Ostenaco (ca. 1703-1780), a Cherokee leader, will be portrayed by Doug Wood of Hurricane in a West Virginia Humanities Council History Alive! program at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the White Sulphur Springs Library.

The library is sponsoring this program with the assistance of Seneca Trail Charitable Foundation and is free to the public.

Ostenaco was an important Cherokee ally of Virginia military leaders during the French and Indian War. He was instrumental in recruiting and leading the Indian alliance that provided support and protection for British colonial settlements against attack by northern tribes allied with the French. His sphere of influence reached over a wide area and his relationships with Virginia leaders contributed to the expansion of English-speaking peoples into present day West Virginia.

Ostenaco is one of the many available character presentations offered through the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! program as a means of exploring history by interacting with noteworthy historical figures.  These programs provide audiences with the opportunity to question those who have shaped our history. Humanities scholars have carefully researched a variety of sources about the figures they portray such as journals, letters, official documents, speeches, autobiographies and research by other scholars in developing their presentation.

Join us at the White Sulphur Springs Library to celebrate this remarkable individual and his involvement in the history of West Virginia. Light refreshments will be served afterwards. The library is located 344 Main Street West in White Sulphur Springs. Please call 304-536-1171 if you have any questions. This presentation is a History Alive! program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.