Add to ORKGThis hand carved figure of a bear was done by Cherokee Adam Welch. Welch was born in the Big Cove Community on the Qualla Boundary May 22, 1925. It was not until Mr. Welch retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that he discovered his woodcarving talent. Masks of all kinds, bears, ducks, whales, birds, and weasels are among the items he carved the most