Fariello - Cherokee pottery: from the hands of our elders

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2011 by M. Anna Fariello

All rights reserved

All photos on the cover appear courtesy of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, except the color image of the Cherokee artist, which appears courtesy of Hunter Library Special Collections, Western Carolina University, and the image on the bottom right, which appears courtesy of the authors collection.

First published 2011

e-book edition 2013

Manufactured in the United States

ISBN 978.1.62584.210.7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fariello, M. Anna.

Cherokee pottery : from the hands of our elders / M. Anna Fariello ; introduction by Jane Eastman.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

print edition ISBN 978-1-60949-057-7

1. Cherokee pottery--History. 2. Cherokee Indians--History. 3. Cherokee Indians--Social life and customs. I. Title.

E99.C5F38 2011

975.00497557--dc22

2011004524

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

By Tonya Carroll

This book is dedicated to all Cherokee people; past, present and future. The purpose of this book is to document the work of the potters of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that were crucial to keeping this art form alive for future Cherokee artists during the early to mid-twentieth century. The significance of this book is that it honors these potters for their contributions to our tribe. As Cherokees, we have a long history, and it is our responsibility to learn that history and use it to keep our traditions and culture alive. We are a blessed nation because our ancestors knew the importance of preserving our heritage, and it is shown in this book through the lives of our artists. The first edition of From the Hands of our Elders books, Cherokee Basketry, honored the lives and skills of our Cherokee basket makers during the same time period. This book will hopefully create the same impact as the former by reviving designs or techniques, sparking interest in the art form, inspiring our artists to continue creating magnificent art and keeping the memory of these important Cherokee tradition bearers alive.

If it were not for our artists, much of our culture would be lost. Much of what we know today about our past is learned through the artwork that still exists, because when people create, they put a part of themselves in their work. From their artwork, we can learn important information about our ancestors, such as what materials were native in Cherokee territory, who the Cherokee people had contact with and what they were obtaining through trade. We can learn what was popular within our tribe during different time periods based on the abundance or lack of certain objects. Most importantly, we learn about the people who made the artwork, and this allows us to teach our own people what it is to be Cherokee. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and we as Cherokees are our strongest when we are living as Cherokees. This means participating in dances and ceremonies, speaking our language and learning our traditional arts and crafts. The artists in this book knew that, and through their work, this important lesson is being passed down in our tribe through our families, in our school system and now through this book. Even though the artists in this book may not have made it into our school textbooks, they are important. They are the people that kept our arts and crafts alive. This book recognizes and honors their efforts and accomplishments.

Elected as Miss Cherokee 2010, Tonya Carroll is a graduate of Western Carolina University with bachelors and masters of arts in history and Cherokee studies. She is currently outreach coordinator for Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.

PREFACE

The generation documented in Cherokee Pottery: From the Hands of our Elders includes those potters whose work spanned the turn of the twentieth century. This was a period of transition, from a point when pottery was produced for home use to its status as an object collected and admired. As an outsider, I am struck by the continuity of this tradition, supported by the strength of family and community. As a curator, I am impressed by the adaptations and inventiveness demonstrated by a generation whose lives were constantly shifting in response to changes brought about by outside forces. Cherokee Pottery is part of a larger project, From the Hands of our Elders. This work sprang from a desire to share exceptional work by, and photographs of, a particular generation of Cherokee artists with the Cherokee community and beyond. This generation of artists and craftsmen shaped Cherokees contemporary aesthetic and inspired others to follow their creative lead. The first book in this series examined Cherokee basketry, revealing the crafts forms, functions and methods and recording the traditions celebrated makers; this book hopes to meet those same goals.

This book had its start as a documentary project sponsored by a number of regional institutions. Primary support came from Western Carolina Universitys Hunter Library and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Through projects such as this one, the Hunter Library is assembling a series of historically significant digital collections and building community through its collaboration with regional partners. In the words of Dana M. Sally, dean of Library Services, We are committed to developing greater understandings of, and creating new contexts for, these extraordinary collections, with the specific intent of enhancing their meaning. To bring this story to light, the library collaborated with two of the Cherokees primary cultural institutions, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc. and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Under its program of cultural preservation, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation contributed funding to its success.

Contributions to Cherokee Pottery were made by a number of people. In particular, the efforts of Qualla Arts and Crafts manager Vicki Cruz and outreach coordinator Tonya Carroll have helped to make this book a meaningful resource for future study. Jane Eastman contributed an introduction that provides the archaeological context that sets the stage for our contemporary understanding. Jason Wolf tracked down endless articles, documents, photographs and permissions in his role as research assistant at Hunter Library. Lucas Rogers photographed the entire permanent collection housed at Qualla Arts and completed the initial documentation on all of the objects that he photographed. His images fill the pages of this book. Budget operations manager Margaret Watson kept an eye on the projects funds, meeting state and grant deadlines with a calm determination. A special thank-you goes to those who were generous with their time, answering questions and helping to verify factual information: Roseanna Belt, Tom Belt, Andrew Denson, Jane Eastman, Hartwell Francis, George Frizzell and Lisa Lefler. Special thanks to Catawba scholar Thomas J. Blumer and Brent Burgin, archivist of the Blumer Collection at the University of South CarolinaLancaster, for their assistance in providing images and factual information for the chapter on Catawba potters. More than any, I thank the many families who took the time to help check dates and the spelling of names so that this book can properly honor the memory of their ancestors. While the project team worked hand in hand with local people, Dr. Sally reminded us of our larger objective, This is a human story, and a story of national cultural significance.