The collection “Off The Trail” is dedicated to my Eastern Cherokee/Chickasaw descendancy. It is

remembering a Great-great grandmother who escaped the “Trail of Tears” and hid in the hills of

Kentucky in the cliffs above the Green River as told to me by my grandmother. They hid and kept their

identities secret in fear of being killed or forced back on the trail that pushed many Eastern Tribes west

across the Mississippi River. Sadly, many who remained on this dreadful trail succumbed to illness,

starvation and death. It is this story that has made me feel compelled to dedicate and recognize this part

of my descendancy the “Off the Trail” Collection. In creating this pen and ink design, I researched the

beadwork and artwork of those respective tribes of which became my inspiration for this piece.