Bow Making
Chickasaw Culture KeepersChickasaw bow maker Elihu Johnson credits the hands of Chickasaw warriors and their prowess with the bow and arrow as a deciding factor in the Nation's triumph over Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Johnson is keeping his ancestors' legacy alive when he hand-makes bows today. Any tree that produces a fruit or nut can make a bow, he says, but he personally prefers bodark or black locust wood because both are virtually rot-resistant and are strong and flexible. "I have the utmost respect [for the trees I cut down] because I'm harvesting a living thing," Johnson says. "When the bow is in my hands, it's alive again. It's almost a religious experience."
EPISODES
Stickball Sticks
S1 • E2
Metalsmithing
S1 • E5
Shell Carving
S2 • E1
Horticulture
S2 • E3
Traditional Foods
S2 • E5
Beaded Collars
S2 • E8
Drum Making
S2 • E9
Storytelling
S2 • E10
Bow Making
S2 • E11
Brent Greenwood Art
S2 • E12
Beaded Jewelry
S3 • E1
Flint Knapping
S3 • E2
Stomp Dancing
S3 • E3
Turkey Calls
S3 • E5
Woodturning
S3 • E7
Bead Artisan
S3 • E8
Textile Art
S3 • E9
Quilt Making
S3 • E10
The Legacy of Bow Making
S3 • E12
Bead Artistry
S4 • E1
Woven Mats
S4 • E3
Metalworking
S4 • E4
Photography
S4 • E5
Deer Toe Shakers
S4 • E7
Stickball Sticks
S4 • E8
Shell Carving
S4 • E9
Medicine Bags
S4 • E10
Natural Dyes
S4 • E11
Bladesmithing
S5 • E1
Porcupine Quillwork
S5 • E3
Pottery Burnishing
S5 • E4
Shell Carving
S5 • E5
Duck Decoys
S5 • E6
Traditional Arrows
S5 • E7
Fine Gourd Art
S5 • E8
Traditional Flutes
S5 • E9
Turtle Pottery
S5 • E10
Turtle Shell Shakers
S5 • E11
Pucker Toe Moccasins
S5 • E12
Tattoos and War Paint
S6 • E1
Leggings and Breechcloths
S6 • E2
Hide Brain Tanning
S6 • E3
Stories of Kullihoma
S6 • E5
History of Beads
S6 • E6One Tribe One Mission
"Our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people will continue to serve as our guidepost as we work together to build an even brighter future"
Bill Anoatubby, Governor
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