Ky’Lee Robison took this photo of Janna Girty the first time she taught her how to pull honeysuckle.
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Two Cherokee women have received the In These Mountains NC Folklife Apprenticeship Award to better delve into the ancient art of making honeysuckle baskets. Ky’Lee Robison and Janna Girty, both members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), were named as one of three award pairs (mentor and apprentice) when the NC Folklife Institute announced its awards on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Information from the NC Folklife Institute states, “The In These Mountains NC Folklife Apprenticeship Awards support twelve-month, one-on-one apprenticeships that nurture the living traditions of North Carolina’s Appalachian counties. Each apprenticeship pair receives a combined $10,000 award to support their participation in the learning process. The program is a component of the In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Arts and Culture initiative and supported in part by South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization.”
Girty commented, “When I found out that Ky’Lee and I had been selected for the apprenticeship, I was beyond ecstatic. It was such exciting news, and I felt both honored and grateful for the opportunity.”
Janna Girty (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
She made her first white oak tray basket in the Cherokee Central Schools Cultural Summer School program, taught by Louise Goings and Nelly Jones, the summer before she entered fourth grade. “I fell in love with basketry immediately and continued to pursue it over the years. Later, during my senior year of high school, I took Lori Reed’s baskets class and created six white oak baskets, two white oak basket mats, and two multicolored paper baskets.”
Robison, who is also of Mvskoke Creek heritage, was also quite excited about being selected. “My first reaction was honestly a mix of shock, gratitude, and excitement. This work is so meaningful to me and knowing that it’s being supported and valued made me emotional. It feels amazing to be given the chance to keep learning, teaching, and contributing to the continuation of our basket making traditions.”
Two years ago, Girty participated in the EBCI Education Summer College Youth Experience program and got her first experience with honeysuckle baskets.
“As part of that, I visited the Museum of the Cherokee People and received a guided tour from cultural specialist Dylan Morgan. Afterward, Dylan showed me how to begin weaving a honeysuckle basket. Although I didn’t have enough time to finish it, I still have that unfinished basket today as a reminder of the experience.”
Girty is a sophomore at Western Carolina University studying anthropology with minors in Cherokee Language and Culture and Indigenous Studies. “After graduating from WCU, I hope to apply for the CLMAP (Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program) to deepen my knowledge and eventually become a Cherokee Language teacher. My goal is to inspire future generations to continue speaking Cherokee. One day, I also aspire to serve as Principal Chief, to encourage others in the community to embrace their identity and heritage to the fullest.”
She is very much looking forward to the apprenticeship with Robison as a chance to learn and expand her knowledge. “I am most excited about sitting down with Ky’Lee, weaving together, and practicing the Cherokee language as we work. I truly enjoy speaking Cherokee with others and helping them expand their vocabulary. This apprenticeship feels like a wonderful opportunity to strengthen that connection and, hopefully, inspire more people to engage with the language in everyday life.”
Robison said she is looking forward to working as a mentor. “I’m excited and truly honored to be on the mentoring side this time. I’ve been blessed with mentors who were patient, generous, and intentional with their teachings, and those experiences shaped the kind of mentor I want to be for Janna. As an apprentice, I learned how important encouragement, clear guidance, and hands-on learning are. I want to give Janna that same support: creating space for her to grow confidently, ask questions, and connect deeply with the traditions she’s learning. It feels meaningful to now pass on what was once passed to me.”
She credits her mentors with helping her develop her art. “My mentors are Louise and Butch Goings from Cherokee, N.C., Kathy Haney from Oklahoma, and the late Shan Goshorn from Cherokee, N.C. Louise and Butch taught me the art of white oak basketry, but they also shaped me in so many ways beyond basket making. Their knowledge, patience, and wisdom have had a tremendous influence on my life and have grounded my journey as a basket maker. Kathy Haney taught me how to weave with honeysuckle. The way she learned – through her mother, who worked at a boarding school in Oklahoma and was taught by a Cherokee girl – made the knowledge she carried feel especially meaningful. Learning from her felt like receiving a piece of history that had been carefully passed down, and I’m grateful for the chance to continue that tradition. I also had the honor of learning from the late basket maker Shan Goshorn, whose work, vision, and powerful storytelling continue to inspire me. Her influence strengthened my understanding of the responsibility and purpose woven into this art form.”
When asked which basket makers she admires, Girty noted, “I deeply admire my late great-grandmother, Lillian Shell Lossiah, a basket maker from the Yellow Hill community. She passed down a river cane drop-handle single weave basket to my grandfather, Jesse James Lossiah Jr., who later passed it to my mother, Jill Lossiah. That basket continues to motivate me and honor her legacy.”
Ky’Lee Robison (Photo by Kyle Carroll)
She added, “I also admire my cousin, Gabe Crowe, who taught me the basics of basketry and helped me identify different types of woods and dyes used in the process. He is incredibly talented, and I am grateful for his guidance throughout my journey. I am fortunate to own one of his baskets dyed with bloodroot, my favorite color, featuring the Noonday Sun design.”
Girty said she is very grateful for the opportunity the apprenticeship will bring to her and is thankful for those who have helped her so far. “I would like to thank Louise Goings and Nelly Jones for introducing me to the craft. I am also grateful to Gabe Crowe for helping me identify materials and to Lori Reed for inspiring me to take on bigger projects. Finally, I want to thank my best friend, Betsy Bigwitch, for helping me search, gather, and strip river cane, and for encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone – bringing me one step closer to becoming a basket maker. Lastly, I want to thank Ky’lee Robinson for reaching out to me about this amazing opportunity. She truly inspires me as a young artist, and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”
Robison also wanted to thank some people for helping her along the way. “I want to thank my mentors, their knowledge and support is truly a gift. My husband for his unwavering support, he had been my steady foundation throughout this journey. I’m also deeply grateful to my father Scott Robison for always encouraging me, my Creek family, my Cherokee family, and my Memaw Duke, who always made sure I had basketry supplies growing up. I’m thankful as well for my wonderful in-law family for always believing in me. Macma! Davey Arch, Janna Girty for going on this journey with me, and I’d like to recognize NC Folklife, South Arts, and my community for providing opportunities, guidance, and support that have helped me grow as an artist. Each of these relationships has played an important role in my career, and I’m truly grateful for every one of them.”
Amy Grossman, NC Folklife Institute executive director, said in a statement, “Folklife is a living and dynamic expression of community identity. Through these apprenticeships, we celebrate the artists who carry forward their community’s traditional arts and help ensure their vitality for future generations.”
The other two pairs selected include: Jenny Pickens and Torree White-Garrison, both from Swannanoa, N.C., who will be working on traditional doll making and community textile arts; and Darren Nicholson, of Canton, N.C., and Daniel Ullom, of Asheville, N.C., who will work on Bluegrass Mandolin and western North Carolina music traditions.
