Brief Bios of Don and Paula Sanders

My husband, Don, and I came to this project from very different backgrounds but with the same ideology - the book would direct our thinking an it did just that.

My background involved art, writing, teaching, and research. I also, fortunately had written command of both French and Spanish. As an Anthropology major in College, I was always interested in the Indians from the vicinity of Mexico, including the Yucatan : The Incas, Aztec, and Mayan. I spent time in that area studying these Indians and their culture.

The study of 18th and 19th century American and English fashions has been a hobby of mine for many years. This brought to our book not only a knowledge of the dress of these periods, but also, a knowledge of the nomenclature of fashion.

After Don and I married, we traveled in the west and became very interested in the Anasazi Indians and the ruins as well as the Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo.

Don's background is Cherokee. His paternal grandmother was the first college educated Native American to teach in the Cooweescoowee School district in Oklahoma. Her grandfather, who raised her, was a well known Judge and Cherokee delegate who represented his Nation in Washington during the Civil War era. Scraper Street in Venita, Oklahoma is named after her family.

Her husband's ancestors were also prominent Cherokees, especially in the Southeast in the early 19th century. Many were named in various journals that we used in our research. Her husband's father, William Edward Sanders was the only Sheriff to serve both before and after statehood in the Cooweescoowee district of the Cherokee Nation.

Early in our research, the Smithsonian Museaum offered us a grant to spend time using their facilities. Also many museums and universities opened their doors to us and granted us library and other priviledges.

Our different backgrounds were very usefull in balancing our presentation of the material in Fur, Feathers, and Fabric.