Choctaw Spirit

Touch My Tears Update

Touch My Tears: Tales from the Trail of Tears is being well received throughout the Choctaw Nation. I'm excited to report it's now stocked at least the Choctaw Welcome Center. We will be doing four book signings so far in the coming months: Chief's meeting in Dallas, The Trail of Tears Commemorative Walk at Wheelock, Artist Bizarre May 5 in Durant, and at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Frisco Depot in Antlers in June.

Copies are available on Amazon in print and ebook forms: Touch My Tears

We appreciate the great team we've had supporting us through this journey. Yakoke!

Book Release: “Touch My Tears: Tales from the Trail of Tears”

In 2012, I was honored as one of four artists in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Artist Leadership Program for my literary work in preserving Choctaw Trail of Tears stories. As a Choctaw, this historic event has always been close to my heart. Every spring, my mom and I make a special trip to Oklahoma to join our tribe in a commemorative walk to honor our ancestors.

Now we have a new way to honor them, and help other people of all cultures understand this piece of American history so few know of.

Touch My Tears: Tales from the Trail of Tears

Whether or not you enjoy history or reading fiction in general, I believe these stories will reach out from the pages and touch your heart. And maybe a tear or two of your own.

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.

NMAI Artist Leadership Program, and Life

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

There are not many ways to describe this season in life. One of the worst summers of my life, and it ended with my dad’s passing. Then I got a phone call.

June 2012

In May, 2012, I had applied for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian’s Artist Leadership Program. Amid the disasters of the summer, I still checked the mailbox every day in August, catching myself going out there on Sundays too. Waiting, waiting for a letter that would either accept me or a say a polite try again.

Chief Gregory Pyle and Snakes on Robuck Lake

A few years ago, after the Choctaw Labor Day festival Monday morning ceremonies, my mom, Lynda Kay, and I got to chat with Chief Pyle for a few minutes. It turned into a time of swapping stories.

Lynda Kay with Chief Pyle

When we told him our ancestors were the Robucks who had owned Robuck Lake in Grant, Oklahoma, Chief Pyle started in on a story from his youth.

He and his buddies often fished and swam in the lake. The water moccasins were aggressive there. One night, they took a boat out to fish and a handgun for protection against the snakes.

Sure enough, a water moccasin slithered right into their boat and in a panic, his friend shot off several rounds. Though it was enough to scare off the snake, the friend missed actually hitting it.

The bullets did go to some use though. They punctured enough holes in the boat to begin sinking it. The boys half paddled, half swam it—and themselves—back to shore.

One of the boys’ dads wasn’t happy with them. It was his boat that sat on the shore, full of holes.

Chief Pyle didn’t say what happened to them after that, but I imagine it topped the ordeal itself.

Why don’t you share a story from your youth with someone today?

Choctaw Dance

At the Dallas Chamber of Commerce Native American Expo (December 2011), we watched a special demonstration of traditional Choctaw dances.

The Raccoon Dance - Oklahoma State Capitol (Choctaw Nation Photo)

From powwows to on stage, I’ve seen many cultural dances of the Americas. They all have their unique flare, a story they tell.

Not to sound prejudice, but few had the qualities of traditional Choctaw dance.

As the traditionally dressed Choctaw men and women interacted in the dance, all their movements and steps could be described as sweet, innocent, fun. It was a social affair kept in the boundaries of pure enjoyment.

On the Trail Again

Choctaw Trail of Tears Commemorative Walk 2012

Lynda Kay and Sarah Elisabeth ready to walk


Ara C. "Pops" ready to see us off

On the trail. Chief Pyle was greatly missed as he was home recovering from his recent illness

The Choctaw Princesses with the Lord's Prayer

Making luksis (turtles) from clay

Basket weaving demonstrations

End of the Trail. Until next year.

Greenville High School Scholarship Powwow—Our Dance

The Grand Entry

The rain soaked ground was covered with hay that quickly became muddy itself. But nothing dampened the spirits determined to continue on with a powwow that some thought wouldn’t happen. Despite the stunning loss of the white buffalo calf, Lightning Medicine Cloud, and the overcast threatening skies, the dances went on. And on.

We arrived at Arby Little Soldier’s ranch about 4:30, and caught a courtesy hayride to the front gate. After eating a complimentary buffalo BBQ plate and shopping the vendors, we settled in for hours of powwow dancing.

There’s not so much competition dancing at this powwow as there are honor dances, and intertribal dancing. We were treated to watching the “two step,” among others.

My mom, Lynda Kay, with Arby Little Soldier

As the skies cleared and the sun went down, all were invited to come into the arena and dance a special Mother’s Day dance with or in honor of their mother. Arby’s own mother, at 94, stood with her children and grandchildren for the duration of the song.

I nudged my mama to her feet, and we stood in front of our chairs, held hands, and moved to the beat of the big drum.

Near the end, they once again invited everyone into the arena for the final fundraising dance for the college scholarship fund.

For the first time at a powwow, my mama and I moved into the arena, tossed our bills on the blanket and joined the crowd moving in beat with the big drum.

Now, I’m what I call rhythmically challenge. I tried watching others to make sure I was in beat. I tried listening to the beat, but was still a half one behind. Finally, I just felt the beat. My body fell into automatic rhythm, my heartbeat matching the heartbeat of the big drum.

It only lasted a few moments before I was distracted once again with what was going on around me. But that time of being in rhythm, being in harmony for an instant with the spirits of so many, was a God thing.

Sarah Elisabeth & Lynda Kay

In spite of the dropping temperatures and rising mud, my first outdoor powwow experience will live in my memory as a favorite.

~Sarah Elisabeth

Thanksgiving

My sister, Sherry, Chief Pyle and Me

I took my sister to have Thanksgiving dinner with our Choctaw family in Oklahoma. Our Chief was there as well.

There I sat, kayak turned backwards at the top of three tiers of rocks. The chilly water rushed over the front, filling my seat and soaking me. I was stuck.

The Graceful Entrance

My mom and I arrived in Muskogee too late for checking into the hotel before the reception started, so we drove straight to the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Please note: I was in my comfy four hour driving clothes and hadn’t put on make-up yet. Or plucked that one pesky chin hair.

As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, who else had just arrived? Tim Tingle, international Choctaw author and storyteller, and event co-coordinator. He waves and comes over to the car. I hold the tweezers inconspicuously. He insists we make him feel better for being casual and waits by the car to walk inside with us. So much for slapping on some make-up.