Pulling Out All The Stops

I realized that I have some other projects on the back burner that were stashed away till I could devote more time to them.  With the upcoming vending at Pearl Market (17 days from now), I need to try and finish up some bead work in progress, finish my inlay for my medicine wheel, as well as make a few more feathers....and of course the first link to the belt buckle.  It has been nearly impossible to track down any original Powhatan designs as they were mostly wiped out by the original colonists and indoctrinated into other tribes.  Powhatan is unrecognized by the federal government.  I suppose I should just be grateful that Pocahontas married into a tobacco family and didn't need to be recognized or to live on a reservation.  I do wonder though...if my linage were recognized could I be eligible to learn from Indian master craftsmen, instead of just making up my own designs?  It doesn't matter I guess.  The last Pow Wow I attended had mostly made in China Indian things.  My feathers were noticed.  I was even asked to trade with one fine gentleman.  The trouble with that is that he didn't have anything I wanted to trade him for.  Even if he had had porcupine quills they wouldn't have added up to the price or the cost of a feather.  I will go again this year, wear my feathers and anything I don't sell at Pearl Market....maybe I will be able to sell some of my jewelry to people who would recognize my Powhatan linage and my desire to continue what is looking to be a lost art.