By Denyse Clark
The Herald
April 22, 2004
As a child, Evelyn George didn't make pottery because her parents wouldn't
allow it, but she did play in the clay.
Over the years, George has maintained a love for Catawba Indian culture and
the more than 500-year-old clay craft that widely defines it. This week, her
commitment to preserving Catawba-style pottery has earned the 90-year-old
master potter a statewide honor.
George, a member of the Catawba Indian Nation, was presented the Jean Laney
Harris Folk Heritage Award of the S.C. Arts Commission on Wednesday in
Columbia.
The award is an annual recognition of four South Carolina residents who help
preserve traditional arts of the state. George is in a group that includes a
boat builder, fiddler and a split-oak basket maker. All were honored for
their abilities to pass on the music, dance, crafts or storytelling of
culture through creative expression.
George appreciated receiving the award, she said, adding she would like her
grandchildren to continue the tradition.
"I learned by watching," George said. "I used to watch my grandmother and
mother do this."
Catawba pottery dates back to pre-Columbian times, before 1492. It is
handmade from clay collected from the nearby Catawba River. The oldest, most
experienced tribal potters are known as master potters.
George, who makes wedding vases, helps preserve the ancestral art as a
pottery creator and instructor for the tribe. She also coordinates and
continues to participate in tribal dance performances.
The Jean Laney Harris Award is presented annually by the S.C. General
Assembly. The award was created in 1987 by a legislative bill. A decade
later, the name of the award was changed to honor the late Jean Laney
Harris, a state House member. Harris chaired the Joint Legislative Committee
on Cultural Affairs and was a staunch supporter of the preservation of
statewide cultural heritage.
George was nominated for the award by the Catawba Cultural Preservation
Project. York County has received the honor three times in the past six
years. Catawba master potter Nola Campbell received the award in 1999 and
Together as One, a black hymn choir, was a recipient in 2002.