I’m creating this site out of love... love for art, heritage and a passion for preservation. Avoyelles is the Parish in Louisiana that my family has lived in since the 1700’s. “Ily a bel age dans Avoyelles” means it was long ago in Avoyelles. A literal translation would be “there was a beautiful time in Avoyelles”, which I think is even more appropriate.
I'm currently gathering folklore, interviews in french, herbal cures and superstitions, which will be documented on this site. I will also have my artwork, inspired by the life and “rootwork”, or in some circles gris-gris, of generations of herbal healers (traiteuse) in my family. I create this work in hopes that it will spark curiosity about our traditions and therefore in my small way I can contribute to remembrance of our fading culture.
If you would like to view some of my work and photos please visit my personal website http://www.shanah.net and my Flickr sets
