Culture
stomp dancing, beading, woodworking, finger weaving, pottery, flute-making and others.
One of the main focuses of the Chickasaw Nation is the preservation of Chickasaw history and culture. In FY 2008, several programs were enhanced or created to accomplish that goal.
Language revitalization is a key element in preserving Chickasaw culture. Language programs grew as more and more people found interest in learning. The master/apprentice program matched fluent speakers with pupils for one-on-one mentorship. Language learning programs were offered for adults in community classes, an employee language incentive program, the phraselator program and through learning materials. Children’s language programs included a Chickasaw Language Club, language sports camps, Head Start curriculum, Cultural Preservation Day, the Native American Language Fair and learning materials such as flash cards, coloring books and puzzles.
Another important way of preserving Chickasaw culture is through the written word. Since the Chickasaw Press was created in 2005, it has produced a number of incredible publications. Its first was the award-winning Chickasaws: Unconquered and Unconquerable which featured photography by renowned photographer David Fitzgerald. It followed up this publication with equally exciting releases, Never Give Up!: The Life of Pearl Carter Scott by Paul Lambert and Chickasaw Lives by Richard Green, which was named as a finalist for an Oklahoma Book Award in the Design and Illustration category in 2008.
In FY 2008, the Chickasaw Press released three new titles including Picked Apart the Bones, a book of poetry by Rebecca Hatcher Travis, Edmund Pickens: First Elected Chickasaw Chief by Juanita Keel Tate and They Know Who They Are: Portraits of Chickasaw Elders, a book of Mike Larsen Art, by Mike and Martha Larsen.
In FY 2008, the Chickasaw Nation Department of Libraries, Archives and Collections expanded the photo archives collections, genealogical collections, museum collections and library holdings while preserving archaeological collections and developing oral history and outreach initiatives.
Another large part of Chickasaw culture is art. Whether it’s music, sculpture, weaving, pottery or woodworking, the Chickasaw culture and history can be captured in the art of its people. Several projects completed in FY 2008 showcase some of the Chickasaw Nation’s most talented artists.
In March, Thunderbird Records and the Chickasaw Nation released a new recording of works by Chickasaw Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. This recording was performed by the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Symphony Chorus, and marked the first time a major American symphony orchestra and an American Indian composer had collaborated to record and release orchestral works.
Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen completed 24 paintings in his Elders Series I, They Know Who They Are. An inaugural exhibit and reception took place at the Oklahoma History Center in FY 2008 and remained on display for several months. The series of pieces featured Chickasaw elders and captured their perseverance and strength. Mr. Larsen also began work on his Elders Series II, another set of 24 elders paintings.
The Chickasaw Nation Division of Arts and Humanities once again hosted its annual Southeastern Art Show and Market during the Chickasaw Festival. More than 40 Native American artists participated in the juried competition and market. In FY 2008, the event added a youth competition category and received several Chickasaw entries.
Several young Chickasaw artists were featured at the Jacobson House Native Art Center in Norman, Oklahoma, in FY 2008. “Keepers of the Flame: A Young Chickasaw Artist Showcase,” was organized by guest curator and 17-year-old Chickasaw, Amanda Shackleford. Pieces in the exhibit ranged from anime to traditional beadwork and included themes rooted in Chickasaw legend. Artists included in the show were Brendan Anoatubby, Betsy Barbour, Cherokee Durant, Cheyenne Durant, Joel Hamdy, Courtney Parchcorn, Amanda Shackleford, Brooke Shackleford, Dale Shackleford, Katy Shackleford and Skye Shackleford.
Another effort to connect to Chickasaw history and culture includes the addition of a tribal ethnobotanist, Steven Bond. The trained ecologist, botanist and biologist studies the connection between flora and humans and how the tribe is bound with plants in all areas of life including food, shelter and medicine. Bond also shares his studies with tribal youth in his “living classroom” garden with lessons on country living, traditional ways, Chickasaw language and the art of gardening.
The historic preservation and repatriation department continued to preserve the Chickasaw Nation’s most sacred cultural assets. This department participates in several consultations throughout the year to maintain the integrity of the tribe’s aboriginal homelands and burial sites. This department’s work stretches from Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama to Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Other accomplishments:
- Dr. Tina Cooper was the recipient of the 2008 Chickasaw Dynamic Woman of the Year award for her dedicated service to the Native American community.
- Dr. Cooper is the current
Carl Albert Indian Health
Facility medical staff joint commission/quality and safety coordinator. She helped to establish the Compassion Outreach Center, a free health clinic in Ada, and serves as
a volunteer supporter of the Ada Chickasaw senior citizen center and as a Chickasaw Foundation board trustee. - Marie Colbert Beck was the recipient of the 2008 Silver Feather Award for service in preserving Chickasaw heritage and culture. Ms. Beck is a longtime member of the Chickasaw Language Committee and the chair of the council of elders. She recently teamed up with the Chickasaw Nation Multimedia Department to produce and narrate the Chickasaw cartoon, “How the Rabbit Lost Its Tail.”
- More than 250 Chickasaw Head Start students spent a day immersed in Chickasaw culture during the Chickasaw Nation Cultural Preservation Day.
- The Chickasaw Living History Players performed for more than 800 audience members at various public events, festivals, camps and public schools.
- Several cultural demonstrators traveled to Chickasaw Gatherings to share skills such as basket weaving, flute making, storytelling and beading with citizens in Waco, Texas and Bakersfield, California. More than 650 citizens and guests attended these two events.