# Cherokee National Treasure

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 England | 1988 | September 3, 1903 | Before 2017 | Bow making |
| Todum Hair | 1988 | February 1, 1917 | 2010 | Gig making |
| Anna Sixkiller Mitchell | 1988 | October 16, 1926 | March 3, 2012 | Pottery |
| Lyman Vann | 1988 (posthumously) | May 22, 1907 | June 15, 1985 | Bow making |
| William Cabbagehead | 1989 | | | Blowgun/Darts |
| Stella Livers | 1990 | April 20, 1911 | 1994 | Basketry |
| Knokovtee Scott | 1990 | February 10, 1951 | December 12, 2019 | Carving |
| Lucille Hair | 1990 | April 2, 1917 | October 11, 2012 | Weaving |
| Lorene Drywater | 1990 | June 19, 1932 | July 30, 2021 | Traditional clothing sewing |
| Mattie Wildcat Drum | 1990 | February 26, 1920 | 1991 | Weaving |
| Rogers McLemore | 1990 | September 18, 1912 | Before 2017 | Weaving |
| Hester Chair Guess | 1990 | September 15, 1915 | Before 2017 | Weaving |
| Ella Mae Blackbear | 1990 | August 23, 1930 | | Basketry |
| Clarence Downing | 1990 | | | Carving |
| Ruth England | 1990 | | | Traditional clothing |
| Mary Foreman | 1990 | September 24, 1926 | Before 2021 | Basketry |
| Sally Lacy | 1990 | September 11, 1920 | Before 2017 | Basketry |
| Thomas Muskrat | 1990 | | | Carving |
| Jennie Sapp | 1990 | February 21, 1923 | Before 2017 | Basketry |
| Maxine Stick | 1990 | | | Basketry |
| Hastings Shade | 1991 | May 20, 1941 | February 9, 2010 | Carving/Gig making, one-term deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation |
| Wendell Cochran | 1991 | | | Traditional clothing |
| Alan Herrin | 1991 | | | Bow making |
| Dorothy Ice | 1991 | | | Weaving |
| Eunice O'Field | 1991 | | | Basketry/Weaving |
| Scott Rackliff | 1991 | May 29, 1923 | 1994 | Flintknapping/Carving |
| Anna Sixkiller-Huckaby | 1991 | | | Basketry |
| Nancy Smith | 1991 | | | Turtleshell Shackles |
| Eva Smith | 1991 | | | Turtleshell Shackles |
| Betty Jo Smith | 1991 | March 26, 1931 | | Traditional Cooking |
| Edith Catcher Knight | 1992 | | 2016 | Traditional clothing |
| Minnie Handle Jumper | 1992 | July 25, 1922 | Before 2017 | Doll making |
| John Ketcher | 1992 | June 5, 1922 | October 17, 2011 | Weaving |
| George Fourkiller | 1992 | December 8, 1907 | Before 2017 | Basketry |
| Thelma Forrest | 1992 | | | Basketry |
| Betty Scraper Garner | 1993 | February 23, 1924 | June 1997 | Basketry |
| Vivian Bush | 1993 | | | Turtle shell shackles |
| Jess Oosahwee | 1993 | | | Blowgun/Darts |
| David Neugin | 1994 | August 26, 1920 | | Bow making |
| Luther "Toby" Hughes | 1994 | | | Carving |
| Tom Webber Wildcat | 1995 | August 11, 1922 | 2008 | Turtleshell Shackles |
| Vivian Garner Cottrell | 1995 | May 24, 1959 | | Basketry |
| Lena Blackbird | 1996 | | | Basketry |
| Richard Rowe | 1996 | | | Carving |
| William Foster | 1997 | August 13, 1920 | | Bow making |
| Nadine Wilbourn | 1997 | | | Basketry |
| Noel Timothy Grayson | 1998 | | | Bow making/Flintknapping |
| Lee Foreman | 1999 | October 19, 1928 | | Marble making |
| Mildred Justice Ketcher | 1999 | November 26, 1922 | | Basketry |
| Bessie Russell | 1999 | | | Basketry |
| Albert Wofford | 1999 | July 2, 1929 | | Gig making/Carving |
| Wyona Dreadfulwater | 2000 | | | Loomweaving |
| Marie A. Proctor | 2000 | | | Basketry |
| Pollie Whitekiller | 2001 | September 18, 1917 | Before 2017 | Quilting |
| Willie Jumper Sr. | 2001 (posthumously) | March 31, 1911 | August 1977 | Stickball Sticks |
| Margaret Wilson | 2001 | | | Quilting |
| Wanna Lou Barton | 2002 | | 2010 | Turtle shell shackles |
| Jim Buckhorn | 2002 | September 13, 1943 | September 28, 2020 | Bow making |
| Linda Lou Mouse Hansen | 2002 | March 25, 1925 | Before 2017 | Basketry |
| Sam Lee Still | 2002 | January 28, 1925 | Before 2017 | Wood Carving |
| Lizzie Jane Whitekiller | 2002 | | | Hand Sewn Quilting |
| Kathryn Kelley | 2003 | June 12, 1930 or December 6, 1930 | June 20, 2021 | Traditional basketry |
| Rosie Chewie | 2003 | | | Basketry |
| Kathy Mae VanBuskirk | 2004 | | | Basketry |
| Perry Lynn VanBuskirk | 2004 | | | Bowmaking |
| Jane Osti | 2005 | | | Pottery |
| Shawna Morton Cain | 2006 | | | Basketry |
| Rachel Michelle Dew | 2006 | | | Basketry |
| Roger Cain | 2007 | | | Masks |
| David Scott | 2008 | | | Languages |
| Bill Glass Jr. | 2009 | | | Sculpture |
| Wilma Mankiller | 2010 (posthumously) | November 18, 1945 | April 6, 2010 | First woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation |
| Ed Fields | 2010 | | | Language |
| Betty Christie Frogg | 2010 | | | Basketry |
| Edna Sue Thompson | 2010 | | | Language |
| Lisa Smith | 2011 | | | Turtle Shells |
| Bill Rabbit | 2011 | December 3, 1946 | April 9, 2012 | Artistry and preserving Cherokee culture |
| Durbin Feeling | 2011 | April 2, 1946 | August 19, 2020 | Advancing the Cherokee Language, Published first Cherokee-English dictionary |
| Victoria Vazquez | 2012 | | | Pottery |
| Cecil Dick | 2012 (posthumously) | September 16,1915 | April 25, 1992 | Arts |
| Tonia Weavel | 2012 | | | Traditional clothing |
| Martha Berry | 2013 | | | Beading |
| Donald Vann | 2013 | | | Painting |
| Tommy Wildcat | 2013 | | | Blowgun and flute making |
| David Comingdeer | 2014 | | | Stickball sticks |
| Clesta Manley | 2014 | November 23, 1924 | | Painting |
| Eddie Morrison | 2014 | | | Sculpture |
| John Ross | 2014 | | | Language |
| Robert Lewis | 2015 | | | Storytelling |
| Dan Mink | 2015 | | | Graphic Design |
| Dennis Sixkiller | 2015 | | | Language |
| Richard Fields | 2016 | | | Bow making |
| Demos Glass | 2016 | | | Metalsmithing |
| Vyrl Keeter | 2016 | October 28, 1931 | | Flintknapping |
| Jesse Hummingbird | 2017 | February 12, 1952 | June 17, 2021 | Unique paintings and graphics |
| Mike Dart | 2017 | February 1, 1977 | | Contemporary Basketry |
| Troy Jackson | 2018 | | | Sculpture |
| Lisa Rutherford | 2018 | | | Pottery |
| Loretta Shade | 2018 | | | Language |
| Annie Wildcat | 2018 | 1945 | 2018 | Clay Beads |
| Candessa Tehee | 2019 | | | Weaving |
| Choogie Kingfisher | 2019 | | | Storyteller |
| Lula Elk | 2019 | | | Shell Shaker |
| David Crawler | 2020 | | | Language |
| Crosslin Smith | 2020 | | | Language |
| Traci Rabbit | 2020 | | | Painter |
| Dorothy Sullivan | 2020 | | | Painter |
| Danny McCarter | 2021 | | | Blowguns |
| Cathy Abercrombie | 2021 | | | Weaving |
| Harry Oosahwee | 2021 | | | Artist and Stonecarver |
| Barbara Adair | 2022 | | | Basketry |
| Weynema Smith | 2022 | | | Cherokee language preservation |
| Lena Stick | 2022 | | | Basketry |
| Diana Smith Cox | 2023 | | | Turtle shell shackles |
| Steven Daugherty | 2023 | | | Traditional weapons |