Emma Ruth learned finger weaving from a North Carolina Cherokee woman in the 1970s. Now she passes the craft down to girls entering the Princess Contest who are making their own belts as a requirement for participation. Originally worn by men, belts were made of long grass and dyed with berries in the colors of nature. She has also taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts College in Santa Fe. Teaching the skills and techniques that were passed down to her allows Emma Ruth to keep an important thread of Indian heritage alive.