Native American Pottery Books
Roy Hathcock was renowned as an expert on prehistoric Indian art. We were gifted two of his large, coffee table books by Mr. Malcolm Ford. Mr. Ford’s pottery was actually the subject of several of the photos in these books.
The first book, Ancient Indian Pottery of the Mississippi River Valley, breaks down various types of pottery from the Mississippian Era into pottery types, categories, cultural motifs, compound designs, painted motifs, and effigy forms. The second book is specific to one of Old Independence County’s original settlers, the Quapaw. This book, The Quapaw and their Pottery, traces pottery from when the Quapaw were part of the Ohio River Basin to when they were forced to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
Quapaw first encountered white settlers when French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet paddled down the Mississippi in search of its delta to see if it drained into the Pacific Ocean, which was the rumor at the time.
The Quapaw met the Frenchmen in the water and may have captured them had the French explorers not brandished a peace pipe. The Quapaw chose to introduce the explorers to their chief, and a feast in their honor was given. The chief relayed to the explorers that the Mississippi did not reach the Pacific, and warned the explorers not to travel to the delta because more hostile tribes awaited them. Marquette and Joliet cut their losses and headed back.
Want your children to learn more about Native Americans? Join Cathy Shonk on Wednesday, January 18, for the first homeschool class of the year. This year’s agenda will focus on Decades of Progress, in which every decade beginning with the 1820s brought about changes in history, science, technology, cooking, et cetera. Classes are from 12:00 until 4:00 and will feature approximately one hour of instruction followed by three hours of investigation, experiments, stories, and crafts. Cost is $13 per student and snacks will be provided.
