The Seven Cherokee Clan Masks ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᏂᏴᏫ ᏗᎵᎬᏚᎶ

August 1 - September 30, 2021

The Cherokee are historically a matrilineal society, the exact opposite of what’s practiced by the people who landed on the Americas claiming discovery of it. The children belonged to the mother’s clan and hereditary leadership and transferrable property were passed through the mother’s lineage. The Seven Cherokee Clans were the structure for this society to organize the community.

The Seven Cherokee Clan Masks (ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᏂᏴᏫ ᏗᎵᎬᏚᎶ) is an exhibition at the Fayetteville Public Library where we can use library resources to learn about culture and view it through the eyes of a Cherokee artist. Jeff Edwards’ creative journey for the Seven Cherokee Clan Masks required study and numerous discussions throughout his community to bring these representations to life. Especially since the focus on the Cherokee and other Indigenous people was to destroy culture, extra effort must be made to learn the ways that bring authenticity to the Cherokee Clan history. Jeff has been a part of the centering of the Cherokee Syllabary for over a decade and includes text in most of his visual designs including in these works.