Meet Hayden Haynes | Antler Carver & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayden Haynes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayden, what inspires you?
I’m inspired by my Seneca culture and the Seneca communities. I grew up on Seneca territories, and still live on one. Being surrounded by my people, interacting with them, seeing our perseverance and the beauty of our culture are all things that inspire me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What many people don’t know is that carving antler is a practice that has been done since time immemorial by Seneca people. For lack of better words, one could say that it is a true ‘traditional’ art. Because of the lack of understanding, in my early career and even now, it is sometimes difficult for people outside my community to grasp that what they are looking at in my work is actually an ancient practice, with obvious contemporary form, elements, designs etc. Oftentimes people have a very narrow definition of what kind of materials and practices are considered ‘Native art’. In recent years I think I’ve overcome a lot of those challenges. Different museums that have collected my work, art show organizers that recognize my are all pivotal in helping to get antler carving back in the conversations of Native art, and the other goal of mine which antler carving revitalization. Ultimately what I’ve learned along the way is to do everything with extreme intent, never rush pieces, and to stay true to myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In Ohio:yo’/Allegany Territory, I’d take them to the Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center, then go down to the Chi:yo’ river. Maybe check out the Allegany State Park. Would have to go check out the SNI bison farms as well. A good place to eat out there is the Seneca Cafe, at the Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino. In Cattaraugus I know a lot of the good fishing spots so definitely inetly would need to go catch some bass or trout depending on the time of year. Then hop on the 4-wheelers and cruise some trails all day. Maybe kayak down the Cattaraugus Creek too. A good place to eat would be Maria’s for the pizza in Western New York..

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely want to acknowledge my wife Angie and my kids, Without their sacrifice of time and understanding of what I do, I wouldn’t be able to create. I also want to recognize my community that inspires and supports my work. Their words of encouragement and the congrats that they offer to me mean more than any other award that I could get. If I didn’t feel supported by my community from my early career to now, I wouldn’t have the success and confidence to keep on creating.

Website: https://www.haydensantlercreations.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydens_antler_creations/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayden-haynes-6b3821176

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haydensantlercreations

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIevlHhKjrUkSc3p_HjgVw 

Image Credits
All images are photos I took. The model in the one photograph is Morgan Huff