Cherokee National Treasure is a distinction created in 1988 by the Cherokee Nation to recognize people who have made significant contributions to the preservation of the tribe's art, language, and culture.
The tribe published a biographical overview of these cultural bearers, Cherokee National Treasures: In Their Own Words, co-edited by Shawna Morton-Cain and Pamela Jumper-Thurman in 2017.
List of recipients +List of Cherokee National Treasures Name Year Inducted Birthday Death Day Reason for Induction Alex England1988September 3, 1903Before 2017Bow makingTodum Hair1988February 1, 19172010Gig makingAnna Sixkiller Mitchell 1988 October 16, 1926 March 3, 2012PotteryLyman Vann1988 (posthumously)May 22, 1907June 15, 1985Bow makingWilliam Cabbagehead1989 Blowgun/Darts Stella Livers1990April 20, 19111994BasketryKnokovtee Scott1990February 10, 1951December 12, 2019CarvingLucille Hair1990April 2, 1917October 11, 2012 WeavingLorene Drywater 1990 June 19, 1932 July 30, 2021 Traditional clothing sewingMattie Wildcat Drum1990February 26, 19201991WeavingRogers McLemore1990September 18, 1912Before 2017WeavingHester Chair Guess1990September 15, 1915Before 2017WeavingElla Mae Blackbear1990August 23, 1930BasketryClarence Downing1990CarvingRuth England1990Traditional clothingMary Foreman1990September 24, 1926Before 2021BasketrySally Lacy1990September 11, 1920Before 2017BasketryThomas Muskrat1990CarvingJennie Sapp1990February 21, 1923Before 2017BasketryMaxine Stick1990BasketryHastings Shade1991May 20, 1941February 9, 2010 Carving/Gig making, one-term deputy chief of the Cherokee NationWendell Cochran1991Traditional clothingAlan Herrin1991Bow makingDorothy Ice1991WeavingEunice O'Field1991Basketry/WeavingScott Rackliff1991May 29, 19231994Flintknapping/CarvingAnna Sixkiller-Huckaby1991BasketryNancy Smith1991Turtleshell ShacklesEva Smith1991Turtleshell ShacklesBetty Jo Smith1991March 26, 1931Traditional CookingEdith Catcher Knight19922016Traditional clothingMinnie Handle Jumper1992July 25, 1922Before 2017Doll makingJohn Ketcher 1992June 5, 1922October 17, 2011WeavingGeorge Fourkiller1992December 8, 1907Before 2017BasketryThelma Forrest19921939/1940November 17, 2024BasketryBetty Scraper Garner1993February 23, 1924June 1997BasketryVivian Bush1993Turtle shell shacklesJess Oosahwee1993Blowgun/DartsDavid Neugin1994August 26, 1920Bow makingLuther "Toby" Hughes1994CarvingTom Webber Wildcat1995August 11, 19222008Turtleshell ShacklesVivian Garner Cottrell1995May 24, 1959BasketryLena Blackbird1996BasketryRichard Rowe1996CarvingWilliam Foster1997August 13, 1920Bow makingNadine Wilbourn 1997BasketryNoel Timothy Grayson1998Bow making/FlintknappingLee Foreman1999October 19, 1928Marble makingMildred Justice Ketcher1999November 26, 1922BasketryBessie Russell1999BasketryAlbert Wofford1999July 2, 1929Gig making/CarvingWyona Dreadfulwater2000LoomweavingMarie A. Proctor2000BasketryPollie Whitekiller2001September 18, 1917Before 2017QuiltingWillie Jumper Sr. 2001 (posthumously)March 31, 1911August 1977Stickball SticksMargaret Wilson2001 QuiltingWanna Lou Barton20022010Turtle shell shacklesJim Buckhorn2002September 13, 1943September 28, 2020Bow makingLinda Lou Mouse Hansen2002March 25, 1925Before 2017BasketrySam Lee Still2002January 28, 1925Before 2017Wood CarvingLizzie Jane Whitekiller2002Hand Sewn Quilting Kathryn Kelley 2003 June 12, 1930 or December 6, 1930 June 20, 2021 Traditional basketryRosie Chewie2003BasketryKathy Mae VanBuskirk2004BasketryPerry Lynn VanBuskirk2004BowmakingJane Osti2005PotteryShawna Morton Cain2006BasketryRachel Michelle Dew2006BasketryRoger Cain2007MasksDavid Scott2008LanguagesBill Glass Jr.2009SculptureWilma Mankiller 2010 (posthumously) November 18, 1945 April 6, 2010 First woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee NationEd Fields2010LanguageBetty Christie Frogg2010BasketryEdna Sue Thompson2010LanguageLisa Smith2011Turtle ShellsBill Rabbit2011December 3, 1946April 9, 2012Artistry and preserving Cherokee cultureDurbin Feeling2011April 2, 1946August 19, 2020Advancing the Cherokee Language, Published first Cherokee-English dictionaryVictoria Vazquez2012PotteryCecil Dick2012 (posthumously)September 16,1915April 25, 1992ArtsTonia Weavel2012Traditional clothingMartha Berry2013BeadingDonald Vann2013PaintingTommy Wildcat2013Blowgun and flute makingDavid Comingdeer2014Stickball sticksClesta Manley2014November 23, 1924PaintingEddie Morrison2014SculptureJohn Ross2014LanguageRobert Lewis2015StorytellingDan Mink2015Graphic DesignDennis Sixkiller2015LanguageRichard Fields2016Bow makingDemos Glass2016MetalsmithingVyrl Keeter2016October 28, 1931FlintknappingJesse Hummingbird 2017 February 12, 1952 June 17, 2021 Unique paintings and graphicsMike Dart2017February 1, 1977Contemporary BasketryTroy Jackson2018SculptureLisa Rutherford2018PotteryLoretta Shade2018LanguageAnnie Wildcat201819452018Clay BeadsCandessa Tehee2019WeavingChoogie Kingfisher2019StorytellerLula Elk2019March 22, 1961November 18, 2024Shell ShakerDavid Crawler2020Language Crosslin Smith2020November 27, 1929February 24, 2024LanguageTraci Rabbit2020PainterDorothy Sullivan2020January 8, 1939February 13, 2026PainterDanny McCarter2021BlowgunsCathy Abercrombie2021WeavingHarry Oosahwee2021Artist and StonecarverBarbara Adair2022BasketryWeynema Smith2022Cherokee language preservationLena Stick2022BasketryDiana Smith Cox2023Turtle shell shacklesSteven Daugherty2023Traditional weaponsLouisa Soap2024BasketryDarrell Littledeer2024Traditional clothingRoy Boney Jr.2024PaintingRonald Mitchell2025PaintingMary Aitson2025November 11, 1931September 19, 2025Basketry
Notes
References
Further reading The Lost Arts Project - 1988 Cherokee national treasures list - Anadisgoi