Glimpses of Life Among the Catawba and Cherokee Indians of the Carolinas

Documentary, Glimpses of Life Among the Catawba and Cherokee Indians of the Carolinas

"Glimpses of Life Among the Catawba and Cherokee Indians of the Carolinas" (1927) is a 19-minute documentary film by Dr. Frank G. Speck (University of Pennsylvania) documenting early 20th-century Catawba daily life. It features scenes of pottery making by Edith Brown, the Bear Dance, blowgun use, and, notably, Sam Blue and Sally Gordon, the last fluent speakers of the Catawba language at that time.
Key Aspects of the Film:
Cultural Preservation: Dr. Speck aimed to document the culture amid population decline and modernization.
Key Individuals: Features Sam Blue, Louisa Blue, Elsie Blue, Sally Gordon, Bertha George Harris, Evelyn Brown, and Joe Sanders.
Activities: The footage includes children, a school, a Mormon missionary visit, and traditional dances.
Catawba Pottery: Detailed steps of traditional pottery making are shown, primarily featuring Edith Brown.
Context: While titled to include the Cherokee, the available archival footage focuses heavily on the Catawba in South Carolina.
The film is held by the Penn Museum, and although it is a vital historical record, it is not in the public domain.