WCU Asst. Prof. Tatiana Potts binds books with WCU students Zoila Carrasco, Wren Petersen, Valeria Ramos, Gracelyn Turner, and Samantha Taub. (BROOKLYN BROWN/One Feather photo)
By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina University (WCU) Asst. Prof. Tatiana Potts has partnered with Kituwah Preservation Education Program (KPEP) Curriculum Developer Hartwell Francis and other Cherokee language learners in KPEP to produce several books illustrated and handmade by WCU students in her Introduction to Printmaking course.
Each book has centered a theme, from Cherokee legends to local architecture. The most recent iteration features Cherokee ecosystems. “One of my favorite parts about the project was researching the cultural relevance of the things that I was going to be drawing. We picked animals that we knew were in that area that could be found and be familiar. I did a noonday globe snail and a pickerel frog,” said WCU student Wren Petersen, who has now worked on two of the six total books.
Pages from Amayuhldi Elohi Iyudanelidasdi (Riparian Ecosystem)
Francis said the ongoing project has been a bright example of successful collaboration between WCU and KPEP. “It was great to see how the WCU print artists were able to incorporate and honor [Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians] culture in their prints after discussing the prints with members of the EBCI. All the Cherokee Language Master-Apprentice Program students are becoming cultural experts, and they were able to use their learning to constructively critique the ideas of the WCU artists. The process produced some exceptional illustrated Cherokee language work that we use in the classroom as inspiration for discussion.”
Potts said trips to Cherokee and New Kituwah Academy have been critical in producing work that will benefit the Cherokee community. “It is our opportunity to talk a little more and learn because we are doing these for the kids. We want the books to feel familiar to them and make sense for them. The second time we went, we got to witness kids reading the first book. That was a really powerful experience because we got to literally see it in use.”
WCU student Zoila Carrasco emphasized active listening as a key part of the project. “I feel like just being open to listen to what the community needs is the first and major step of doing anything community based. I would say just learning, taking in the information and making sure that everything is what they need is crucial to the process,”
“Seeing all of the pieces come together and to be able to advance our practice and our skills and have it turn into a very beautiful communal project is really nice,” she said.
Looking forward, Potts would like to offer a printmaking workshop to the Cherokee community and partner with Cherokee artists and Cherokee children to create future iterations of the books.
