My husband, Don, and I came to this project from very different
backgrounds but with the same ideology - the book would direct
our thinking an it did just that.
My background involved art, writing, teaching, and research.
I also, fortunately had written command of both French and Spanish.
As an Anthropology major in College, I was always interested in
the Indians from the vicinity of Mexico, including the Yucatan
: The Incas, Aztec, and Mayan. I spent time in that area studying
these Indians and their culture.
The study of 18th and 19th century American and English fashions
has been a hobby of mine for many years. This brought to our book
not only a knowledge of the dress of these periods, but also,
a knowledge of the nomenclature of fashion.
After Don and I married, we traveled in the west and became very
interested in the Anasazi Indians and the ruins as well as the
Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo.
Don's background is Cherokee. His paternal grandmother was the
first college educated Native American to teach in the Cooweescoowee
School district in Oklahoma. Her grandfather, who raised her,
was a well known Judge and Cherokee delegate who represented his
Nation in Washington during the Civil War era. Scraper Street
in Venita, Oklahoma is named after her family.
Her husband's ancestors were also prominent Cherokees, especially
in the Southeast in the early 19th century. Many were named in
various journals that we used in our research. Her husband's father,
William Edward Sanders was the only Sheriff to serve both before
and after statehood in the Cooweescoowee district of the Cherokee
Nation.
Early in our research, the Smithsonian Museaum offered us a grant
to spend time using their facilities. Also many museums and universities
opened their doors to us and granted us library and other priviledges.
Our different backgrounds were very usefull in balancing our
presentation of the material in Fur, Feathers, and Fabric.