The Laurens County Museum on the Historic Square in Laurens, SC, and the
PAIA Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of South Carolina will host the
“Celebrating Native American Traditions Past and Present” arts
programs on Saturdays, October 21 and 28, 2023. More programs will be
held in March, 2024, with programs at the Museum and field trips for
school children to the PAIA Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of SC tribal
grounds on Warrior Creek Church Road in Gray Court. These wonderful
programs with traditional Native American artists, dancers, musicians,
storytellers, and speakers are made possible through a generous grant
from the SC Arts Commission.
Native American artists will speak about and demonstrate traditional
Native American arts and skills. Hands-on workshops will be offered on
some of the skills. Spaces are limited and registration is required for
the workshops, though others may observe. All programs are free and
open to the public.
Dr. Laura Green, Folklife and Traditional Arts Director of the SC Arts
Commission, noted of the events,
“This historic collaboration between the Laurens County Museum and the
Piedmont American Indian Association-Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation of
South Carolina (PAIA) is mutually beneficial to all. Cherokee
traditional artists will have the opportunity to share their work with
the public, fostering awareness of the enduring presence and
contributions of the PAIA community in the area. The Laurens County
Museum is making a living connection between its extensive Native
American collections and the county’s contemporary Cherokee community,
while supporting the preservation and presentation of vibrant cultural
traditions like beadwork, pottery, basketry, flute playing, and dream
catchers. Visitors will enjoy the chance to learn firsthand about the
local Native American heritage in their midst. The South Carolina Arts
Commission is pleased to provide support for this exciting slate of
programs through a Folklife & Traditional Arts Project Grant. Folk and
traditional arts uniquely embody important knowledge and practices that
are at the heart of a cultural community’s identity and way of being
in the world.”
The 2023 portion of the Celebrating Native American Traditions Past and
Present will include the following.
October 21, 2023
Speakers and artists for Saturday, October 21, will begin at 10:00 am.
Chief Dexter Yellow Hawk Sharp, Chief of the PAIA Lower Eastern Cherokee
Nation of SC, and Chief Harold Hatcher, PhD, Chief of the Waccamaw
People, will open the event. Each will speak and their talks will be
followed by a question and answer period. Chief Sharp will speak about
the history of the Cherokee People and current issues affecting them.
Sharp makes primitive bows, atlatls, river cane blow guns and darts.
Chief Hatcher will speak about the history of the Waccamaw People and
current Native American issues. Chief Hatcher resides in Conway, SC, and
has led state and national Native American organizations including the
SC Indian Affairs Commission and the the National Coalition for Indian
Equality, a coalition consisting of over 400 Native American tribes and
groups. He has spoken around the country, is a decorated United States
Army veteran, and is featured in two South Carolina text books – At Home
in South Carolina and the history book South Carolina.
At 1:30 pm on October 21, Cherokee potter Billy Lightwalker Fulcher will
talk and demonstrate traditional Cherokee pottery making. Also at 1:30
pm that day, Pee Dee Indian Marcy Hayden, Native American Indian
Community Advocate, will talk about Pee Dee Indian beading. At 2:30,
Hayden will conduct a beading workshop where participants can make a
beaded craft. Pre-registration by calling the Museum at (864) 681-3678
is required as participation in the workshop is limited.
October 28
Beginning at 10:00 am, Cherokee flute player Kim Two Moons Erwood will
talk and play the flute. Two Moons will demonstrate other traditional
instruments, hand drum, and rattlers.
At 1:30 pm, Cherokee basket weaver Deborah Moon Wolf Duncan and Cherokee
Elder Patsy Dancing Wolf Durham, a dream catcher artist, will speak
about their crafts. Each will lead a workshop beginning at 2:30 pm.
Basket weaver Moon Wolf will lead participants in making a tobacco
basket, and Dancing Wolf will lead a hands on workshop in making a dream
catcher. Workshop participation is limited and all participants must
pre-register by calling the Museum at (864) 681-3678.
Other programs in the Celebrating Native American Traditions Past and
Present series will occur in March, 2024, with programs and workshops on
Saturday, March 16, and field trips for school children to the PAIA
Lower Eastern Nation Tribal Grounds of SC in Gray Court, SC.
These events highlighting traditional Native American art, crafts, and
traditions are made possible by a grant from the SC Arts Commission.
All programs and workshops are free and open to the public. For more
information, call the Laurens County Museum at (864) 681-3678, or go to
www.Laurenscountymuseum.org. The Laurens County Museum is located at
116 South Public Square, Laurens, SC 29360. Museum hours are
Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
