Elena Carol Pate's creativity
and love of color can be seen in her beadwork and dolls.
A Choctaw artist,
she was born in Hugo, Oklahoma, and was raised by her grandmother
until the age of five when her grandmother passed away. Left
without other close family ties, Carol was adopted by a family
in Oklahoma City. "It wasn't until I was grown and married
that I began to create my own art," says Carol.
After her marriage to Rick Pate and the birth of their first
daughter, Amber, Carol wanted to reconnect with her Choctaw
heritage. She began teaching herself beadwork and researching
the styles and patterns. She took classes with Native beadworkers,
Patricia Moustrail and Hennrietta Tsoti, at the American
Indian Cultural Society, a local Indian cultural organization.
After seeing her work, Carol's mother, Sharon Hazleton,
and her friend, Delores Pratt, encouraged Carol to sell her
work. Delores entered Carol's work at the Gallup Inter-tribal
Ceremonial. Carol won first and second place awards. Rick's
parents, Ed and Hanna Pate, were happy to have Carol''s work
at the Tribes Gallery they operated in Norman, Oklahoma,
selling art from the region.
| Today, Carol is one of the
top beadworkers in the country, winning top honors for
her work at the Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City and
the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup. Carol is
known for her vibrant colors and eye for contrast and
design. She uses one of the smallest sizes of beads,
size 13, to create her intricate patterns. She also uses
cut glass faceted beads that capture the light and turn
each piece into one of dazzling beauty. |
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Carol uses what is called
a "lazy
stitch" for rows of beads. Anything but lazy, this
stitch takes great control to get the beads sized uniformly
and the tension consistent enough to make the beads lie
smoothly. She uses what is called a "peyote stitch" when
she needs to make a circular pattern or sew the bead
around an object. " I don't draw my designs," says
Carol. " When I begin a piece, I choose my colors
and put the ones I want into one bowl. My husband thinks
I'm crazy, but I like picking each bead out and seeing
how the design evolves." |
| Turtles are
a recurring theme in Carol's work. "Turtles are important to the Choctaw," says
Carol, "We even have a Turtle Dance to honor them." Carol
makes several sizes of beaded turtles, from a few inches
to almost twelve inches. She also makes lizards and frogs. "My
animals are reminiscent of the umbilical fetishes made
by mothers for their children," says Carol. Children's
umbilical cords were sewn into the fetishes and were
kept by the children throughout their lives. They represented
the tie to their mothers, families and nation. "The
turtles and frogs were usually given to the boys, and
the lizards were given to the girls," says Carol. |
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Carol
will make traditional dolls upon request, but enjoys
making contemporary dolls so that she is not limited
to colors and designs used in the past. She makes leather
and cloth dolls wearing traditional buckskin regalia
or cloth dresses. The Choctaw woman dolls will have
the beautiful beaded collars and other accessories.
She has made miniature beaded cradleboards, but one
of her future goals is to make a fully beaded, full-size
cradleboard. |
Today, Carol and her husband have three children, Amber,
Elizabeth and Owen. She may have learned her craft for them,
but now she shares her knowledge with many others, selling
her work and teaching classes at the Cultural Society.
The Indian Craft Shop represents artists from over 40
tribal areas within the United States. Located in the Department
of the Interior federal building at 18th and C Streets, the
Shop is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed federal holidays. Open the third Saturday of each month
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Photo ID required for entrance.
For more information, call 202-208-4056.
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