Our Indigenous Voices in Appalachia program continues on September 21st featuring Cherokee artists Nathan Bush, Matt Tooni, Amanda McCoy, and Kody Grant. There will be workshops and presentations on copper art, finger weaving, the Cherokee language, and more. This free event will be held at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center (Darden Mill, 101 Railroad Ave, Elkins), followed by an Evening Performance at the Arts Center (2 Park St, Elkins).
Schedule:
9:30 AM - Appalachian Forest Discovery Center open
10:00 AM - Presentation: Cherokee Finger Weaving (Amanda McCoy)
Cherokee ingenuity shines through in their timeless textile traditions, particularly finger weaving. This intricate technique requires no tools, relying solely on the nimble fingers of the weaver. Historically, Cherokee women crafted a variety of items using this method, including garters, belts, bag straps, and ceremonial pieces. Originally, plant fibers like mulberry bark were the primary material. However, during the 17th-century trade era, wool became a popular choice, expanding the possibilities for Cherokee textile creations.
11:00 AM - Make and Take Workshop: Copper Comes to Life (Nathan Bush)
Seven thousand years ago, Cherokee ancestors were using copper to make tools. That living tradition was almost lost during the era of removal, but a few artisans kept it alive. Today, Nathan is fanning that flame to life as he teaches the craft to others.
Pre-registration required: email larry@afnha.org to RSVP. $12 fee for materials.
12:00 PM - Presentation: Sequoyah and the Talking Leaves (Matt Tooni)
In the early 19th century, Sequoyah, a brilliant Cherokee man, single-handedly revolutionized his people's cultural preservation. Over a decade, he developed a syllabary, a unique writing system that represented each syllable of the Cherokee language. This groundbreaking achievement enabled the Cherokee to rapidly achieve widespread literacy, solidifying their language and cultural identity in a time of immense societal change.
1:00 PM - Make and Take Workshop: Learn the Art of Finger Weaving (Amanda McCoy and Winona George)
Learn how to weave your own creations in the Cherokee style. Pre-registration required: email larry@afnha.org to RSVP. $10 for materials, 90 minute workshop.
1:00 PM - Presentation: Cherokee Ways of Life (Kody Grant)
From Colonial times through the 21st century, the Cherokee people helped shape American life. Today, Cherokee communities continue a special relationship that shapes our future together.
2:00 PM - Presentation: Copper from Creation (Nathan Bush)
Copper has long been a symbol of strength, endurance, and spiritual connection within Cherokee culture. The art of metalworking is more than just a craft; it’s a vessel for carrying ancestral stories, expressing identity, and preserving cherished traditions. Nathan Bush is a modern-day custodian of this heritage. Through his artistry, he revives ancient techniques and forges a bridge between the past and the present. By doing so, he ensures that Cherokee metalworking continues to thrive and evolve, enriching the lives of future generations.
3:00 PM - Presentation: Music is Life (Matt Tooni)
Storyteller and musician Matt Tooni brings together the many strands that create Cherokee tunes and songs. With simple instruments like the drum, flute, and rattle, he creates a wonderful tapestry of traditional sounds.
6:30 PM - Evening Performance at the Arts Center (2 Park St, Elkins): Cherokee Dance, Storytelling, and Musical Extravaganza!
Experience the drama and power of the Cherokee people, and be sure to wear your dancing shoes. It will be fun for all ages! Square Dance to follow as part of the 2024 Fiddlers Reunion.
Nathan Bush
Presenters:
Nathan Bush
Nathan Bush (he/him) practices traditional Cherokee copper art and blacksmithing. He crafts tools such as arrowheads and knife blades, as well as embossed wristbands, armbands, and earrings out of copper.
Nathan began his apprenticeship with Cherokee blacksmith William Rodgers in 2015. Studying historical examples of Cherokee copperwork has also had a strong impact on Nathan’s work.
When Nathan first learned to work with copper, there were very few in his community practicing the art form, but as he and his peers have shared their work, it has led to opportunities to teach others. Nathan now works as a program coordinator at the Oconaluftee Indian Village in Cherokee, North Carolina, where he oversees the mentoring program for youth learning about Cherokee crafts, history, and culture.
Matt Tooni
Matt Tooni
Matthew Tooni’s family has done crafts his entire life so it was natural for him to start making art at eighteen. Matt had the help of his father to guide him in making gourds and turtle shell rattles along with his music.
Matt doesn’t live in the past, he acknowledges it through his crafts. What’s now known as art once had a practical purpose, and now that purpose is to connect us to our history.
Matt has won awards for his rattles at the Cherokee Fall Festival and he enjoys making his crafts at his home in the Painttown community.
Amanda McCoy
Amanda McCoy
Amanda McCoy is a self-taught beadwork artist from the Birdtown community. She took up this craft at 22 years old after looking at some beadwork and said to herself she might be able to do this and tried it. Amanda maintains we have a duty to keep our arts and culture alive so the next generations can both learn and appreciate them. If we do nothing then those crafts will die with us.
Amanda has taught classes on beadwork along with teaching her daughter Phoenix McCoy, nephew CJ Smith, and two of her best friends. Her beadwork has won ribbons at the Cherokee Fall Festival and she was honored to bead gavels for the National Native American Bar Association.
Kody Grant
Kody Grant
Kody Grant (Isleta Pueblo/Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) has nearly 20 years of experience in cultural education and museum interpretation. Throughout his career, he has aimed to bridge guests' existing knowledge with the historical and contemporary realities of Native Nations. Kody started his museum career at the Oconaluftee Indian Village in Cherokee, NC. Since then, his experience spans across multiple museums and organizations where he has developed programming and provided consultation on Native-related topics. He is passionate about fostering confidence within museums, organizations, and institutions to engage with contemporary American Indian professionals and experts, while advocating for best practices in the care and interpretation of Indigenous knowledge. He is excited to meet with guests and share about early Cherokee society and governance.
Join us this fall 2024 for more Indigenous Appalachia programs across AFNHA. This event is supported by the Arts Center and Augusta Heritage Center, and was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation.
