Ohio River Valley in the 18th century

When Teddy Roosevelt first saw the ivory-billed woodpecker he said “Lord God what a bird!” It is still often referred to as the “Lord God bird”!

Native Americans believed in numerous spirits and subordinate deities. Almost all animals and the elements were looked upon as spirits. Most of the Indians believed that they had been chosen by one or more of these spirits to assist them and make them prosper. This, they claimed, had been made known to them in a dream.

One of these Native Americans sees his spirit guide soaring overhead.

Along the banks of the Ohio River, starting at Henderson Kentucky and continuing south, massive bald cypress trees thrived for centuries. Indians made dugout canoes from the wood. Traveling, sometimes with their families, Native Americans traded with European settlers and explorers for clothing and other goods.

24 x 48 Oil