Karyl Denison Eaglefeathers: Catskills Folk Connection Loses a Folklorist

On September 13, Catskills Folk Connection lost one of its founding folklorists, Karyl Denison (Hunt) Eaglefeathers or Vanheo’o (Standing Sage Woman).  She was born on Aug. 2, 1952, to Charley and Louise Hunt.

A resident of Bloomville, Karyl was the wife of Clifford Eaglefeathers, mother of Ira, Shana, Erika, Eli, Tyson, Jonathan, David and Nate. She was grandmother to “about 17 of ‘em,” including, Sol, Eli, Cedar, Julian, Sage, Ava, Charley, Barley, Jasmine, Sky, Kaylee, Destiny and Nathan. Karyl’s siblings were Barbara, Barry (deceased), Jill, Jack and Daryl. She was adopted by Nancy Sandcrane in the Cheyenne way; and sister to Patty Old Man.

KD was a teacher in the broadest sense. As her mother, Louise wrote about her own mother, “Teaching came as easily to her as breathing.” Beyond the simple conveying of knowledge, she was a moral exemplar for her family, her students and her community.

Karyl’s lifelong commitment to service and nurturing continues to have a ripple effect on countless lives across the world.  (Part of newspaper obituary)

Karyl received her master's degree from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in folk studies, then completed her PhD at Indiana University.   Here in the Catskills she perpetuated the Camp Woodland Folk Festivals in the early 1970s before moving west where she served in academic and government folklore posts in Texas, Wyoming and Montana.  Returning to the Catskills in 2007, she joined Ginny Scheer in founding Catskills Folk Connection, a virtual folklife center for the Catskills.  Karyl had many goals for our work, beyond the center's radio program, that Ginny will work to bring to fruition.  Karyl was taken from us much too soon and will be missed continuously.

    

Halloween in Roxbury

If you missed the parade of ghouls and goblins, monsters and princesses today on the Main Street of Roxbury, you have missed the essence of Halloween.  Led by the Roxbury marching band, pre-schoolers through 6th graders marched south then north along Main Street.  The parade is the kick-off for trick or treating initiated by the youngest in the afternoon hours, followed by the grade-schoolers as it becomes dark.  Teens who are too sophisticated to dress up hang out in the center of town and the more considerate ones refrain from throwing eggs, spraying shaving cream, and breaking jack-o'lanterns.  The fire department attracts teens and adults with hot drinks and donuts.

Some houses in Roxbury indulge in the ever more popular tradition of decoration.  Some create assemblages of harvest figures and vegetables while others feature jack o'lanterns that are interesting by day and by night.  The most recent practice, however, is the use of lights in Halloween colors, outlining porches and shrubbery.  Notable on Strattons Falls Road is the yard full of hundreds of pumpkins all carved and lit at night.  On Main Street be sure to see the harvest figure falling through the porch roof and another house that features lights and children's decorations

The photos in the gallery were taken by Manhattan Country School students several years ago in Roxbury, showing that the traditions haven't changed that much in recent years, and  featuring hand made costumes by local residents still seen in annual parades.

Join Ginny Scheer tonight on Catskills Folk at 7 p.m. on WIOX 91.3 fm for more about Halloween interspersed with traditional Catskills square dance music.