Episode 19: Forging Tradition: Re-Kindling the Ancient Art of Coppersmithing w/ Evelynn Combs & Gerad Smith

In this episode Maggs is joined by Evelynn Combs & Gerad Smith of Alaska, both Archaeologists as well as artists, to talk about how they're re-conceptualizing the ancient art of coppersmithing. Gerad and Evie discuss the cultural and historical significance of coppersmithing in the Tanana Valley of interior Alaska; what it's like to work with a creative collaborator; the joys and hardships of time away from the forge; and the value of creative diversity. Evie & Gerad also consider cyclical time and the profound and incredible ways humans have been living the same experiences as our ancestors for millennia through the lens of Traveler and his stories in the Dene oral traditions.
 

Show notes:

Gerad's Dene Atlas

Cambridge University Press Publication: "Innovation and Prestige Among Northern Hunter-Gatherers: Late Prehistoric Native Copper Use in Alaska and Yukon"

Gerad's Instagram

Evelynn's Instagram

TOTALLY F#@!ING NORMAL Instagram

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Maggie's Instagram