DANTE BLAIS-BILLIE: [Introduces self in Seminole language]

Hello. I’m Dante Blais-Billie. My Seminole name is Shéhoyée Chet(?). My father is from the Otter Clan, and I’m from the Hollywood Reservation.

TANTOO CARDINAL: Dante is Assistant Director of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum in Florida and a member of the Seminole Nation.

DANTE: I think something really fun about our culture is that we kind of say our arts and our crafts are a culture of continuity, and that means that we’re not really focused on the Western perception of what’s authentic and what’s tradition. We really accept innovation and artistry in any form.

TANTOO: Notice this jacket, for example. The horizontal patchwork strips carry a mix of traditional patterns and contemporary designs – some of which have been used and reinterpreted for generations.

[SFX: THUNDERSTORM SOUNDS?]

DANTE: So here you’ll see that there’s a motif of “storm” which is something that’s really important to our connection with the environment.

TANTOO: The storm motif is the black and white pattern that runs across the center of the jacket.

DANTE: You also see a patchwork that’s the four directions….

TANTOO: That’s the cross motif below the storm pattern. The number four is very important in Seminole culture – four directions, four seasons, four stages of life.

DANTE: But then there’s patterns that are just ostentatious and fun, kind of like the backwards “S.” It’s just there to be a bright, colorful eye-catching pattern.

I think something interesting about patchwork is that it’s so woven into our day-to-day life. It’s something that connects you to the people before you. It’s a way to express yourself to your community. It’s a way to contribute.