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A storm knocks down a cedar limb, and most people see yard waste. We see a whole philosophy. We’re joined by Nathan Elliott, a third-generation woodturner and woodcarver with roots connected to the Nansemond, Nottoway, and Saponi tribes in Eastern Virginia, and he walks us through how a spinning block of wood on a lathe becomes a bowl that carries memory, place, and purpose.

From there, we follow the sound. Nathan explains the Native American flute, why he records real nature audio to build calm into his music, and how an Iroquois-style water drum actually uses water to soften and tune the drum head. We talk about making art that’s functional, not wasteful, and how traditional practices like brain tanning and using every part of a material connect to today’s conversations about sustainability, mindfulness, and stress relief.

We also go deeper into faith and spirituality, what it means to speak of the Creator, and why respect for creation remains foundational. Nathan shares what it meant to perform at the Kennedy Center, then shifts into wampum jewelry, clamshell value, and the craft and discipline of silversmithing. We close with Indigenous history in Virginia that many people never hear, including how Native influence still shows up in language and ideas across the United States.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with a friend who loves art and history, and leave a review to help more listeners find Listen Up. What part of the conversation made you see “value” differently?

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