The Athenaeum Press at Coastal Carolina University is a student-driven publishing lab that focuses on telling stories of our region in new and innovative ways.
We are currently working on several initiatives, including Gullah Geechee Foodways, Uncharted: Working Creatives in South Carolina, and the Communal Pen.
The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians and The Athenaeum Press are pleased to announce the Native Voices Anthology Project, a new initiative dedicated to documenting, preserving, and celebrating Native American folk art, storytelling, and artistic expression throughout South Carolina. We expect to publish the anthology in November 2026 in honor of Native American Heritage month.
This project seeks to highlight the voices and creative work of young, emerging, established, and elder Native artists while creating a meaningful platform where Indigenous traditions, artistic practices, and community stories can be shared and preserved for future generations.
The Native Voices Anthology Project invites submissions of written, visual, audio, and multimedia work from Native Americans living in South Carolina, as well as enrolled citizens, members, or descendants of South Carolina-based federally recognized tribes, state-recognized tribes, and recognized Indian groups. The anthology will feature a wide range of creative and folk art traditions, including poetry, oral storytelling, songs, photography, pottery, beadwork, basketry, regalia, ribbon skirts, traditional crafts, painting, carving, visual arts, and other forms of artistic and cultural expression. Both traditional and contemporary works are encouraged, reflecting the living and evolving artistic voices within Native communities.
This project places particular emphasis on Native folk art and community-based artistic traditions that carry stories, teachings, identity, and cultural memory across generations. Through this effort, the anthology aims to recognize and uplift the artists, storytellers, craftspeople, and culture bearers who continue to sustain Indigenous traditions and creativity throughout South Carolina.
In addition to celebrating Indigenous artistic expression, the project seeks to provide Native artists and tradition bearers with opportunities to have their work documented, recognized, and published, helping ensure that Native perspectives remain visible within the broader fields of arts, literature, folk art, and cultural preservation.
This initiative is part of the Communal Pen community writing initiative that aims to gather stories from every South Carolinian. Communal Pen is supported by a partnership with the SC Arts Commission and the Athenaeum Press.
Workshops and information sessions will be posted on this page, and by the Wassamaw Tribe and Athenauem Press social media pages as they are announced.
Please limit three (3) submissions per individual.
For technical questions and assistance, please contact communalpen@coastal.edu.