TerryLee WHETSTONe

Award Winning (Tsalagi or Cherokee) Artist TerryLee WHETSTONe, American Indian Flute Performer, Recording Artist, Multi-media Artist, Poet and Teacher, 2002 Grand Heritage Award winner at The Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, OK, 2005 ISMA (Indian Summer Music Awards) Finalist in the Spiritual Class, Finalist in the Eighth (NAMMYS) Native American Music Awards for 2006 & 2008, 2008 Finalist for Artist of the Year & Compilation Album of the Year at the Native American Music Awards. 2006 - 2nd place World Music Awards, Just Plain Folks Music Awards, for Native American Music. Art work chosen for the Cherokee Heritage Calendar for 2006 and 2007. "I was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As an adult I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of living in Oklahoma. Once known as Indian Territory, Oklahoma is still home to more American Indians than any other state in the Union. In fact, 39 tribal headquarters and members of at least 67 tribes make their home in the state. It is a place where time honored tradition, cultural experience and artistic expression are components of everyday life. I resided in South East Kansas for awhile, out with the cows and Mr. Coyote and other wild life. I came back into Missouri to be with my mother and father as my mom had stomach cancer. We lost my mom in 2007, Goodnight Mom. I then made a move to the St. Louis area in November of 2008. I lost the ability to walk, the ability to play the flute and to hold a paint brush. I was diagnosed with a B12 deficiency, a condition which disconnects nerve endings in the hands and feet. I knew I was in trouble without my hands, so I started giving away my flutes, seven in all. There were a few of my mentors that heard of me giving away my flutes. They placed calls to me saying the Creator gave me the gift to play and reach out to the hearts and souls of many people. They also told me my gift will be given back and stop giving our flutes away! With this advice I stopped giving my flutes away and started being gifted more flutes; receiving an additional 10 flutes. I went back to my roots through American Indian healing ceremonies and going to the Tree at the Sun Dance. I am playing flute again and walking beyond belief! The flutes have continued to come into me. I started feeling the new woods and listening to what the flutes are saying to me. The SONGS or VOICES are coming though the new flutes and the many flutes I did not give away. I also lost most of the songs I knew."