ᎦᏙᏯᎡ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ Zhana Michelle Long (Eastern Band Cherokee) of the Deer Clan is a cross-medium artist working in acrylic painting, ribbon skirts, river cane mat weaving, and hand etching metal and wood. She has been an artisan for over twenty years.
While a self-taught painter, she learned as an adult to make ornate ribbon skirts from Becky Walker and studied weaving from Jim Long, her father-in-law. Working with her husband, Waylon Long, she harvests river cane and prepares the splits for weaving. Long infuses cultural legends, Cherokee syllabary, and historical designs into her work. She continues to teach her craft to others in the community eager to learn.
Long currently lives in the Big Cove Community of Cherokee, NC.
