Art Form: Visual/Craft/Material Arts
“I am honored not just for the recognition of my dedication or skill, but more for the fact that I am given an opportunity to represent this once nearly forgotten practice in my culture and share its story with an even wider audience.”
Delores Taitano Quinata
Demonstrating the bilembaotuyan to students at the elementary school where I work as a Librarian. Photo courtesy of S. Unpingco..
Shaping pågu (wild hibiscus) to make the bow of bilembaotuayan. Photo courtesy of S.T. Calvo.
Recording the instrument for the book launch of a bilembaotuyan children’s book. Photo courtesy of S. Quinata.
Completed bilembaotuyans at my home studio. Photo courtesy of Delores T. Quinata.
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Making & playing the only CHamoru instrument
Delores Taitano Quinata is an indigenous CHamoru of Guahan (Guam), a Pacific island in the Marianas Archipelago. Quinata has always had a great interest in music. She enrolled in band classes during her time in school, piano class in college, and played saxophone in the Guam Territorial Band. As a child, she had heard about the bilembaotuyan, the only cultural instrument of the CHamoru people, but had never seen or heard it played live. When the opportunity presented itself for Quinata to learn how to make and play the bilembaotuyan from the last living master of the instrument, she instinctively jumped at the chance. After her mentorship with Tun Jesus Crisostomo, Quinata felt drawn to share her experience with the island community by providing presentations, demonstrations, and workshops to teachers, students, cultural practitioners, and a wide range of individuals curious to learn more about this traditional instrument. She has since gone on to represent this art form in various performances and festivals, including the 7th and 12th Festival of the Pacific Arts. Quinata has passed on her knowledge and experience to her three children, ensuring that this instrument will continue to be heard for generations to come.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Being recognized as a Taproot artist is truly the honor of a lifetime. I am honored not just for the recognition of my dedication or skill, but more for the fact that I am given an opportunity to represent this once nearly forgotten practice in my culture and share its story with an even wider audience. Being a part of this Taproot community connects me with fellow artists committed to preserving our rich cultures, further inspiring me to continue my commitment to passing this knowledge for generations to come.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Cherokee
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
“Being selected as a Taproot Fellowship artist is an honor because it recognizes the deep roots of our traditions. Basket making is more than a craft, it carries our history, our connection to the land, and the knowledge passed down through generations. ”
Lydia "Louise" Goings
Photo courtesy Bear Allison / Raven's Eye Media
Photo by Tim Barnwell
Two large "cathead" white oak baskets and three white oak wastepaper baskets with a twill weave with bloodroot and butternut dyes. Bear Allison, Raven's Eye Media.
Trio of white oak purse baskets with maple curls with bloodroot and butternut dyes. Bear Allison, Raven's Eye Media.
Contemporary style white oak burden basket with maple curls and butternut dye. Bear Allison, Raven's Eye Media.
Photo by Lori Blankenship
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A strong connection between weaving & Cherokee values
Louise Goings (Eastern Band Cherokee) of the Wild Potato Clan is a highly respected basket maker who specializes in white oak but also has the knowledge and skill to work with and teach basketry in maple, honeysuckle, and river cane. She has been a juried artist member of Qualla Arts and Crafts for over 50 years. At the age of nine, she observed her mother, the renowned basket maker Emma Taylor, and quickly mastered various techniques herself.
Goings has demonstrated basketry alongside her mother at the Festival of American Folklife at the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. Her baskets have won numerous awards at the Cherokee Fall Festival, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, and other venues. She and her husband, Luther “Butch” Goings, were jointly honored with the 2023 North Carolina Heritage Award, the 2023 Mountain Heritage Day Award, the 2016 First Peoples Fund Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award, and the 2015 North Carolina Community Traditions Folklore Society Award for their artwork and community service.
In addition to her individual accomplishments, Goings and her entire family were featured in the Blue Mountain Living magazine, highlighting their contributions to Cherokee basketry and cultural preservation.
She has demonstrated basket making at numerous schools, the Mountain Heritage Day festival, the Cherokee Voices Festival, Warren Wilson College, and the National Museum of the American Indian. Additionally, she has taught hands-on basket weaving workshops for hundreds of youth through the Cherokee Cultural Summer School and, with the assistance of her grandson, for students at Western Carolina University.
Goings feels a strong connection between her weaving and the preservation of Cherokee values. As a result, she actively mentors several emerging weavers in her community.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Being selected as a Taproot Fellowship artist is an honor because it recognizes the deep roots of our traditions. Basket making is more than a craft, it carries our history, our connection to the land, and the knowledge passed down through generations. I take pride in not only creating but also teaching, ensuring that our traditions remain strong in the community.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Cherokee Citizen [Echota Ceremonial Tribal Town]
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
“Being a Taproot artist will allow me to continue creating ball sticks, and teaching others to master the skill. Many of the elder stick makers have passed away, so I have a duty to perpetuate what they taught me.”
David Comingdeer
Photo by apprentice Stick Maker
Cherokee Ball Sticks made for a public school in the Cherokee Nation. Photo by David Comingdeer
Photo by apprentice Stick Maker
Hickory staves that were carved into Cherokee ball sticks. Photo by David Comingdeer
Photo courtesy David Comingdeer
Multiple ball sticks, used by different tribes. Photo by David Comingdeer
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Cherokee National Living Treasure
David Comingdeer is a citizen, by blood, of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. He has spent over 30 years of his life carving traditional ballsticks for Cherokees, Muscogee Creeks, Seminoles, Yuchis, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and any one else who needs ballsticks. For many years David has produced ballsticks for public schools, and community organizations inside and outside the Cherokee Nation boundary. He spends part of his time passing on his skill to others, in an effort to create more stick makers. In 2014, the Cherokee Nation recognized David for his master skill in ball stick making, and designated him as a “Cherokee National Living Treasure”. He continues to produce sticks from his home in the Flint District, Cherokee Nation.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Being a Taproot artist will allow me to continue creating ball sticks, and teaching others to master the skill. Many of the elder stick makers have passed away, so I have a duty to perpetuate what they taught me.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
“Being a Taproot fellow will help support building a carving shed, which will allow me to deepen my craft and work on a larger scale. This dedicated space will also serve as a gathering spot for my community, to promote health and healing.”
TJ Sgwaayaans Young
22 foot, red cedar, 360 Cultural Value Totem Pole raised in Juneau, Alaska, in 2022n/a
Red cedar, Seawolf totem pole carved to be casted in Bronze, TJ Young
Photo by Molly Sharp
Photo by Molly Sharp
Red cedar shark mask, with abalone and operculum inlay, TJ Young
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Honored to carry on the traditions of his ancestors
TJ Young was born into the Yaadaas Eagle Clan of the Kaigani Haida in 1981 and was given the Haida name Sgwaayaans. He was raised in Hydaburg, Alaska. TJ cites his grandfather, Claude Morrison, as a major influence in his life. Claude introduced him to Haida art and practices when he was a teenager, instructing him on how to hand-carve halibut hooks. TJ creates many carvings and items for ceremonies and cultural purposes and considers it an honor to carry on the traditions of his ancestors.
TJ continues to develop his skills. In 2010, he graduated from the Native Education College Jewelry Program and learned the basics of engraving from Dan Wallace and James McGuire. He had the privilege of working under world renowned Haida Artist, Robert Davidson from 2012-2015.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Being a Taproot fellow will help support building a carving shed, which will allow me to deepen my craft and work on a larger scale. This dedicated space will also serve as a gathering spot for my community, to promote health and healing. The Taproot support is not just about resources, but about nurturing creativity and shared growth. I will continue to refine my practice and pass on the knowledge.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Eastern Shoshone
Fort Washakie, WY
“All my adult life I have focused on personal goals that would encourage the youth to be proud of their heritage and to promote cultural knowledge. It is through my efforts that I hope that the young children learn and carry on the traditional ways of my People. That is my hope. With this thought, I leave you to envision the future. ”
Reba Jo Teran
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Old time floral design Beaded Leggings and moccasins. Photo courtesy the artist.
Eastern Shoshone Parade Saddle. Photo courtesy the artist.
Over the past 20 years, Teran has recorded 20,291 Shoshone words, as well as 2,000 Shoshone phrases. Luce Fellowship.
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We are human in the eyes of our Creator – not perfect
Reba Jo Teran is a Native American artist specializing in beadwork and saddle making. She is a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Wyoming and comes from a large family of 11 children. Her older sister, Beatrice taught her how to do beadwork when Reba was eleven years old. Soon she made items that were good enough to be sold to help buy food for the household.
When Reba was 13, she made her first beaded buckle. Her sister taught her some important rules based on traditional Shoshone ways. Rule 1: Native Americans are not “perfect” and if she made a mistake, that she was to leave it as it was. This is the Native way of acknowledging that we are human in the eyes of our Creator – not perfect. Rule 2: To give away their first beadwork item to someone, because it is the traditional way of giving.
Doing beadwork has always been a part of her life, beginning with the need to help put food on the table and then in later life, for the enjoyment and relaxation. She has been doing beadwork for 58 years and some folks consider her to be an expert bead worker.
During the 1980’s she became interested in the old time floral designs, which she saw in some historical Shoshone photographs. She began to collect books on floral beadwork and began making her own design sketches. She also studied the color schemes of old time beadwork and the kinds of beads they used.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Reba Jo Teran is a Native American artist specializing in beadwork and saddle making. She is a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Wyoming and comes from a large family of 11 children. Her older sister, Beatrice taught her how to do beadwork when Reba was eleven years old. Soon she made items that were good enough to be sold to help buy food for the household.
When Reba was 13, she made her first beaded buckle. Her sister taught her some important rules based on traditional Shoshone ways. Rule 1: Native Americans are not “perfect” and if she made a mistake, that she was to leave it as it was. This is the Native way of acknowledging that we are human in the eyes of our Creator – not perfect. Rule 2: To give away their first beadwork item to someone, because it is the traditional way of giving.
Doing beadwork has always been a part of her life, beginning with the need to help put food on the table and then in later life, for the enjoyment and relaxation. She has been doing beadwork for 58 years and some folks consider her to be an expert bead worker.
During the 1980’s she became interested in the old time floral designs, which she saw in some historical Shoshone photographs. She began to collect books on floral beadwork and began making her own design sketches. She also studied the color schemes of old time beadwork and the kinds of beads they used.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
“It took me quite some time to digest that I was being recognized for my work and commitment to community. So often, I am accustomed to highlighting the work of my family which I am very proud of, but for an organization in the Arts to see what I work towards every day for the community and my fellow neighbor, it has been an encouragement one does not expect to receive at this stage of their career.”
Manuel A Delgado
Photo by Scott Jackson
Custom "Monica" Delgado guitar, Photo by Deone Jahnke
Photo courtesy Manuel A Delgado
"Marta" model Delgado Guitar made for TN State Museum. Photo by Manuel A Delgado
Custom Delgado Vihuela, photo by Manuel A Delgado
Photo courtesy Manuel A Delgado
Photo by Michael Weintrob
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Old-World Luthier
Manuel A. Delgado is a third generation, Old-World Luthier with instruments in;
The Fowler museum at UCLA, Two exhibits with the Smithsonian,The Tennessee State Museum, The Parthenon, and The Adventure Science Center.
He has been featured in Reading Rainbow, Tennessee Crossroads, Streets of Dreams,UPS, National League of Cities, UPS, Google, VISA, Monday Night Football and BOSE. Delgado helped Pixar in the movie “Coco”, assisted in Desperado and The Three Amigos. Distinguished as an “Honorary Maker” by Makers Mark and a “Takumi” craftsman by Lexus. Manuel designed/built “The Unity Guitar” and raised over $35,000 for undocumented victims of 9/11, and was awarded “Local Hero of the Year” in 2002, a certificate of appreciation from the City of Los Angeles and the City of New York. “The East Nashvillian” in 2019. Manuel and his daughters were featured in Super Bowl LVII with Google and they’re invited to the Smithsonian Folk Festival in Washington D.C. 4th of July week. Manuel served for Metro Nashville Arts. Multiple Boards and currently serves ArtsEdTN and Leadership Music. Manuel has helped improve hiring practices for MNPD and worked with “NEA”. Manuel’s work with schools around the U.S. to grow/create music programs. In 2019, Manuel opened “The Music Makers Stage”, a LIVE music venue crested for community and musicians to perform. Manuel served in relief for 2010 flood and 2020 tornado and during the pandemic, Manuel, his wife Julie and daughters, Ava & Lila, created “Live from the Music Makers Stage”
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
It truly means a great deal to me to be nominated for such a prestigious Fellowship. It took me quite some time to digest that I was being recognized for my work and commitment to community. So often, I am accustomed to highlighting the work of my family which I am very proud of, but for an organization in the Arts to see what I work towards every day for the community and my fellow neighbor, it has been an encouragement one does not expect to receive at this stage of their career.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
“The name Taproot indicates an intense grounding in the earth. My tribal elders use a phrase in the Tlingit language: “Aan yatku saani,” which was often used in addressing a crowd. The phrase means “Honorable people of the earth.” I think that is why Taproot resonates with me so much, because it connotes that strong connection to the earth.”
Lani Strong Hotch
All Weavers Intertwined Shawl. Photo by Lani Hotch
Generationss Robe - Photo by Lani Hotch
Berners Bay Robe. Photo by Lani Hotch
Photo by Jones Hotch Jr.
Photo by Jones Hotch Jr.
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Five generations of Chilkat weavers
Lani Hotch was born in Klukwan, Alaska and has lived there most of her adult life. She comes from a line of Chilkat weavers that currently spans five generations. She is committed to keeping the weaving tradition alive in Klukwan and has worked hard to teach others through group projects and apprenticeships. She is currently working with four apprentices on a two year project that should be completed by June 2026.
Lani helped to weave three group projects in Klukwan and has done many solo projects including seven robes and one dance tunic. Her work is in several museums including the Alaska State Museum (Juneau AK), Sheldon Museum (Haines AK), and the Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center (Klukwan AK). Lani’s weavings have also been in several international art exhibits— two in Vancouver BC- the Manawa Pacific Heartbeat exhibit 2005 at the Spirit Wrestler Gallery, the Time Warp exhibit 2010-2011 at the Bill Reid Gallery, and the Spirit Wraps Around You—Chilkat and Ravenstail Weaving Exhibit at the (Juneau) Alaska State Museum 2021. Awards/Recognition include: Community Spirit Award from the First Peoples Fund in 2011, the Alaska Governor’s Award for the Arts in Business Leadership in 2017, Native Arts and Culture Foundation Mentor Artist Apprentice Fellowship in 2017, United States Artist Fellowship in 2020. In 2017, A SHIFT Grant Awardee with the Native Arts and Culture Foundation in 2023 and the Chilkat Indian Village, her tribe, proclaimed Lani as a Culture Bearer for her tribe.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
It is an honor to be counted among the fellows chosen for the Taproot Artist Fellowship. The name Taproot indicates an intense grounding in the earth. My tribal elders use a phrase in the Tlingit language: “Aan yatku saani,” which was often used in addressing a crowd. The phrase means “Honorable people of the earth.” I think that is why Taproot resonates with me so much, because it connotes that strong connection to the earth. I also appreciate the purpose behind the Taproot Fellowship, to support traditional artists who are culture bearers and agents of social change. Art, I believe, has the power to affect change and communicate at a depth that words, whether written or spoken
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin / Iroquois
Stevens Point, WI
“Taproots are nearly always accompanied by delicate, fibrous secondary roots. These ‘secondary roots’ provide support, connection and nourishment without which the taproot cannot thrive. Being a part of this Taproots cadre is my chance, my obligation, to become a joyful part of this critical network of delicate connections.”
Karen Ann Hoffman
Karen Ann Hoffman Rat Traps on exhibit at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, Milwaukee, WI
Karen Ann Hoffman Otsego Urn on the beading table-a long ways to go yet.
Sky Woman Chair (permanent collection of the Field Museum). Detail of the Tree of Light and Life. Photo credit-Mike Hoffman
Woody the Doctor. Perched on a weakenedBirch Tree, Woodpecker removes an insect, treating the tree while feeding himself. Photo by Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City. Photo by EG Schempf. Woody lives in the Norman’s permanent collection.
Karen Ann Hoffman, Edge beading detail in progress
Jim’s Medicine Bag. Permanent collection of the Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown NY. A memorial bag for mentor and friend, James F Frechetter, Jr who, at his death feast gifted me the velvet from which this bag is made. The medicine is not in the bag…the Medicine was in the making of the bag. Photo Credit James Gill Photography, Madison, WI
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Beadwork as a written language to hold & share stories
Sheku, My name is Karen Ann Hoffman. I’m a Haudenosaunee Raised Beadwork Artist and an enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. I make my home outside Stevens Point, Wisconsin on a 40 acre homestead where I live, hunt, forage and bead. I believe strongly in the power and importance of Native art and the necessity to have authentic, in-community voices in the forefront of the conversations, installations and curation of that art.
I use my beadwork as a written language to hold and share the traditions, stories and worldview of generations of my ancestors, to represent for the incredible Haudenosaunee artists of today and to lay a table for those whose faces we have yet to see.
I am honored to have been designated as a a Taproot Fellow as a result of safekeeping and sharing our Haudenosaunee culture, I am also honored to have been named an Oneida National Treasure by my tribe as well as a National Heritage Fellow by the NEA and a Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow.
I think it’s important that both nations of which I am a citizen, and these other important cultural support organizations recognize the importance of beadwork as a material language and the necessity of keeping and sharing our stories.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Taproots are deep, yes, perfectly suited for penetration and absorption. But, they are nearly always accompanied by delicate, fibrous secondary roots. These ‘secondary roots’ provide support, connection and nourishment without which the taproot cannot thrive. Being a part of this Taproots cadre is my chance, my obligation, to become a joyful part of this critical network of delicate connections.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Dena Jennings
“Being a Taproot artist means sharing our expression of Affrolachian culture with a wider audience. By sharing ourselves and the art that shapes us, we have a chance to see one another more clearly— even those with whom we may not agree.”
Dena Jennings
Photo by Dena Jennings
A commissioned Phin Pia with resonator
Photo by Gary Rose
Instruments on display at “Cliff Top” Music Festival
Two gourd banjos and a gourd ukulele
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Appalachian and Bengali gourd instruments
Dena Jennings, D.O. is a luthier, musician, writer, conflict transformation facilitator, Virginia Master Naturalist, and an Internal Medicine physician with certification in Ayurvedic practice. In addition to over 30 years of medical practice, she completed a 4-year apprenticeship with a sculptor and luthier in Ontario, Canada where she learned to design and built the gourd instruments of cultures around the world including the gourd banjo which is a part of her Affrolachian roots. In 2013 Dr. Jennings married her best friend Donald Jennings and moved to their organic herb farm and meditation center in Nasons, VA which they lovingly call the Farmashramonastery. There, she practices medicine and counseling, hosts contemplative retreats, hikes, and meditation, harvests herbs for the on-site apothecary, builds instruments, and raises chickens. She also performs across the country demonstrating her gourd instruments as they are used in her Appalachian and Bengali heritage. In June 2025, she will be received into the international Anglican-affiliated religious order Daughters of the King which was established in New York City in 1885.
What does the Taproot Fellowship mean to you and how will it affect your practice?
Being a Taproot artist means sharing our expression of Affrolachian culture with a wider audience. It affords an opportunity for cultural exchange with communities beyond those reached on my own. By sharing ourselves and the art that shapes us, we have a chance to see one another more clearly— even those with whom we may not agree.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Hopi
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
“Being a Taproot artist has enabled me to expand my teaching with not only weaving but the Hopi language and spiritual and mental healing by doing art therapy. Our Hopi way of life contunuies to be preserved as we keep speaking and teaching our Hopi ways. A legacy of over a 1k+ years continues to grow.”
Annetta Koruh
Hopi guiding prayers. Yellow light gratitude of a new day. Green ~ creation's gift. Blue ~ water is life prayer of spiritual fulfillment. White ~ Purity and cleansing. Photo by Annetta Koruh
Photo courtesy Anneta Koruh
Photo courtesy Anneta Koruh
Photo courtesy Anneta Koruh
Photo courtesy Anneta Koruh
Basket of Unity & Wholeness. Photo by Annetta Koruh
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Nu siikatalmana means 'first light of day.'
Nu siikatalmana is my Hopi name which means, first light of day before the sun rises in which the colors are yellow & orange.
I am from the village of Bacavi on the third mesa of Hopi land in Arizona. Clan of the snake and lizard. English name is Annetta Koruh. Being a fifth generation Hopi plaque weaver I have been fortunate to have learn different skills associated with weaving from my mother, grandmother and my great grandmother. My great-great grandmother that I never met. They have shown me what plants to collect such as rabbit brush, dune brush and Yucc and how to process all these materials. They have also shared the different plants to used in natural dying. I have learned songs and stories behind the art of weaving for our Hopi culture. Growing up I had no idea basketry would be important for many of our cultural dances and ceremonies. The teachings of old and the imporatnce of weaving has also been a healing journey. The meditation and prayers have given me spiritual knowledge that has brought healing to my life. With my healing, I now share my experiences and hope that the people I share with will find healing in their lives as well.
What does being a Taproot Fellow mean to you in your practice and community?
My excitement is beyond words. Receiving such a blessing deserves a joyful gratitude of thanks to all who care and made this possible. We are so grateful. Being a Taproot artist has enabled me to expand my teaching with not only weaving but the Hopi language and spiritual and mental healing by doing art therapy. Our Hopi way of life continues to be preserved as we keep speaking and teaching our Hopi ways. A legacy of over a thousand year continues to grow. Thank you-asquali, Taproot for touching lives.
Meet more of our Fellows
See All
Delores Taitano Quinata
Bilembaotuyan Maker & Player
Hagatna, Guam
Lydia “Louise” Goings (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Cherokee Basket Maker
Birdtown Community on the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee, NC)
David Comingdeer (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Cherokee Ball Stick Maker
Flint District of the Cherokee Nation (Stilwell, OK)
TJ Sgwaayaans Young (Kaigani Haida)
Haida Wood Carver
Hydaburg, AK
Van-Anh Vanessa Vo
Vietnamese Traditional Musician & Composer
El Cerrito, CA
Reba Jo Teran (Eastern Shoshone)
Traditional Shoshone Saddle Maker & Bead Worker
Fort Washakie, WY
Raymond Wong
Traditional Chinese Lion Dancer & Martial Artist
Chinatown, Washington, DC
Ramón Rivera
Mariachi Musician & Educator
Mount Vernon, WA
Omar Santiago Fuentes
Puerto Rican Troubadour, Improviser of Verse & Décimas
Hatillo, Puerto Rico
Manuel A Delgado
Old-World Luthier
Nashville, TN
Lani Strong Hotch (Chilkat-Tlingit)
Chilkat/Ravenstail Weaver & Textile Artist
Klukwan, AK
Kewulay Kamara
Mandeng Finah Poet & Storyteller
Jackson Heights, NY
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Inna Kovtun
Ukrainian Ethno-Singer & Folklorist
Portland, OR
Hamid Al-Saadi
Iraqi Maqam Vocalist
Brooklyn, NY
Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk)
Indigenous Chef
Wisconsin Dells, WI
Dena Jennings
Affrolachian Musician & Culture Bearer
Nasons, VA
Chum Ngek
Cambodian Musician & Ritual Artist
Gaithersburg, MD
Billy Branch
Blues Musician
Chicago, IL
Chef BJ Dennis
Gullah Geechee Chef & Cultural Bearer
Charleston, SC
Brett Ratliff
Traditional Appalachian Musician
Stamping Ground, KY
Bruce Bradley
Tap Dancer
Flint, MI
Annetta Koruh (Hopi)
Hopi Weaver
Village Bacavi, Third Mesa-Hopi land, Arizona (Bacavi, AZ)
Alejandro López
Chicano Muralist
Santa Cruz, NM
Wayne Henderson
Appalachian Luthier & Musician
Mouth of Wilson, VA
Willard John
Moko Jumbie Stilt Dancer
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Veronica Castillo
Mexican Polychromatic Ceramicist
San Antonio, TX
Theresa Secord
Penobscot Basketmaker
Farmington, ME
Stan Rodriguez
Kumeyaay Culture Bearer
Santa Ysabel, CA
Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
Japanese Koto Musician
Oakland, CA
Shaka Zulu
New Orleans Black Masking craftsman & stiltdancer
New Orleans, LA
Sami Abu Shumays
Arab Musician
Queens, New York, NY
Roy & PJ Hirabayashi
Japanese American Taiko Musicians
San Jose, CA
Pedro Adorno Irizarry
Puerto Rican theater artist and director
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Esparza Ahrens
Chicana Altaristas
East Los Angeles, CA
Meklit Hadero
Ethio-Jazz Vocalist & Composer
San Francisco, CA
King Khazm
Hip Hop Artist
Seattle, WA
Juan Longoria, Jr.
Conjunto Accordionist & Educator
Los Fresnos, TX
Jontavious Willis
Blues Musician
Luthersville, GA
Jesus M. Cepeda Brenes
Afro-Puerto Rican Musician & Folklorist
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Iris Brown
Puerto Rican Foodways & Agriculture
Philadelphia, PA
Gertie Lopez
Tohono O'odham Waila Musician
Tucson, AZ
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist & Bandleader
San Antonio, TX
Dr. Dwayne Tomah
Passamaquoddy Language Keeper
Edmunds, ME
Deborah Gourneau
Anishinaabe (Chippewa) Culture Bearer
Belcourt, ND
Dani Pikolakitisaata Tippmann
Miami Plant Tradition-Bearer
Myaamionki (Fort Wayne, IN)
Bill Harris
Catawba Master Potter
McConnells, SC
Carolyn Mazloomi
Quiltmaker
West Chester, OH
Adrienne Benjamin | Amikogaabawiikwe
Jingle Dress Maker, Cultural Artist
Chiminising, Misizaagaiganing (Isle, MN)
Anwan “Big G” Glover
Go-Go Music Pioneer
Washington D.C.