James Blackburn has been working with his hands and making art since his childhood. Adopted into a Chickasaw family, Blackburn has been influenced by Native history to create history-oriented artworks with studiously accurate depictions of Chickasaw life. His seven-foot sculpture, "Owwatta (They're Hunting)", shows two southeastern hunters during the Mississippian period, looking down as they stalk their prey with bows and arrows. The statue is situated on a round pedestal at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, where viewers can look up into the faces of the men. Also at the Chickasaw Cultural Center is "The Historic Map of the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw People," a monumental 8 x 12-foot work in granite and marble that has received several awards.