on baskets and and corn shuck dolls for kindergarten to third grade students.
Bob Reed demonstrates the making of arrowheads, blowguns, and blowgun darts as well as the use of the blowgun. He also demonstrates wood carving and chipping arrowheads. His presentations describe Cherokee life during the 1500 – 1600s, a time when Cherokees were making their own tools. Typically, he presents school programs for students in 5th grade and older, and he always leaves time for question and answer sessions.
Richard Saunooke has been creating historically accurate and beautiful Native American dress and crafts for the past twenty years. He does meticulous beadwork, leatherwork, quillwork, and painting to create medicine bags, pipe bags, pouches, shields, knife sheaths, quivers, and drums.
Bud Smith carves wood into bears, birds, and other lively fgures. He teaches workshops in wood carving, demonstrates carving, and also exhibits his work. “I consider wood carving a fne art, not a craft,” Smith says.
Emily Smith makes white oak baskets and honeysuckle baskets with materials gathered from the woods and dyed with natural dyes. She can demonstrate basketry, or she can teach small group hands-on workshops. She enjoys working with students of any age, up to and including senior citizens. Groups should include no more than ffteen students.
Eddie Swimmer is an accomplished dancer, storyteller, and public speaker. His programs include dance, storytelling, plant lore, and explorations of stereotypes. He performs a number of Native American dances including the Apache Spirit Dance, Iroquois dance, Cherokee traditional dances, and Northwest coastal dances. Raised in the Big Cove Community on the Qualla Boundary, Eddie Swimmer frst learned dancing from his family. By watching traditional dancers, he learned Cherokee dance steps. After attending Western Carolina University and Brigham Young University, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he studied with Tony Whitecloud, founder of the modern Native American Hoop dance.
James “Bo” Taylor’s programs include Cherokee dancing, powwow dancing, dance songs, and discussion of Cherokee history, culture, and stereotypes. He is pictured here wearing the regalia of a powwow grass dancer. He adapts his presentations to audiences of all ages and sizes, and always encourages them to participate in dancing and discussion.
Shirley Taylor makes white oak baskets dyed with walnut and bloodroot. She can also demonstrate basketmaking and teach hands-on classes.
Reuben Teesatuskie is skilled in woodcarving, silversmithing, and storytelling. He presents programs that include Cherokee language, history, and storytelling. He also demonstrates wood carving and teaches Cherokee traditional dances.
Amy Walker presents programs on Cherokee medicine and spirituality for groups of all ages and sizes. In her presentations, she uses legends, artwork, and personal experiences to explain Cherokee spirituality.
The Welch Family Singers – Alfred and Maybelle Welch, Mark and Nan Brown, and Lucy Weeks – perform gospel songs in English and in Cherokee. They accompany their traditional four-part harmonies with guitar and bass. “This is our ministry,” Alfred Welch says, “our work for the Lord.” Their renditions of hymns in the Cherokee language are part of a two-hundred-yearold tradition of Christian music among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
