Show Love for Cherokee elder, Ruth Manasco and her historic Cherokee log cabin!

Ruth Manasco, an elder of the Blue Clan Echota Cherokee has long been active in many communities sharing her wisdom about Native arts and lifeways. And now she needs the help of those that have benefitted from her love and wisdom to save her historic Cherokee log cabin! It is in dire need of a new roof! Several extensive repairs have failed to stop leaks and a new roof is now the only remaining option. It is a complex roof repair and while the family has 60% of the replacement costs in hand, we need your help raising the rest! We do not want to get a secured home improvement loan because this could potentially put Ruth's historic home at risk with the lending institution.

Here is a little bit more of why Ruth deserves this show of love and support (though if you already know her, no explanation may be needed!) …

About Ruth's acts of service:

Ruth, whom her grandfather called Tu-ti (snowbird in Cherokee), has been teaching the art of Native American traditional pottery making to fourth grade students during Native American history month for the last 27 years!!! She has taught multiple generations within the same family, all the way down to where she is now teaching the grandchildren of her original students! Everybody loves “Miss Ruth” because of her kind nature and optimistic outlook. In addition to her decades long formal programs in Walker and Winston counties, she has also held demonstrations at numerous events, including Oakville Indian Mounds Festival and Moundville Native American Festival. Never one to miss an opportunity to help others, she has tirelessly given her time to schools, art foundations, visitors and also the countless guests and patrons visiting her pottery studio, Dancing Rabbit Studio, in Winston County, Alabama.

In addition to her sharing of arts and lifeways with others, her and her late husband, Jim Manasco, were pivotal in getting the Eastern Wilderness Act of 1975 passed into law. This critical Act has allowed over 1-million acres of wilderness to be preserved east of the Mississippi River. They gave countless hours of time and energy to champion this cause to protect sacred lands and waters in the Sipsey Wilderness, the first wilderness designated under the Act, thereby preserving a natural legacy for many generations to come.

About Ruth's home:

Ruth's home is a special place and many people that have toured this historic structure have come away with a deep appreciation of its beauty and cultural significance. The main structure of her log cabin is built from American Chestnut, which is now extinct in tree form. It is a traditional Cherokee home built in 1900 by Mr. Taylor, a Cherokee elder from the traditional community of Birdtown on the Qualla Boundary (reservation) in North Carolina. In the 1980s, Ruth and Jim acquired this cabin from extended family in Cherokee, North Carolina that lived on the boundary. Jim marked each timber with a numbering system and had it shipped on a flatbed truck to Winston County, Alabama where he painstakingly reconstructed it. Prior to transporting the logs, he was able to visit with the elder that built the cabin. During that visit, the elder, Mr. Taylor, pulled out a 3-foot stick and told Jim that this was the tool he made to help him build and level the cabin in 1900. After reconstructing the cabin in Alabama, Jim used a modern level to check if adjustments were needed and was shocked and awed to learned that Mr. Taylor and his “stick” had built a perfectly level cabin, way before modern tools such as levels and chainsaws were invented. The timber used for the cabin was crosscut felled and the logs were hand chiseled – the chisel marks are readily apparent, even today. The historic significance of this home cannot be overstated. Many people are unaware that the traditional Cherokee home were windowless log cabins with a bark roof. And although this cabin got a metal roof when it was reconstructed, it is now time for new roof! Please join us in showing Ruth some love for all her years of dedicated and loving community service to people of all cultures and ages!

Wa-do. Si-gi. Ga-li-e-li-ga. (Thank you, thank you, We are grateful)

4 WAYS YOU CAN DONATE

Via Venmo, directly to Terra Manasco (Terra is Ruth's daughter, no fees, 100% of gift amount goes to family): @Terra-Manasco

Via Credit Card using the form on this page (credit card processing fee of 2.9% taken from gift amount).

Via Text: Text LOVE4RUTH to 206-800-7879 to donate!

Share on Facebook! Even if you can't donate money, please share on Facebook to get the word out!

ALL funds are going directly to Terra, who will manage the donations on her mother's behalf; there is no outside person or group that has access or control over any donations. A close family friend, Reverend Anna Rilla Holmes will be co-managing this campaign with Terra on behalf of the family.