Native American Celebration

Every November the Hagood Mill Historic Site observes Native American Heritage Month by holding the Native American Celebration. Every Third Weekend of November we hold this beloved celebration that we also call Selugadu. Selugadu translates into cornbread in the Tsalagi Gawonihisdi (Cherokee) language. Selu, meaning corn and gadu, meaning bread. This celebration of cornbread is in reality a Harvest Festival. November is the time of year when Native Americans reaped the harvest of corn. All across the Americas the first people developed over 250 varieties of corn. Corn was an essential crop in Native American life and came to be in Colonial life as well.

At this time of year Americans Give Thanks. Join us at the Hagood Mill to give thanks to, and honor the first peoples of these lands, for the food traditions and customs that have influenced southern Appalachian life. On Saturday, November 20th we will bring together many people from many tribal groups to share their customs from today and yesteryear at the idyllic Hagood Mill Historic Site.

Saturday’s event kicks off at 10 am and runs until 4 pm. We will have our typical Third Saturday activities, including the operation of the Hagood Mill, living history demonstrations and a cherry picked group of vendors. Visitors and guest performers will participate in the festivities of the day which will include: Native American traditional drumming, singing, dancing, flute playing, storytelling, Cherokee hymns in the Tsalagi Gawonihisdi language, and traditional crafts and demonstrations. Performers include storyteller and basket maker Nancy Basket, from Walhalla, SC; Cherokee singer Amy Sindersine of the Reedy River Inter-tribal Association; The Kau-Ta-Noh-Jrs Society Singers of the Tuscarora Nation, NC with On'yas Locklear, Raniya Locklear and Nawayla Locklear; and Keepers of the Word from South Carolina.

Demonstrations of food-way traditions such as stone grinding of cornmeal, cooking fry-bread, and roasting corn will take place throughout the day. Barry Crawford’s prehistoric cooking demonstration using ancient soapstone bowls is too artful to be missed. Members from the Foothills Archaeology Society will be on site to identify Native American stone tools and artifacts. Be sure to bring your treasure to be identified!

While on site check out “Our Native Roots: An Interpretive Trail”. The interpretive trail takes visitors along the Old Indian Path, which is an ancient trading path that took the Native Americans from the Mississippi coast and up and through the continental divide to Virginia. The interpretive trail includes a dugout out canoe which will be burned during the Native American Celebration, a river cane restoration area, a sacred fire circle for all to experience on this special day, a medicine wheel garden, a corn garden, a mortar and pestle for grinding corn, a prehistoric stone mortar, an archaeology adventure for kids, the Paul West artifact collection, and the petroglyphs that were made in prehistoric times. We are especially grateful to Paul West, who donated his personal collection of Native American artifacts, art and books to the Hagood Mill Foundation, and are now housed in the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site.

Our typical Third Saturday happenings of the operation of the Hagood Mill, living history demonstrators, and artisan vendors will start at 10 am. We will also have food trucks throughout the day and evening on Saturday. As always, we encourage visitors to bring lawn chairs or blankets for the show. Visitors are also welcome to bring their favorite old-time instruments and join in the “open jam” which typically takes place throughout the day under the ancient cedar beside our beloved 1791 log cabin.

There promises to be lots to do and lots of fun! Admission is $5.00 per person aged 13 and up. Children 12 and under are free and there are no parking fees. Admission includes entrance to the Hagood Mill Historic Site as well as the Heritage Pavilion and Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site. Again, camping is available onsite all weekend.

We are seeking vendors that handcraft their products to sell during the artisan market. Full vending details and the vendor application form can be found on the website. https://www.hagoodmillhistoricsite.com/upcoming-events#ArtisanVendorApplication

We are seeking volunteers who will receive entrance into Friday and Saturday’s events in addition to the hospitality tent for meals in exchange for 8 hours of work, before, during, or after the event. Volunteers will have the option to work one 8-hour period, or two 4-hour periods. Spaces are limited and volunteers are encouraged to register early. Contact Hagood Mill ([email protected]) if you are interested in volunteering. If volunteers would like to camp for the weekend they will be required to purchase camping passes. https://www.hagoodmillhistoricsite.com/recreation#CAMPING

We will kick off the weekend on Friday, November 19th at the Heritage Pavilion! Pickens County historian, naturalist and author, Dennis Chastain, will present his highly popular slide show: Cherokee Villages Before and After the Lakes.

Make a weekend of the event and reserve your camping space as well!

Primitive camping will be available Friday and Saturday nights-- $10/tent for one or two nights (tent/car camping) or $20 for RV spaces. Limit 6 people per site. Car and RV spaces are limited, so register online soon. Folks with loud generators will be asked not to use them during special events.

Visit our website for full event details and to access the ticket portal:

www.HagoodMillHistoricSite.com

Text GRITS to 85100 to stay in the loop of all things happening at the Hagood Mill and to receive exclusive offers.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Hagood Mill Historic Site, 138 Hagood Mill Rd., Pickens, United States