Connecting Tradition with Our Ancestor
Through our combined 40+ years of research, we’ve created art to preserve and share our Choctaw heritage and culture—writing, photography, filmmaking. Looking to expand in creativity, Lynda Kay always wanted to create jewelry for our family, to pass on the stories of our ancestors in designs and colors that represented the pieces of their lives - an arrow, a paisley shawl, a character trait, and more.
Her first design was the Trail of Tears necklace pictured above.
“They left the BROWN earth of their home behind. RED stained the trail they walked. A BLACK cloud hovered as they buried their dead. CRYSTAL tears flowed. Even so, the WHITE glow of their faith, and hope for future generations carried them to our new homeland. May we never forget their legacy…”
Lynda Kay came across this picture that’s identified as our great-aunt, Mary Ann Roebuck Crowder (1854-1919), and to her surprise Aunt Mary Ann was wearing a necklace that is much like one of Lynda Kay’s designs. Her heart was warmed in knowing she is carrying on a tradition that honors our ancestors.
Lynda Kay says, “During the design process, I immerse myself in a family story, an aspect of culture or a historical event. Combining all my senses and imagination, I choose colors and create a design so the wearer can embody its’ stories essence.”
We offer these treasured remembrances for your enjoyment. With each hand crafted piece a story card reflecting the design is included.
You can sign-up for our Choctaw Spirit™ newsletter to be notified when there’s a new release. Lynda Kay is always in the process of creating new story design pieces. Yakoke
