Western Carolina University WCU University of North Carolina Asheville UNCA

Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (21) View all
University of North Carolina Asheville (6) View all
WCU - Craft Revival

New Echota home, baskets in a cupboard

  • wcu_craft_revival-4944.jpg
Copyright Download
  • This 1978 photograph, illustrating the use of Cherokee handwork, was taken inside one historic home at New Echota. The photograph, by an unknown photographer, shows a variety of baskets that were commonly made by Cherokee craftspeople for everyday use. Some of these baskets look to have been made of rivercane, others of split white oak in a wide assortment of styles, sized, and patterns. The larger baskets shown were designed to carry heavy loads, so the handle would be woven into and beneath the basket to give it strength. Such baskets could be used to gather vegetables from the field or garden, or to transport dry foodstuffs to or from market. Smaller baskets could be used as purses or "shoppers," or to carry small personal possessions. New Echota was an attempt by the Cherokee to establish a U.S.-style government center to avoid continued pressure to succeed tribal lands to white encroachment. The town was established in 1825 in north Georgia at the headwaters of the Oostanaula River. During its short history, New Echota was the site of the first Indian language newspaper office and a point of assembly for removal of the Cherokee to lands to the West on the infamous “Trail of Tears.” Twelve original and reconstructed buildings remain on the site, operated by Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites.

Part of Collection

Craft Revival

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mountain craftsmen formed the cornerstone of a revived interest in things handmade to create a movement known as the Craft Revival. During the Revival...

View collection Read introduction
panzoom image
wcu_craft_revival-4944.jpg