There’s a family in Oaks, Oklahoma, best known to its neighbors for two things: love for community and rodeo. OsiyoTV joins the Foreman family for a little roping action as they reveal the family history that brought them here and show us the fun in keeping their clan together.
He’s a single father working a 9 to 5 job at the Cherokee Nation, but outside of work he dominates in the wrestling ring – and it’s all for a good cause. Brad is a model employee, but “Fuel” is a wrestling superstar like you’ve never met.
Martha Berry has played a vital role in reviving the practice of Southeastern-style beadwork that was nearly lost after the Trail of Tears. Learn how her journey in search of knowledge and artistry helped lead to a renaissance of Cherokee and Southeastern beadwork.
She’s a competitive cyclist who’s chasing her Olympic dreams while training in Colorado. But at sixteen years old, Hannah is not a normal teenager – she only started cycling at the age of thirteen and struggles to maintain her health while dealing with a rare metabolic disease. In spite of her setbacks, Hannah has adopted a personal mantra that “odds don’t determine outcome.”
Lisa Rutherford is a Cherokee artist whose work encompasses ceramics, beadwork and twining. She has become known for her handmade feather capes that have been worn both paired with traditional Cherokee tear dresses and in high fashion runway shows.
It’s one of the most iconic childhood movies ever. “Where the Red Fern Grows” is a coming-of-age story about a boy and his two coon dogs, set and filmed in Cherokee and Adair counties at a time when life was simple and family values were at a premium. Learn more about Cherokee author Wilson Rawls and meet Cherokee Nation citizens who were part of the 1974 movie as they give behind the scenes insight to the classic novel brought to life in the hills of the Cherokee Nation.
In 2017, Cherokee Nation citizen Kim Shuck was appointed poet laureate of San Francisco, only the seventh person to hold the prestigious position. Her writings are inspired by Southeastern Native culture, and she shares the wit and wisdom behind her words.
He’s a Cherokee traditionalist and a bearer of knowledge and culture. Amid a backdrop of the elements important to traditional medicine and ceremonies, Crosslin Smith tells us about “the old ways” and shares a part of his life’s story.
Growing up, Cody Clinton began playing the guitar as loud as he could on the back roads of Oologah, Oklahoma. He’s now an established musician and part of the thriving music scene in Tulsa, performing alongside his wife in their band, Desi & Cody.
Growing up in the Cherokee Nation, Ed Fields heard many a story by simply pulling up a chair under a shade tree and listening to his parents talk. He’s now an educator, passing on the Cherokee language through the stories that were passed down to him.
During a difficult period in her life, hard work wasn’t enough to keep her afloat. Tasha Atcity was determined to overcome her struggles, and her desire to become a community leader guided her to a new path on stage in the 2017 Miss Oklahoma competition.
He’s a Cherokee National Treasure with a big smile and an even bigger talent for storytelling. Robert Lewis has a penchant for sharing traditional stories that were passed down through generations, and here we learn exactly how the storytelling tradition became a way of life for Robert.
Betty Frogg is a Cherokee National Treasure, a basket weaver, a practitioner of traditional arts and a native Cherokee speaker. As a child Betty was always encouraged to speak in Cherokee and now teaches students at the Cherokee Nation Immersion School to do the same.
In 2015, OsiyoTV met football prodigy and star student Mason Fine during his senior year at Locust Grove High School. At the time, he dreamed of playing for a Division I college team. Now, we’ve caught up with Mason as he lives his dream as the starting quarterback for the University of North Texas’ Mean Green football team.
Like many tribes native to the eastern U.S., Cherokees have played stickball for centuries. Cherokee Nation citizen and cultural outreach employee Cole Hogner demonstrates with friends the full-contact sport that inspired lacrosse and also shares how the game evolved from a tool of warfare to a social game open to all.
Known as one of the first female hoop dancers on the powwow circuit, Winnie Guess Perdue didn’t realize until years later she was breaking new ground in Native dance sport. Now in her role as a Cherokee elder, she reflects on her experiences and the people who helped her along the way.
Artist Troy Jackson is a Cherokee National Treasure, honored for his ability to create stunning, award-winning sculptures from clay and metal. Jackson tells OsiyoTV how his Cherokee ancestors and culture influence his contemporary style.
She’s known for her quilts with unique embroidery and Indian girl figures. Betty Kirk reaches many people, from grandchildren to coworkers, not only through her craft but also through teaching the Cherokee language.
She’s one-third of the Western swing band the Cherokee Maidens and a singer-songwriter who has been playing music for 25 years. Monica Taylor draws influence from her upbringing singing Southern gospel in church and from the Red Dirt music of her college years in Stillwater, Oklahoma, but she has developed a sound all her own.
Dylan Collyge is a young Cherokee farmer who came into the profession on his own following high school. He finds value in connecting with nature, dealing with new challenges every day and carrying on a tradition of strawberry farming in his community in Adair County, Oklahoma.
Meet Mary Kay Henderson, director of the Cherokee National Youth Choir. She is leading the next generation Cherokee ambassadors through music and the Cherokee language.
Sam Claphan was a football great who played for the Oklahoma Sooners during the Barry Switzer dynasty and ultimately in the NFL. But that’s not what defined this so-called gentle giant from Stilwell, Oklahoma.
As an artist and curator, America Meredith discovered a gap in critical perspectives of Native American art. She created a magazine and is now filling that gap bringing more Native perspectives to the greater art world.
On any given summer weekend, you can find the Sutteer family shooting blow darts or playing chunkey at a Native games competition somewhere in Oklahoma. As James Sutteer tells us, it’s a way for his family to connect with each other and with their heritage.
Dr. Melissa Lewis is a researcher in the field of Native American health care working with Indigenous communities to improve health care and well-being. Her focus is on cultural practices.
Ruth Muskrat Bronson was an Indian rights and education activist in the first half of the twentieth century. For decades she worked tirelessly advocating for better opportunities and for social justice for all Native people.
Harry Oosahwee is a well-known Cherokee artist and first-language Cherokee speaker. His many life experiences and mentors play a major role in the work he creates.
