Unfortunately,1990,the U.S. government has made it very difficult for some Native Americans to call their work true Native American art.  The government requires specific permits and I.D.'s and entangles the system with red tape thus making it very difficult for some to register.  So below you will find a disclaimer which is required by law for us to post.

Below you will find a disclaimer which is required by law for me to post. (1990)

                                          DISCLAIMER                                                                                                 

In the absence of a specific certification to the contrary, the seller does not warrant or represent that any particular item which is sold or offered for sale herein is an authentic Indian art or craft as defined by law of the United States, or the law of any jurisdiction.

In the last 65 years I have designed all of my creations based on my Irish and native heritage I grew up with.
  
So I am going to continue designing and carrying on my ancestor's arts and crafts as they did.
 
I lived with my Native family in Montana and later in the boothills of Missouri.

In my native culture, the women did beading, quill work, weaving, tanning hides, making jewelry, crocheting, knitting, made and dyed wool yarn, and made all the clothes.

Men hunted, made harnesses, saddles and bridles, did wood carving, bone carving, stone work and farming.
 
I learned the trades of my family as I grew up from both the men and the women.  Life was filled with experiences, hardships,many legends and stories. We did our crafts in the winter and in the spring we sold and traded.When we got together each one decided what he or she was going to make.Everything was put together.When we traded or sold our arts and crafts to the public,and also at the trading post,people would say, "The artwork is from the Henry's, isn't it beautiful?"At this time no one paid any attention as to what race or whatever.

In 1957 I moved to Springfield, Missouri. I took my handmade crafts to parks and camping grounds to make, display, and sell. The people who bought from me said my work was very beautiful and unusual.

In 1974 five of us started a Native American Center in Springfield. We named it the Southwest Missouri Indian Center (SMIC).  Ruby started to work at the SMIC, she loved my arts and crafts. Later Ruby became my wife, and we both work together.

In 1997 Ruby and I decided to start a business called "OWL'S ORIGINAL CRAFTS."
 
In 1999 we moved to Mount Vernon, Missouri and continued to enjoy making and selling my ancestors' crafts going on 75 years.
 
In 2006 a lady wanted to help us to be on the web. We decided to start the website in the domain name www.OwlsOriginalCrafts.com. The lady helping us moved away in July and we thought we had lost our site and our favorite domain name.

In August 2006, we decided to start another website and found ArtsEfest.com. But we had to change our online name to "OFFICIAL OWL'S ORIGINAL CRAFTS", because our other domain was tied up.
 
In April, 2007, we got in touch with PCC Website Design to start a new website. We worked hard to get my original business name on the web. With the help of PCC Website Design, we got "OWL'S ORIGINAL CRAFTS" back on the web.
So you can now find me under my business name at: www.OwlsOriginalCrafts.com

My grandmother "Many Leaves" learned from the Irish how to make the shawl by finger weaving it.

She created her own designs to finger weave sashes, belts and shawls with her sister "Little Tree". My grandmother made wooden beads from different trees and then she would weave the wooden beads through the shawl. "Many Leaves" and "Little Tree" did many finger weaving projects together.