Chikashsha saya! My Great Great Grandfather, my Great Grandmother and my Grandfather are on the original Chickasaw roles as enrollees #1, #3 and #7 on December 12, 1902. I am so proud to be a member of the Chickasaw Nation and love having the opportunity to tell my family history through my art.

Two of my goals in life have been to be a teacher and a quilter. I have been blessed to have accomplished both of these goals. When I was old enough to hold a needle and make a few stiches, both of my grandmothers, my mother and my aunt gave me projects with fabric, yarn, and thread. My grandmothers taught me how to quilt and embroidery. My mother was a seamstress and taught me how to make garments. I was always designing and working on something with textiles. This love took a backseat for my professional life in teaching, but I learned to use my knitting, quilting, crocheting and embroidery as a stress relief from my hectic job. Now that I am retired, I can now devote my time to being a quilter and working with textiles. I have learned how to weave using the Mahota designs at the Artisian Gallery. With my Chickasaw heritage, I hope to continue exploring new designs that illustrate that heritage.