Page 43 - Wayne County

said Faren Sanders Crews as she recounted the saddening details of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation and movement of the Cherokees in 1838. Yet, not one to play the victim, “It is truly more blessed to give than receive” is more than a mantra to Faren, it describes how she has spent her life. Even in the shadows of that dark time, she is determined to live a life that spreads light, brightening the world around her.

Faren is a direct descendant of survivors - on both sides - of the infamous Trail of Tears: her father’s ancestors were removed from North Carolina and walked to Indian Territory in northeastern Oklahoma, while her mother’s family hid in the mountains during the removal. Her father, a member of the Western Band of Cherokees, now known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and mother - of the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians - were both schooled at Federal Boarding School. Faren was born in Tahlequah, OK - the present day capital of the Cherokee Nation - but at age six, her family

moved back to her mother’s tribal lands on the North Carolina Indian Reservation.

“I didn’t feel poor or lacking as a child,” said Faren, recounting life on the reservation, “it all depends on whose measuring stick you use.” It was there - in the isolation of her youth - that she was able to hone her art skills. The absence of modern amenities meant a steady supply of things we often lack today: an organic lifestyle, simplicity, and time. “We didn’t have indoor plumbing - no television or radio - no telephones. Wood was cut, carried, and stored for winter. For entertainment, we played every sport imaginable and when I wasn’t outside running and playing, I was indoors drawing. We all drew what we saw outdoors, seeking to capture the images with pen and pencil.” Faren’s artwork is saturated with the details of wildlife and Indian culture, a direct result of her natural surroundings as a child.

“Our lives are meant to touch people,” she said, painting an image of the golden rule. “Church being our main spiritual and social outlet, some Sundays after church we would go to whoever was in need and help as a family. It might be a