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Turtle-shell shakers make noise in Oklahoma
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Filed Under: National


It's summer and that means box turtle-shell shakers are making noise at stomp dances and powwows across Oklahoma.

The Five Civilized Tribes and the Caddo Nation brought the turtle-shell shakers tradition with them when they were removed to Oklahoma. The tribes continue to use them in ceremonies, though some of the materials used to make them have changed.

Richard Beaver, a member of the Muscogee Nation, learned how to make the shakers from his grandmother. He makes an average of six sets a year, some for adults and others for children.

"The small ones are hard to find," he tells The Tulsa World. "And to match them in close sizes on the sets is not easy."

The shells were traditionally filled with deer hooves. But they are typically filled with rocks these days.

Get the Story:
Turtle shells vital for dancers (The Tulsa World 8/8)

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