Jessica Wallace, a member of the Southeastern Mvskoke Creek Tribe out of Troy, has been honored as a recipient of the prestigious Cauthen Fellows program award by the Alabama Folklife Association.

The Cauthen Fellows program awards individual one-year fellowships to research an Alabama folk tradition and produce an article for the AFA annual journal.

Wallace currently live in Bellingham, Washington. She has a degree in anthropology from California State University. In 2022, she worked with the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage under a mentor, James Deutsch.

“At the time, he was a Cauthen Fellow Awardee for his article in Tributaries 18, ‘Negro Folk Music of Alabama’ regarding Harold Courlander.”

Wallace worked with Deutsch on researching that topic and assisted him on the article now presented in Tributaries. She is listed in the credits.

“That inspired me to take my own step into applying to become a Cauthen Fellow,” Wallace said. “I have learned a lot about the beautiful traditions and practices of our people.

“That inspired me to dig deeper into the intricate world of Muskogee Creek shell carvings. They tell such detailed stories of our ancestors. They depict the afterlife, the creation story, and everything in between. Unfortunately, like many tribal traditions and practices, they are a dying art.

“So, I’d love to bring some more light to this amazing tradition. It deserves some more recognition.”