Keith Brown

Keith Brown was born in Rock Hill SC on March 23rd 1951; he is a member of the Catawba Indian Nation who grew up on the Reservation. Keith is the son of Ruby Ayers and William Brown, both Catawba. His family was one of the last large families on the Reservation; Keith has six sisters and three brothers.Keith went to school at the last Catawba School House.

He grew up watching his grandmother and other tribal members make pottery. He would frequently help her prepare clay and burn her pottery. Keith first made pottery in 1976, while attending a pottery class. Keith also had the responsibility of digging and mixing clay. He served twenty years in the Army. He helped to organize and served as president of the American Indian Association at Ft. Stewart, Georgia. Keith retired from the Army in 1993 and moved back to the reservation. Keith has worked as the Exhibits Coordinator for the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project since June 1995. Keith has done demonstrations at the Atlanta History Center, The McKissick Museum, as well as at the Catawba Cultural Center. Keith is a student at The South Carolina Institute of Community Scholars in the Traditional Arts. He specializes in clay effigy pipes.