Nomination Categories
Basketry
Typically made from honeysuckle, buck brush, river cane or white oak. Natural dyes come from roots, bark, flowers or other natural materials.
Beadwork
Glass seed beads on fabric made of wool, cotton and/or linen.
Carving
Wood, stone or shell materials.
Flint Knapping
Chipping or flaking of a stone to be used for weaponry or tools.
Flute Making
River cane or natural wood materials.
Gig Making
2-3 pronged metal barb on a natural wood material used for shaft.
Gourds
Carving, painting, inlay, etc. or other materials used to embellish natural gourds.
Graphic Arts
Digitally generated cultural designs and visual content pertaining to Cherokee culture and history.
Lifeways
- Language
Cherokee language teachings; published works or the like.
- Traditional Foods
Kanuchi, wild onions, wild mushrooms, hog meat, crawdads, poke salad, grape dumplings, water cress, etc.
- Turtle Shell Shaking
Preserving and teaching the knowledge and culture that comes with being a ceremonial shell shaker.
Mask Making
Made from dried gourds or natural wood materials.
Metalsmithing
Creations of steel, copper, silver and powder-coated metals.
Painting
Oils, acrylics, pastels, charcoal or oil crayons.
Pottery
Native clay coiled and modeled into pots, pipes, bowls, etc., designed with wooden stamp paddles or hand-carved patterns. Pit fired using different wood and/or bark.
Sculpture
Wood, clay, metal or stone materials.
Storytelling
Oral tradition of explaining history, culture, morals and values of Cherokee life or for entertainment.
Textiles
- Doll Making
Shaping natural material of dried grasses or cornhusks into a child’s toy.
- Finger Weaving
A non-loom process using yarns and threads creating belts, sashes, straps and similar items.
- Loom Weaving
Textile production interlinking vertical and horizontal threads using a loom.
- Traditional Clothing
Tear dress, ribbon shirt, trade shirt, wrap skirt, leggings, breechcloth, hunting jacket, twined materials (shoes, skirts) or feather capes.
- Twining
A process of twisting cordage to create items for storage, carrying and other purposes.
- Quilting
Creating a blanket or covering with pieces of cut fabric.
Traditional Games
- Marble Making
Fashioning a stone into round marbles the size of billard balls.
- Chunkey
Creation of a wheel-shaped disc made of polished stone.
- Stickball Sticks
Traditionally, the sticks are made from hickory with netting made using sinew. The ball is made with a rock covered in leather and sewn with sinew.
Traditional Weapons
- Blow Guns/Blow Darts
Made from river cane and thistle.
- Bow Making/Arrow Making
Traditionally made from bois d’arc wood and sinew for the pull string.
Turtle Shell Shackles Making
4 to 13 turtle shells fastened to old boot leather or large leather piece. Small pebbles are placed inside the shells to give them their rhythmic sound when shaken.