Long Legacies: Remarkable Survivals in Appalachian Folklife

The roots of culture grow very long, and change comes slowly into traditional societies. Despite pressures of modernization and three centuries of adaptation to a new land, there are remarkable survivals in the material culture of the Appalachian region. Using slides, folklorist Charlotte Ross argues that the way mountaineers prepare their meals, use their land, and build their homes closely resembles Celtic patterns in Western Europe. Ross asks that we consider these survivals, not as artifacts, but as ideas. When an idea reflects a deeply held core value, it has the ability to survive societal changes, to span continents and centuries, and to manifest itself in artifacts. This program explores the cultural values behind these remarkable survivals in Appalachian folklife. Audiences may choose one of the following as the focus for the program: foodways, farm plans and land use, architecture, or folk art, such as quilts, pottery, baskets and toys.