Exhibit amplifies MMIP movement at Cherokee National History Museum

TAHLEQUAH, Oklah. - Cherokee Nation is amplifying the national Missing or Murdered Indigenous People movement through an exhibit at the Cherokee National History Museum in downtown Tahlequah through May 30.

The exhibit brings attention to the disproportionate rates of violence against Native Americans and Alaskan Natives.

The works of Cherokee National Treasures Tonia Hogner Weavel, Jane Osti and Vivian Cottrell are featured in the exhibit. The pieces utilize colors and symbols that represent the MMIP movement.

Known for her work in textiles, Weavel's tear dresses and ribbon shirt were created for the Cherokee National Youth Choir, which performs songs in the Cherokee language across the country.

Created in 2021 from traditional Cherokee pottery methods, Osti's Southeastern-inspired clay pot, "Sisters Remembered," features red hand imagery over incised pattern motifs, raising MMIP awareness as a prayer for lost and missing Native people.

Cottrell's contemporary flat-reed basket, "We Can't Stay Silent," features woven curls, spirals and the red hand imagery. The basket is made from black ash, commercial dye and paint and was created as a reminder to stay vigilant and protect Native lives.

The exhibit offers interactive opportunities for guests to engage and spread awareness with handmade MMIP awareness pins and cut-outs of the MMIP awareness red hands. Visitors can also use the chalk provided to write messages in support of victims and families along the Cherokee Cultural Pathway's steel chalk wall.

For more information about Cherokee Nation exhibits and events, go to www.VisitCherokeeNation.com.