Chickasaw Heritage Center

06/10/2026

"As I'm working on pots, I think about my ancestors," says Chickasaw potter Marcella Yepa. "There's a connection. It really feels like they are there to help me with my pots." Yepa's passion for pottery began at a young age when she helped her grandmother sand and paint her pots. "She taught me a lot about pottery," says Yepa, who began making her own pots at age 19. Now 30 years later, Yepa continues her passion, or as she puts it, "I just love working with clay." Just as her grandmother passed a love for pottery onto her, Yepa hopes to keep the family tradition alive. "I would like to pass my pottery making to my daughter and my granddaughters," says Yepa. "I teach them when they visit me." Want to learn more? Click the link below!

Chickasaw potter Marcella Yepa continues what her grandmother taught her about pottery.

06/08/2026

06/04/2026

With over 20 years of dedicated service to the Chickasaw Nation, Mr. Brad Deramus brings a wealth of experience in cultural programming and visitor engagement to his role as Director of the Chickasaw Heritage Center (CHC).

Having previously served in leadership positions at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma, Deramus has played an integral role in sharing Chickasaw history and culture with the public. Today, he leads the development of daily operations and programming for the CHC as it prepares to welcome visitors from around the world.

Join us in welcoming Brad as he helps shape an engaging and meaningful experience that honors the Chickasaw story for generations to come.

06/03/2026

"For me, it's almost like you get up in the morning and go outside by yourself and sing to God," says Chickasaw flute maker Tim Cornelius. "Sing to the Creator and let him hear your voice through the flute." Following in his father's footsteps, Tim began crafting traditional flutes as a child. "He took me kind of under his wing and started showing me how to really make the flute," Tim says. "How to take your time and do a quality job. And I made my first flute when I was 12." Now a seasoned flute maker in his own right, Tim explains the process of flute making that was passed down to him, and why he's now passing the knowledge down to his own son. "Whatever your craft is, when you're passing that on you're giving a piece of yourself to the next generation," he says. "It makes me feel connected to the Chickasaw people to know that I have something I can give not only to my family but to other people." Want to learn more? Click the link below!

Chickasaw flute maker Tim Cornelius is passing the art of traditional flute making down to his son, just as his father taught him.

05/27/2026

Chickasaw artist Donna Welch recounts her two-decade journey of crafting art from gourds. From the very first gourd she crafted Welch has held a passion for this unique artform. "It was like a connection I couldn't explain," says Welch. Also known as Dancing Star, Welch describes the different types of gourds she works with and the various types of art she transforms them into, including rain and thunder gourds. At the core of Welch's work is a combination of beauty, utility and history. Obvious beauty as shown through her meticulous designs. Utility in the forms of drums, storage and other sundry uses. And a purposeful history aimed at keeping tradition alive, with a new modern twist. "Our ancestors would have used the gourds for drums or rattles, however, this is a new take on what our ancestors would have done," says Welch. Want to learn more? Click the link below!

Chickasaw artist Donna Welch recounts her two-decade journey of crafting art from gourds.

05/20/2026

Hunting has always been a part of Chickasaw artisan Elihu Johnson's life. Elihu has hunted with a hand-made bow and arrows since he was five years old. And now, he continues the tradition through making his own arrows. Learning most of his skills from the book "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible," he says he creates arrows to provide his family with food and to pass the tradition on to the next generation. According to Elihu, the reason why his Chickasaw ancestors used the bow and arrow was out of necessity. It was safer to fight and to hunt from a distance in order to stay safe – providing food and security for the tribe and family. Elihu walks through his process of crafting his imperfectly beautiful arrows, from choosing the proper wood, sourcing feathers for fletching and how to create an arrow tip. "I'm very proud of the arrows because I put a piece of myself into all of them, my blood, sweat and tears," says Elihu. He says that passing on the skill and craft of arrow making was of utmost importance to him. Having taught everyone from his children to people around the world, he prides himself in keeping the sacred fire lit and passed on: "That's why I'm here." Want to learn more? Click the link below!

Artisan Elihu Johnson crafts traditional Chickasaw arrows and keeps the custom alive by teaching the next generation how to make them.