Born and raised in the Swimmer Branch section of the Qualla Boundary, William Lossiah (b. 1937) is a craftsman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. His mother, Betty Lossiah was a basket weaver; his father a medicine man. As a child, he avoided…
Agnes Lossie Welch (1925-1997) was known for making white oak baskets. Unlike most Cherokee basket weavers, she did not learn this craft through her family. Instead, Welch learned to make baskets in school, from Lottie Queen Stamper (1907-1987).…
Agnes Lossie Welch (1925-1997) was known for making white oak baskets. Unlike most Cherokee basket weavers, she did not learn this craft through her family. Instead, Welch learned to make baskets in school, from Lottie Queen Stamper (1907-1987).…
This photograph, taken circa 1972 by an unknown photographer, is of Cherokee basket weaver Agnes Welch with an unfinished white oak basket in her lap. Agnes Lossie Welch (1925-1997) was known for making white oak baskets. Unlike most Cherokee…
This undated photograph of Cherokee woodcarver Allen Long (1917-1983) shows him carving a traditional dance mask. Long was born in the Big Cove Community of Cherokee, North Carolina and started carving masks when he was twelve years old. Long…
Amanda Elaine Smoker (1916-2010) was a basket weaver of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She lived all of her life in Snowbird, a Cherokee community located 50 miles west of the Qualla Boundary, in Graham County, NC. Learning to make baskets…
In this 1986 photograph, Cherokee basket weaver Amanda Elaine Smoker (1916-2010) is weaving the base of a white oak basket. This photograph is from a series that documents white oak basket weaving by Smoker, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee…
In this 1986 photograph, Cherokee basket weaver Amanda Elaine Smoker (1916-2010) is finishing off the rim of a white oak basket. This photograph is from a series that documents white oak basket weaving by Smoker, a member of the Eastern Band of…
In this 1986 photograph, Cherokee basket weaver Amanda Elaine Smoker (1916-2010), finishes off the inside of a white oak basket. This photograph is from a series that documents white oak basket weaving by Smoker, a member of the Eastern Band of…
This 1980 photograph by an unknown photographer shows Cherokee woodcarver Amanda Crowe. A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Crowe (1928-2004) is known for figurative wood sculptures; she was particularly known for her expressive bears. Her…