Lloyd Arneach

Lloyd Arneach tells stories to audiences of all ages. His personal style enlivens stories from Cherokee traditions, from his personal experiences, and from contemporary and historical events. “I’m fortunate to have a wealth of stories to share,’ he says, “and I’ll tell stories to anyone who will sit down and listen.”

Born and raised on the Qualla Boundary, Lloyd Arneach attended Guilford College and served in the United States military, including a year in Vietnam. He moved to Atlanta in 1967 and began sharing Cherokee history and culture through storytelling. His uncles, David and George Owl, were his earliest storytelling influences. After absorbing the traditional Cherokee stories and storytelling style, Lloyd added stories from other sources – his own experiences, other elders, and scholars. He tells stories about Wounded Knee, the Trail of Tears, Ishi, and Chief Joseph.

Lloyd Arneach has told stories at the National Storytelling Festival, the President Carter Center, the High Museum in Atlanta, Northwestern University, Mississippi State College, the Atlanta Storytelling Festival, the Cherokee Fall Festival, powwows, and other events. He has been featured in Voices in the Wind (a video documentary by Gary Moss), in National Geographic television specials, and on Georgia Public Television. His stories are included in the book Storytellers: Folktales and Legends from the South by John Burrison (University of Georgia Press, 1990), and his version of The Animals’ Ballgame was published as a children’s book with illustrations by Lydia Halverson (Children’s Press). Lloyd Arneach served as Senior Native American Advisor for the Festival of Fires, an all Native American event included in the Cultural Olympiad of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. He coordinated the relay run of the flame from Cherokee, North Carolina, to the Gwinnett County Arts Center in Duluth, Georgia, for the Festival of Fires.

Lloyd has published another book of stories, Long-Ago Stories of the Eastern Cherokee, which is now in its fourth printing. His CD Can You Hear the Smoke? is a collection of stories and Native America legends. Both are available through his website.

Availability:

His fee is negotiable, but travel expenses should be included. Lloyd Arneach prefers to tell stories with the house lights up so that he can see the faces of his audience. He can accommodate large audiences if sound equipment is provided.