Bladesmithing

Season 5 • Episode 1

Chickasaw Culture Keepers

In the premiere of season 5 of Thrive: Traditions, we explore the functional art of Chickasaw bladesmith Daniel Worcester. After a lifelong fascination with blades, Daniel took a class in smithing in college and was soon hooked on the craft. "I just wanted to make one piece that I would be proud of," says Daniel, when talking of his early years. Now, this renowned Chickasaw artisan breathes new life into reclaimed objects to forge his beautiful blades. "Each knife is a new experience," he says. "It's just like what we do day-by-day in life." To bring unique inspiration into his work, Daniel draws upon his Chickasaw heritage and his collaboration with fellow Chickasaw makers. With every blade forged, Daniel feels closer to his Chickasaw ancestors, hoping that bladesmithing still endures, even after he is gone.

EPISODES

3m 30s

Bladesmithing

EPISODES

Pottery

Stickball Sticks

Beading

Regalia

Metalsmithing

Shell Carving

Weaving

Horticulture

Baskets

Traditional Foods

Quilting

Flutes

Beaded Collars

Drum Making

Storytelling

Bow Making

Brent Greenwood Art

Beaded Jewelry

Flint Knapping

Stomp Dancing

Beadwork

Turkey Calls

Traditional Stories: How Day and Night Were Divided

Woodturning

Bead Artisan

Textile Art

Quilt Making

Jewelry

The Legacy of Bow Making

Bead Artistry

Painting

Woven Mats

Metalworking

Photography

Pashofa

Deer Toe Shakers

Stickball Sticks

Shell Carving

Medicine Bags

Natural Dyes

Twinning

Bladesmithing

Fish Nets

Porcupine Quillwork

Pottery Burnishing

Shell Carving

Duck Decoys

Traditional Arrows

Fine Gourd Art

Traditional Flutes

Turtle Pottery

Turtle Shell Shakers

Pucker Toe Moccasins

Chunkey

Tattoos and War Paint

Leggings and Breechcloths

Hide Brain Tanning

River Cane Harvesting, Splitting and Peeling

Stories of Kullihoma

History of Beads