Catawba Indian Pottery: The Survival of a Folk Tradition

Preface

Preface This volume has been too long in the making. Aside from my own distractions coming from those wanting Catawba information from me, the task of examining issues connected to Catawba history and culture is enormous. The documentation is vast and scattered. The tradition is of great antiquity and certainly deserved the attention. Also, although the Catawba survived the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the most critical period in their history, they slipped into obscurity. As a result, it took far too long for the American academic community to discover this artistically lonely pottery-making community . In 1884, the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology sent Edward Palmer, a¤eld anthropologist, to the reservation. As a result, the Smithsonian’s Catawba collection dates from Palmer’s ¤eld trip. It is, therefore, the oldest in the United States. George P. Merrell, John R. Swanson, and James Mooney, to name the major contributors, made additions to the collection. Then, in 1888, a South Carolina writer and wouldbe ethnologist, MacDonald Furman, took an interest in the Catawba and wrote about them in the local press. He alone sparked interest in South Carolina. As a result of his efforts, the University of South Carolina collection was begun early in the twentieth century. Major additions have been made in recent years by the University’s McKissick Museum. Palmer and Furman were followed by M. R. Harrington (1908), who produced the ¤rst published examination of the Catawba tradition. V. Fewkes came next in 1944 with his longer study. Since 1944 no attempts have been made to discuss the Catawba tradition in a comprehensive way. It is, however, impossible to discuss the Catawba for very long and not touch upon the pottery made by the Indians. Nearly every scholar who has done any work on the Catawba has made some effort to bring the tradition into focus. In spite of over a century of scholarly attention, no comprehensive study of the Catawba tradition has ever been written from the Catawba perspective. Catawba Indian Pottery: The Survival of a Folk Tradition hopefully ¤lls this need. At long last the Catawba themselves have a chance to speak at length about their ancestral tradition. What they have to say will help scholars move closer to a full recognition of the historical importance of the Catawba contribution. The world beyond the Catawba has much to gain as this small Nation is recognized for the cultural, artistic, and technological bridge it offers between our times and the little understood prehistory of the region. The ¤rst thank you for standing by me in the making of this study goes to my longtime friend Brent L. Kendrick. He accompanied me on my ¤rst visits to the Catawba Reservation. Although his professional desires took him in the direction of American Literature, he never left off encouraging me during my long Catawba saga. He has been my editor and has always believed in my work among the Catawba. Over the years he has believed in the value of my study, Catawba Indian Pottery: The Survival of a Folk Tradition. He has always told me that, though my approach to Catawba studies came with its dif¤culties, my approach of dealing directly with my primary source was the key to my success. He was right, and I thank him. Those Catawba Indians and individuals allied to the Nation who have always stood by me as mentors include: Deborah Harris Crisco, Jayne Marks Harris, William Harris, Judy Canty Martin, Billie Anne Canty McKellar, Steve McKellar, Della Harris Oxendine, Earl Robbins, Viola Harris Robbins, E. Fred Sanders, Marcus Sanders, Frances Canty Wade, and Cynthia Walsh. I owe them many thanks for years of friendship and support. Although they passed away long ago, this study is a dream come true for Georgia Harris and Doris Blue. A huge number of Catawba have supported my work over the years and these include: Cindy Allen (potter); Hazel (Foxx) Ayers (potter); Sara Lee Harris Sanders Ayers (master potter); Richard Bailey (Sanders family); Helen Canty Beck (master potter, major history informant); Lula Blue Beck (master potter, major history informant); Major Beck (¤ddler, major history informant); Roderick Beck (potters’ support network ); Ronnie Beck (potter, dancer); Sallie Brown Beck (master potter); xviii Preface Samuel Beck (secretary/treasurer, mentor); Lillian Harris Blue Blackwelder (potter); Betty Harris Blue (potter); Brian Blue (potter); Doris Wheelock Blue (master potter, major history informant, mentor); Eva George Blue (potter); Gilbert Blue (chief); LeRoy Blue (major history informant); Mildred Blue (master potter); Travis Blue (potter...