This is the very popular Carolina Parakeet necklace that was made by Ronnie Francisco, Mohawk Artist from Akwesasne NY. It is aprox. 4 inches long, and varies slightly with each bird made. No two are the same, so when you purchase this beautiful piece, rest assured that it is a one of a kind!

Did you know that North Carolina was once the home to the worlds most northerly parrot? That's right, it was called the Carolina Parakeet! Unfortunately over hunting for European women's hat ornaments, logging and expansion of industrial agriculture forced these beautiful birds into extinction around 1918. Even so, today  many Tuscarora living in the Carolinas still carry a natural affinity to these beautiful creatures. Perhaps it's our old stories, or perhaps its our empathy due to similar experiences.
 
Traditionally, many of our people collect and use feathers, working them within our regalia not only for our own aesthetic pleasure, but to carry on the respect by honoring the birds beauty long after its death. We can no longer do this with our Carolina Parakeets, however we can still keep its story alive and beauty on display through our beadwork.
 
Carolina Parakeet Story summary: It is said that the Carolina Parakeet throughout the day would follow the sun in a way that was similar to the sunflower. For this, the sun thought the bird would be an excellent messenger between the Sun and the people. When the Carolina Parakeet accepted its new task from the Sun, the Sun gifted it with the colors of a beautiful sunflower under a blue sky. In some stories, it is suggested that the parrot delivered a gift from the Sun to the people in the form of a medicinal fireball game. For many generations after, the Carolina Parakeet faithfully carried the messages to and from the people until it was finally forced into extinction by colonial expansionism. Today, we still mourn the loss of such a significant part of our story.