GORE, Okla. – Former Miss Cherokee and renowned textile craftswoman Jules Daugherty will bring her famed feathered capes, handcrafted regalia, pucker toe moccasins and an assortment of art to this year’s Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM).
SEASAM is part of festivities celebrating the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival. SEASAM kicks off Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. and again Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. west of the Chickasaw Nation Historic Capitol Building in Tishomingo.
“I always look forward to SEASAM and have enjoyed success there. The interest exhibited by art lovers is tremendous. I usually have lots of questions, and I am able to share my Cherokee heritage,” Daugherty said.
The 29-year-old artist – whose grandmother, Joyce Thornton, introduced her to textiles at age 3 – has been a SEASAM exhibitor for several years.
And, while Daugherty will bring a wide array of crafts – earrings, jewelry, 1800s era authentic regalia, purses and textile creations – her specialty is hand-knotting or sewn feathered cape garments for men, women and children.
Feathered capes usually were made for women, while full-length feathered garments for men were called “mantles,” according to a 2013 story published by the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper. The paper said research shows the garments were warm and had practical use for Cherokee people to thwart wintry weather.
According to Daugherty, capes belonging to Cherokees were common, particularly among the Eastern Band of Cherokees still residing in North Carolina. However, all Cherokees recognize the ancient and sacred nature of feathered capes and mantles, she said. The garment was first described to Europeans by Hernando de Soto’s excursion into what is now the southeastern United States in approximately 1540.
“Cherokees have made and worn them for centuries,” Daugherty explained. “Their place in our history and our heritage is very important to us.”
How important?
An unusual request to make a commissioned “hot pink” cape initially worried Daugherty. “I remember thinking it wasn’t traditional. It was not something my ancestors would have made or worn.”
However, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian lists many colorful species of birds used to make the capes and mantles, including feathers from flamingos, parrots, geese, duck and turkey.
In the 1700s, trappers and traders described the Cherokee garment as ornately colored. In fact, traders talked about Cherokees wearing them in the late 1700s. They were described as being crafted with the brightest colored feathers from flamingos, parrots, turkeys, geese and ducks. “The brighter colors were the preferred colors," according to the Cherokee Phoenix article.
With laughter and joy, Daugherty recalls she accepted the commission and manufactured a cape with hot pink feathers.
It was not without difficulty, however.
“I had feathers dyed five different times in order to get the color I was envisioning,” she said with a big laugh. “The client loved it,” she exclaimed, “which made the experience very rewarding for me as well.”
A woman’s cape usually begins at the neckline and extends to the mid torso. The cape is usually crafted with one shoulder visible, a purposeful design from ancient Cherokee fashion so an infant could nurse easily, according to the artist.
Daugherty does not limit herself to that one fashion. Some of her creations start at the neckline with colored feathers, and darker hued feathers are used to the mid torso and resemble a small cloak covering both shoulders. She estimates an off-shoulder cape will require 800-900 feathers, whereas the other garment can take 1,200 to 1,500 feathers.
“On menswear, the cape (or mantle) is longer. I’ve seen them crafted full length and seen them draped to just along the waistline,” Daugherty said. “Those take between 2,500 to 3,000 feathers. It could take more than that if it is full length, and the feathers are closely knotted. The designs vary and are extremely difficult to craft.”
She purchases bleached goose feathers by the pound from a North Carolina supplier. Turkey feathers also are used by the artist who earned the “Bill Rabbit Legacy Award” at Cherokee Homecoming for her craftsmanship. The award honors the famed Cherokee painter.
“When I receive feathers, I immediately sort them into similar sizes, similar shapes and take note of any imperfections. I will discard ones I cannot use. Culling feathers is time-consuming. Producing a women’s cape usually takes about three weeks. I have made a few in less time if I keep a steady work pace going. They do take a lot of time though.
“I attempted a cape made from turkey feathers from a bird harvested in the field,” she said with some distain.
“It was stinky, and I disliked handling (the feathers),” she explained almost breaking out into laughter. “I would try it again. I love keeping my Cherokee heritage alive. I enjoy that I can purchase feathers and begin my artwork almost immediately. However, I would do a harvested bird again, but it would be a labor of love and heritage,” she observed.
Daugherty and her husband, Jacob, are the parents of a 7-year-old daughter, KennaFay.
One of the most thrilling aspects of being Cherokee to Daugherty is the language. She is conversational in the Cherokee language, and her daughter is learning to speak as well.
“We started telling KennaFay about the different animal names in Cherokee and then graduated to numbers. At church, the kids who take immersion classes are thrilled to speak Cherokee. They are excited to hear someone speak our language and be able to speak Cherokee to someone outside of the classroom,” she said.
Additionally, SEASAM art lovers will be happy to know Daugherty is willing to make capes, regalia, shorts, pants and other garments to fit their needs.
“I’ll take measurements and craft garments specifically for them,” Daugherty said. “Last year or the year before at SEASAM there was a person interested in pucker toe moccasins, but I didn’t have any on display that fit them. So, I made a pair on the spot,” she said with delight. “I think it may have taken me an hour, and the customer left with a new pair of handcrafted moccasins.”