Painting
Chickasaw Culture KeepersFor Margaret Dillard, the act of painting can transport her so that she forgets to eat and loses all sense of time. Her passion for creation developed during childhood, when she pursued all the arts and crafts available to her. Her grandmother always expressed pride in her Chickasaw heritage, but she had been sent to one of the boarding schools that prevented young Native Americans from learning their language or culture. Dillard has had to work to reconnect with her Chickasaw roots, and she says that the culture has gradually developed a greater influence on her work. She describes her artistic process of drawing and then underpainting her subject before she begins applying the final palette of colors. Dillard likes to work with complementary color schemes, using them like the Impressionist painters to add harmony and vibrancy. After completing a painting, she prefers to hang it on the wall and walk by it, sometimes leaving it for months before deciding to make an adjustment. Dillard wants to pass on her knowledge of painting to Chickasaw children as a way of giving back to the Nation that has done so much for her.
EPISODES
Stickball Sticks
S1 • E2
Metalsmithing
S1 • E5
Shell Carving
S2 • E1
Horticulture
S2 • E3
Traditional Foods
S2 • E5
Beaded Collars
S2 • E8
Drum Making
S2 • E9
Storytelling
S2 • E10
Bow Making
S2 • E11
Brent Greenwood Art
S2 • E12
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S3 • E1
Flint Knapping
S3 • E2
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S3 • E3
Turkey Calls
S3 • E5
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S3 • E7
Bead Artisan
S3 • E8
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S3 • E9
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S3 • E10
The Legacy of Bow Making
S3 • E12
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S4 • E1
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S4 • E3
Metalworking
S4 • E4
Photography
S4 • E5
Deer Toe Shakers
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Stickball Sticks
S4 • E8
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S4 • E9
Medicine Bags
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Natural Dyes
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S5 • E1
Porcupine Quillwork
S5 • E3
Pottery Burnishing
S5 • E4
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S5 • E5
Duck Decoys
S5 • E6
Traditional Arrows
S5 • E7
Fine Gourd Art
S5 • E8
Traditional Flutes
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S5 • E10
Turtle Shell Shakers
S5 • E11
Pucker Toe Moccasins
S5 • E12
Tattoos and War Paint
S6 • E1
Leggings and Breechcloths
S6 • E2
Hide Brain Tanning
S6 • E3
Stories of Kullihoma
S6 • E5
History of Beads
S6 • E6One Tribe One Mission
"Our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people will continue to serve as our guidepost as we work together to build an even brighter future"
Bill Anoatubby, Governor
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