Echoes of the Past
Imagine a time when there were no items for everyday living to buy and no stores you could shop at for necessities. Imagine a time when you had to depend only on natural resources and your own skills just to provide food, clothing, and shelter for yourself and your family.
This was the life of the prehistoric people. Through necessity they made tools, weapons, clothing, and shelters from the items nature provided.--stone, wood, plants and animals were all utilized—nothing was wasted. Shelters were in caves, or made with animal skins or logs, tree branches or straw. Animal skins provided clothing and bedding. Later they learned how to spin and weave flax and the fur from animals.
Many of these skills are now forgotten arts, and more are on the very edge of being forgotten. Echoes of the Past is an annual event that shows how these items were made, the materials from which they were made, and how they were used by the people of the past. The items shown and those offered for sale during Echoes are examples of both the entertainment and day-to-day living articles our ancestors used.
We need to keep these arts alive, not only so we can appreciate how much easier life is now, but so we can gain an understanding and appreciation of what those who came before experienced in order that future generations would have a better life.
Echoes of the Past is an annual event held at Echo Ridge campground in the beautiful Arrowhead State Park located on U.S. 69 and State Highway 113 at Canadian, OK. The event is hosted by the McAlester Archeological Society (M.A.S.) and the Tahlequah Archaeological Society (T.A.S.). Both are chapters of the Oklahoma Anthropological Society (O.A.S.) a part of the OU Campus in Norman, OK. (Click here for map)
Our goal for this event is to preserve the cultures, arts, diets, shelters, clothing, and entertainment of our ancestors and the ways of producing them. There are booths for artisans, collectors, and craftsmen who have items for show and for sale.
If you know of anyone who would like to set up a booth for the next event, have them contact Connie Masters at 918-339-4226 (samok56@yahoo.com) or Thomas Purdin at 918-456-1977 ( majtom46@yahoo.com) Dates are yet to be set for Echoes of the Past V.
Echoes of the Past IV Rendezvous
Thank you for everyone who helped make Echoes of the Past IV Rendezvous a huge success. April 4, 2009 was a warm sunny day for the event even though it was a windy day for displaying some of the craft items on display. The wind was very gusty but didn’t deter the artists or guests who came to Echo Ridge, Arrowhead State Park, Canadian for the displays and demonstrations. .
There were displays of Spear points, Atl Atl’s, Blow guns, Bows, Arrows, Quivers, Native Art, Pipes, Walking Sticks, Dream catchers, Baskets, Beaded Jewelry, Finger weaving, and Crochet. Carolyn Matthews, from Tulsa, showed how to make paint from soil and how to use to paint pictures. Rachel Cook, from Sapulpa, showed how to decorate feathers. The youth who attended the rendezvous enjoyed learning both of these crafts.
There were also demonstrations and instructions for making tools from stone in the ways of our ancestors. Trenton Clay, age 8 and Averi Clay, age 3 both tried their hand at flint knapping, an art that the young also can learn to do.
Demonstrations of the Atl Atl in use, and the use of Blowguns were also on the agenda. We decided against audience participation in these arts because of the strong winds. We didn’t want to take a chance on some kind of injury or damage from the wind blowing the darts out of the target area.
Artists with displays or demonstrations were:
1. Jim Clay, Stigler, OK
2. Mark Miller, Warner, OK
3. Carl Lester, Muskogee, OK
4. Curt Sewell, Hulbert, OK
5. Henry Smoke, Sallisaw, OK
6. Thomas Baldwin & Carolyn Matthews, Tulsa, OK
7. Darren & Marla Dirksen, Pryor, OK.
8. Dusty & Carolyn Billie, and Rachel Cook, Sapulpa
9. Dee Williams, Macgregor, TX.
10. Thomas Purdin, Tahlequah, OK & Connie Masters, Canadian, OK.
11. Bill Burkart, Tahlequah, OK.
Margaret Rowland, secretary of the McAlester Archeological Society kept the hot dogs and drinks supplied for all those who wanted or needed refreshments. These items were offered for $1 for a hotdog, chips & cookie and 50 cents for drinks. Thank you Margaret for a chore well done, you did a terrific job.
We held a drawing of the artists who participated for $25 cash. Dusty Billie of Sapulpa was the lucky winner. Winners of the other drawings, were: Dusty Billie (Sapulpa) Bone Knife, donated by Thomas Purdin; Henry Smoke (Sallisaw) Blowgun, donated by Curt Sewell; Othello Rowland (Hailleyville) Antique Crochet Doily, donated by Bill Burkart; Ava Kelley (McAlester) Crochet Shawl, donated by Dee Williams; and Thomas Purdin, (Tahlequah) T-Shirt, donated by Darren and Marla Dirksen. (see pictures in Photo Albums)
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