Everything in life is a part of a larger journey.  I am finding that journeys seldom take direct routes and take unexpected pit-stops along the way.  I began a journey in the Spring of 2022.  I wanted to actually experience and grow in my understanding of anthropology and archeology.  Through research, I found that near my home in South Carolina, there is a very rich Native American History and vibrant current culture.  I learned about the people of the Catawba Nation (near Rock Hill, SC) and began volunteering (another journey) at the Catawba Cultural Center.  I was able to attend an archeological dig and met several real archeologists, including Professor Christopher Judge of the Native American Studies Center at USC Lancaster.  Professor Judge has been very kind to me and helped me explore the field through labs and events.  It has been and continues to be a privilege.  This journey opened my eyes to one specific fact.  The citizens of our area and my classmates, have little to no understanding of the Native American peoples of this area; specifically, who they are and all they have contributed to this land and our country.

I wanted to do something to raise community awareness and to help my neighbors, classmates and friends learn more about our Native American neighbors.  As a result, the idea for the Sage Project was born.  I decided to found a non-profit to raise community awareness of the rich Native American History and culture of our State (more specifically South Carolina and the bordering areas of North Carolina).   I purchased a url and set-up the website for the non-profit (www.thesageproject.net).  I filed the necessary paperwork with the IRS and the State of South Carolina and the Sage Project was born.  After the set-up, I needed to take a positive first step for the Sage Project and then it hit me-bows! I would make bows for mailboxes.

Bows for mailboxes?  Yes, exactly!   I  fully established the Sage Project in the second week of October.  I realized that November was fast approaching and November is National Native American Heritage Month.  Sadly, many people do not seem to be aware of this fact, so with this in mind, I went to work.   I decided that I would make bows (sage green) for the mailboxes in my neighborhood and deploy them on all the mailboxes in my neighborhood along with a flyer explaining that the bows are in honor of Native American history month, complete with a listing of websites inviting residents to learn more.   I contacted the Chief of the Eastern Cherokee & Iroquois and the Chief of the Catawba Nation to make sure they were comfortable with and supportive of the approach.  I am happy to report that they liked the idea, were appreciative of the effort.  They also agreed that the color selection (sage) has various uses in ceremonial practices and is associated with purification and blessing. After receiving the Chiefs’ blessings, I approached the HOA for my neighborhood to obtain approval for the distribution of the bows and flyers.  The board approved.  Finally, my mom and I constructed 216 sage mailbox bows of sage tulle, and printed the flyers.  On November 1st, 2022, we distributed all of the bows and flyers out across my neighborhood.  The bows will remain in place of two weeks and will then be removed.  This process will happen annually going forward.

I look forward to accepting donations to the Sage Project in future months/years and using those proceeds to continue raising community awareness.  I would love to expand into possibly funding an oral history project with Catawba members within my own age or aiding in literacy or language preservation.  I have many ideas and hopes for the project.  However, I am extremely happy with this very first chapter.  If even one person learns more about our history and how much we can learn from our Native American friends and neighbors, the project has been a success.  Hopefully, next year, as November nears, folks will remember the observance and will be expecting their sage mailbox bows.