Choctaw Spirit: 2013

Video: My NMAI Project

The story of my journey as a participant in the NMAI Artist Leadership Program 2012-2013. Video produced by my talented mama, Lynda Kay Sawyer of RockHaven Productions:

Chahta Siah!

Book Fun Magazine: Be Proud

Choctaw Color Guard at a powwow in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, 2013. Photo by Lynda Kay Sawyer

In the May Issue of the digital publication, Book Fun Magazine, you'll find our Choctaw Spirit column with a special story in honor of Mother's Day. It's a flash fiction I wrote based on a time in my mama's life when she wasn't proud to be indian: Choctaw Spirit: Be Proud

Chahta Siah,

Sarah Elisabeth

P.S. For back issue columns, see Choctaw Spirit in Book Fun Magazine

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 6: First Plane Ride, and The River Inn

We hadn't flown in nearly twenty years when we boarded the tiny jet at DFW for the nonstop flight to D.C. Only a few nerves at take off, and then we enjoyed the Google Earth style view behind the wing.

Now you see it...

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 5: MSC National Anthropological Archives

In the National Anthropological Archives, we photographed hundreds of original documents from the time period of our study focus, the Choctaw Removal, otherwise known as the Trail of Tears.

What treasures are in here? Sarah Elisabeth opening yet another box of the dozens we examined and photographed at the NAA

Mother and daughter team, Lynda Kay and Sarah Elisabeth

In the April Issue of the digital publication, Book Fun Magazine, you'll find our Choctaw Spirit column with more details of our trip to Washington, D.C.. It includes the story of when I yelled in the Library of Congress on our last day of research: Choctaw Spirit: Yelling in the Library of Congress

Chahta Siah,

Sarah Elisabeth

P.S. For back issue columns, see Choctaw Spirit in Book Fun Magazine

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 4: Smithsonian NMAI Cultural Resources Center

We spent two days in the CRC (Cultural Resources Center) collections with our assistant, Callie Martin. With gloves on, we handled artifacts nearly two hundred years old. I overcame some personal fears too.


Callie Martin and Sarah Elisabeth preparing to pull out Choctaw artifacts

I took each object out with great care and concern so these objects will be in the same condition for my grand kids

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 3: Smithsonian Museum Support Center

The first week of our trip to Washington, D.C. was spent in orientation, getting hands on with our first set of artifacts, artist training, and a lunchtime presentation at the Cultural Resources Center. We also made our first visit to the Library of Congress, but we'll save that experience for another post. For this one, here are photos from our experience in the MSC where we handled artifacts in the National Museum of Natural History Department of Anthropology.

Week One: Smithsonian Museum Support Center

Amazing...the things beyond those doors

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 2: Artist Training

It wasn’t a sightseeing trip. No vacation. We went to Washington, D.C. to work. Not saying there wasn’t plenty of fun along the way. But I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Week One: Artist Training

Left to Right: Sarah Elisabeth, Theresa Secord (trainer), Aymar, Bobby, and Maria hard at work preparing PowerPoints for three upcoming presentations

Choctaw Spirit in Book Fun Magazine

Since November 2012, we've had a column called Choctaw Spirit in Book Fun Magazine, a digital publication. Here are links to past articles, including one detailing a moving experience we had in Washington, D.C.. Enjoy!

Choctaw Spirit: The Sawyers and the Smithsonian March 2013 Issue

Choctaw Spirit: Robuck Love Story February 2013 Issue

Choctaw Spirit: Legacy January 2013 Issue

Choctaw Spirit: The Pow Wow Experience November 2012 Issue

National Museum of the American Indian Artist Leadership Program Part 1: Choctaws in Washington, D.C.


Lynda Kay and Sarah Elisabeth at the National Archives Research Entrance

There is no proper way to summarize our research trip to D.C. in a mere blog post. Two weeks’ worth of excursions at the National Museum of the American Indian, NMAI Cultural Resource Center, Smithsonian Museum Support Center (Anthropology and National Anthropological Archives), Library of Congress, National Archives, American Art Museum, Congressional Cemetery, numerous receptions at NMAI, three PowerPoint presentations and a panel discussion, two storytelling concerts, article interviews (where I was the one being interviewed this time), and a bit of tourism at Mount Vernon and the National Botanic Gardens.