Will Moreau Goins

Will Goins dedicated his life to preserving Native American music traditions, beadwork, and storytelling. His artistic inclinations were passed down by family members, matriarchs, and those who continued the traditions in his large extended family. The son of Cherokee artist Elsie Taylor Goins, Goins traced his musical heritage back to the ancient chants of the indigenous cultures of the Southeast. As a teenager, Goins taught younger children a wide variety of Cherokee art forms. His young students made rattles and worked with many natural materials including shells, seeds, beads, and clay.