Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Tahlequah, OK - Cherokee artist Crystal Hanna began making pottery as a way to preserve and connect with her Cherokee heritage. In doing so she has become a highly recognized artist, winning a highly sought after ribbon. 2002 marked the 81st annual Santa Fe Indian Art Market, considered by many to be the most prestigious art market in the country. So prestigious in fact, that new applicants were not even accepted until recently. But prestige did not inhibit Hanna. She applied and was accepted.

"This year was the first time in two, maybe three years that new applicants were considered", said Hanna, "so, for me, being my first time to apply, get accepted and actually win a very highly sought after ribbon is like a fairy tale come true. It was the most incredible experience."

This incredible experience was first place in the non-traditional pottery, any form or design using traditional materials and with added non-clay decorative elements, all firing techniques category. Hanna's work of art that gained such high recognition was a ceremonial bowl.

"My ribbon winner was approximately twelve inches long by seven inches tall, ceremonial oblong bowl. One end of the bowl had a hollow effigy male head with the prehistoric bun hair style and forked eye design incised around the eye, with clay rattles in the hollow head. He wore clay bead earrings tied on with sinew. The handle represented a flint ceremonial mace", Hanna said.

Although Hanna's piece was entered in the non-traditional pottery category, the item is rich in Cherokee culture.

"He (the bowl) was made from native Oklahoma clay and northern Georgia micaceous clay from Sautee Creek, an area that certainly could have been ancestral home land to the western Cherokee," said Hanna. The piece is highly representative of the southeastern Mississippian time period, and probably caught the judges eyes as being very different from the southwestern pottery pieces so prevalent to Santa Fe Indian Art Market", she explained.

Winning first place in such an esteemed show may be the highlight of her art career, but for Hanna, preserving her heritage is what is most important.

"While it was such an honor to have an opportunity to be juried into this year's market and have the added bonus to win Best of Division and a first place in the bowl category, it is even more important to me to be able to share my good news and good fortune with my own people", Hanna said. "I feel that it is a great stride in bringing attention to the beautiful traditional art forms that we represent, and that many of us are striving to preserve for our future generations."

Hanna is a participant of the Cherokee Heritage Arts Program at the Cherokee Heritage Center.

Cherokee Heritage Arts has three purposes: To support the work of traditional Cherokee artisans,to offer workshops to insure that the "Lost Arts" continue to be learned; and to bring current marketing and sales information to traditional artisans. For more information on Cherokee Heritage Arts, contact Aaron Lemaster, phone: 918-456-6007.