Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

'River' Knowledge Sought By AHPP

The Arkansas Folklife Program, a project of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, is seeking individuals who use the state's rivers for traditional activities, AHPP Director Cathy Slater announced October 17.

The AHPP is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

"We are looking for people who learned river-related activities by watching others perform them or by imitating what others around them did," Slater said. "These include such varied skills as tying fly fishing lures, running trot lines, and creating fish nets or traps, as well as other ways of makeing a living on or from Arkansas's rivers.

"In addition, we are seeking information on traditional recreational activities such as crawdad catching, swimming holes and other childhood games and activities," she added.

"People who know of these types of activities but do not participate, or those who know stories about Arkansas's riverways are also needed for this project," she said.

Information gathered on traditional activities will be used in preparing for Arkansas Heritage Month next May, the theme of which will be "Arkansas Rivers: Highways of Heritage."