They’ve kept their day jobs, but are still pursuing their passions on the side – except for one who turned his side hustle into a life’s dream
Kim Poindexter has been a member of the TDP news team since 1985 and the top editor since 1987. She is in the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and was last year’s Oklahoma Press Association’s Beachy Musselman Award winner. She has won nearly 200 journalism awards during her career, both individually and as part of the TDP team, which has been named Best Newspaper of the Year the past four years by CNHI. She and her husband, Chris, have an adult son, Cole, and will have a new daughter-inlaw, Dani, in September.
If something can go wrong, it will. That’s pretty much how things go for the newspaper industry these days. And the first edition of the Tahlequah Grapevine is no exception.
What you’re about to read is a revamped, reformulated and relaunched magazine TDP produced more than a decade ago. It was extremely popular with readers, but went dormant for a variety of reasons. So when we were looking to replace another product that had run its course, this one came to mind.
The original Grapevine was mostly aimed at women, especially those over 40. That’s where I now land on the chronological chart, so I know as well as anyone that’s too narrow a niche. The new Grapevine is designed as a community magazine – for and about the community, aiming to spotlight everything that makes us so unique. We will in-
corporate some features from the original magazine, but we will also be looking for better ways to showcase Cherokee County. And everything will be upbeat and positive; there’s too much negative news in the world these days.
To kick things off, we asked some of our very best and most popular writers from the late ‘80s through recent years to contribute, and to our delight, they agreed. Inside, you’ll see exceptional pieces from Eddie Glenn, Betty (Smith) Ridge, Nancy Garber, Stacy (Patrick) Pratt and Ben Johnson. Renee Fite, Stilwell Democrat Journal editor and perennial TDP contributor, wrote a story. I also cobbled together one of my typically long features, detailing how five local residents have balanced their “day jobs” with their “side hustles.”
Thanks to Teddye Snell, Brian Cowlishaw, Kathy Tibbits, Trae Ratliff and Mark Sweeney for
allowing us to take a peek into your lives.
This magazine could not have come to fruition – especially considering the other challenges we’ve faced as we put it together – without the enthusiasm and diligent work of our advertising director, Heather Ruotolo; though she was just promoted to that spot, the truth is, she’s been running part of the TDP show for years. And our new graphic designer, Abby Bigaouette – well, her dynamic work speaks for itself.
In future editions, we’ll have bylines from other past staffers, and maybe more from these writers. We’ll also have photos of local people, and other cool stuff. We’re always open to suggestions. Whatever we come up with, we’re pretty sure – no, we’re absolutely positive – that readers and advertisers will love it.
- Kim Poindexter, Executive EditorGlenn
The sketch on Pam Moore’s pad showed three distinct images, side by side: a quill, a paintbrush and a chef’s knife. And for anyone who knew Teddye Snell’s plan, it was immediately recognizable.
Teddye was about to celebrate a milestone, and she’d saved up to get a new tattoo. Asked whether it would set her back $1,500 like the tattoo of a friend’s son, she laughed. “No, nothing like that. I’d never spend that much.” But she described her vision, and Pam –another friend, who was Help In Crisis’ first executive director, among other things – put it on paper. It features tools of the three trades in which Teddye is proficient: writing, cooking, and art. That last talent has been part of her life since childhood, and so has music. She’s always sought a creative outlet of one kind or another. But now, art has become her side hustle, thanks to a flexible “day job” that keeps her connected to the world around her.
“Watercolor is my first love, albeit an unforgiving mistress,” she said. “In the 1990s, I was a prolific painter, and several members of our community have pieces I created back then.”
But love is sometimes unrequited, and Teddye expected to be either an English teacher or a writer. She came close when she wound up with an unexpected career as a journalist – for 13 years, at the Tahlequah Daily Press. She started out as a parttime copy editor and worked her way up to second in command, as news editor. Fortuitously, the job gave her some artistic license, as a page designer. Then she segued into a contract with the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council as communications officer.
“I had just become a grandmother, and I like the flexibility working on contract allows. I love working with the elected
officials and staff, and provide the Council with public relations assistance,” she said.
Teddye had set aside her art at one point, but she still needed a “practical hobby,” as she calls it – and she focused on cooking. She used social media to create “food art,” posting photos of the meals she prepared.
“I gained a decent following and even tried out for ‘Master Chef.” I picked up a few catering jobs [along with] my PR contract, and I truly enjoy feeding people,” she said.
Eventually, art began sneaking back into her life, and she began collecting dried flowers, acorn caps, stones, buttons, bits of ribbon and yarn, and snippets of poetry and song lyrics.
“My return to visual art was an accident, really. It started with wine labels,” she said. “The graphic design on these bottles caught my attention, and I got to thinking about creating collages again, as well as painting.”
Though watercolor remains her first love, she’s added charcoal drawing and oil pastels to her palette. Some of her work hangs on the walls at Tahlequah Creates, where she joined a co-op with other artists – and she has already sold a number of pieces.
She’s not the only one. Brian Cowlishaw arrived at his side hustle later in life, but he, too, found a home for his work at Tahlequah Creates. Also like Teddye, he had planned a career in teaching – in his case, from a very early age.
“My dad was a career teacher starting when I was in fourth grade, so much of the decision was made when I was young,” he said. “I made the final decision to get my Ph.D. in English when I was about 24.”
He taught for five years at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and eventually, he and wife Bridget relocated to Tahlequah, where he’s about to wrap up his 20th year in the English department at Northeastern State University. Although he’s a full professor, he mostly teaches basic required literature classes, but sometimes makes forays
They’ve kept their day jobs, but are still pursuing their passions on the side – except for one who turned his side hustle into a life’s dreamTeddye Snell puts the finishing touches on a watercolor painting of a cherry tree. Brian Cowlishaw works on an original piece.
into Dickens, fantasy work, science fiction or 19th century British literature.
It was J.R.R. Tolkien who inspired him to enter the world through another door. During Spring Break 2019, he found himself at a big art exhibit in New York City, where Tolkien’s paintings and drawings were on display.
“Oddly enough, I came away thinking, ‘That seems like something I could do,’” Brian recalled.
He picked up a brush that summer and started with watercolor, quickly adding ink, linocut, clay sculpture and scratchboard media to his repertoire. For Brian, art has been a whirlwind romance, but he’s still an educator. He’s taught a class on scratchboard, and will lead one on linocut in April. His work is for sale alongside Teddye’s at Tahlequah Creates. And he’s started taking commissions from others.
“I never want to stop!” he said.
Good thing he and Teddye have someone equally passionate about the arts, like Kathy Tibbits, on their side. She’s been an attorney for years, but she constantly has a number of irons in the fire. She’s always been a writer, but she’s also part of the local music scene, organizing festivals and other events. She comes from a long line of crafters; her mom designed dresses, and her dad made furniture and jewelry. It may have been inevitable that those facets of her life came together in the form of Tahlequah Creates.
Like the other two, Kathy assumed she’d be a teacher, but she thinks peer influence spurred her to become an attorney. She was part of the first all-female law partnership in Cherokee County. Back in the 1980s, she built the groundwork to stop a nuclear processing plant in Sequoyah County, and drafted laws for the Cherokee Nation to protect domestic violence victims and get mental health care for violent offenders.
“It was exciting to be a silent part of the team back in the day, when Oklahoma protected the Illinois River in the U.S. Supreme Court,” she said.
These days, she’s busy retrofitting a 75-year-old home in Tahlequah, mainly to give herself more creative space. Her legal work is eclectic, taking her to court for other attorneys who “can’t be in two places at once,” as she describes it. She officiated the first same-sex marriage in Sequoyah County, and filed the first same-sex divorce in Adair County.
“COVID has given rise to a lot of probate cases that I’ve been taking as ‘just one more, for a friend,’” she said.
And then, there’s TC. Kathy helped found the Oklahoma Food Cooperative,
which relies on shared staffing and individual innovation. That give rise to the idea to organize “TC” on the same model, which has given her more flexibility to pursue her passions.
“I’ve been doing photography and tie-dyeing for 35 years, and quilting for over 20 years, and just needed to ‘say some things’ with my medium,” she explained. “I’ve been blessed that people like my art and support my creative energy with special design ideas and by buying my quilts and tiedyes.”
New in her arsenal is her canvas abstracts, and she appreciates the validation she receives just knowing people want to buy her art.
“There’s a lot of emotion in the process of each canvas: fear, bewilderment, getting into the groove, retooling the process, and triumph,” Kathy said. “I’ll never be that guy whose every canvas is a blue dog, and my exploratory nature inhibits my commercial success. But I’m on a learning journey that I enjoy because it is always new, fresh, and full of discovery.”
She’s almost unimaginably busy, but no more so than Trae Ratliff, who has been launching unique projects for many years – more years, in fact, than his youthful countenance and energy suggest.
For the past 14 years, Trae has been an insurance agent. That line of work appealed because, he says, it offers the perks of being a small business owner without a heavy capital investment. Another enticement was being able to help others when their lives go awry through a car crash, fire, or other disaster.
But Trae is perhaps most known in these parts for a two-year project he undertook while still in college. He established the RATS Bus – the “RATS” acronym was no accident – to provide a safe ride home for local folks who indulged in alcohol at clubs or private parties. It was wildly successful, logging more than 20,000 rides.
So he was already high-profile when he decided to run for Tahlequah City Council. Few were surprised; he has always publicly expressed a loyalty to his hometown.
“I knew it was the best way to actively help guide the direction of our city, and I felt as if I could make a positive change,” he said.
He lists several points of pride: the downtown “streeteries,” and a sales tax he and Mayor Sue Catron proposed to directly invest in streets and sidewalks. It’s made a big difference, he says.
After one four-year term, Trae decided to move on, after another type of politics caputured his attention. As a Cherokee
citizen, he felt a calling to help another segment of the area population; he’ll be on the ballot this June for District 1 tribal councilor.
“A tribal councilor truly has the ability to help so many, and that’s what I intend to do – to get out and work directly with the people, and listen to their concerns,” he said.
But he’ll hold firm with another program he kicked off while on the City Council – one vital to youth in this area, and since he’s a father himself, one of his passions.
“When I took office as a city councilor, I knew the sports programs needed to be addressed. I just didn’t initially realize I was creating for myself a completely separate role,” he said.
Tahlequah Sports League is a nonprofit with a board representing five sports: softball, baseball, flag football, basketball and soccer. He envisions an eventual “one-stop shop” for parents. This spring, TSL signed up about 750 kids, ages 3-14, for softball and baseball, and over 1,600 are enrolled every year.
“If we can get these kids a new baseball facility, we can hold baseball tournaments to match our softball tournament play,” he said. “Having soccer, a new facility and baseball tournaments is my goal.”
His day job is now at Grandview Insurance, but somehow, he manages a equilibrium most people only dream of. At least, that’s the viewpoint of casual observers.
“I’ve always been a busy person, and I won’t lie: I’m not currently in balance,” he said. “But once this election concludes and the campaign dust settles, I can see what the Creator has in store for me.”
That might mean a major transition, like the one Mark Sweeney made earlier this year. The long-time business owner arrived in Tahlequah almost by happenstance. He’d met a girl in Arizona who was heading here for college, so when he quit his job and decided to move to St. Louis, he stopped in to see her. He’s been here ever since.
Mark ran into a fellow who used to work for Leon Russell, and because Mark was also a musician, they hit it off. At that time, Rick Holmes owned the Wood Stove Shoppe and needed help, so he pitched in, and eventually bought the business.
“This allowed me to have a good income and yet be flexible so I could still play music,” Mark said.
He quickly expanded into ceiling fans, outdoor furniture and window treatments, and evolved to a business devoted to home hearths and swimming pools. In 1990, he sold out and started playing music full-time as Barton and Sweeney, a duo that became immensely successful. They won the Tulsa World Music Spot awards twice, and were invited to play a number of prestigious festivals, playing across the country and opening for nationally known bands like REO Speedwagon, Little River Band, and of course, Leon Russell.
“The music business was tough, and we went to playing only regionally and
locally,” Mark recalled. “At that time, I went back into the hearth and pool business. This time, the store really took off. Eventually, we built our own building and had 10-12 employees.”
During the second incarnation, Mark’s daughter, Hannah, married Nathan Wright, a Tahlequah High School valedictorian whom Mark describes as a “very smart and hard-working young man.” Nathan began working at the store a few years ago and became keenly interested in the business. The family got a loan and sold Hearth and Pool to Nathan. Mark stayed on to help with the transition until Jan. 1, 2023, and now, he’s back to his true passion: making music.
He plays with Wes Combs in a group called Tanglewood, and has reunited with George Barton. He’s working with one of his best friends, Joe Mack – another former TDP employee who now manages the Claremore Progress – to book gigs for The Branch, and the two sometimes play together. He’s also developing his property, with his eye on a couple of RVs and an Airbnb.
“I intend to retire peacefully out on Highway 10, next to the river, and play music as often a s possible without overdoing it,” Mark said. “I get to spend more time with my children and grandchildren. I am also spending more time in Tulsa with my sweetheart, Nancy Moran.”
As far as he’s concerned, turning a side hustle into a full-time gig is living a dream.
“I’m a lucky guy. The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades,” he said.
These five pairs have all passed their silver anniversary – and they represent the very best of what it means to be a committed couple in Cherokee County.
Married 51 years
Occupations: She’s a retired healthcare administrator, currently teaching nursing at Connors State College; he’s a retired Cherokee County Commissioner, who currently runs Gulager Springs Ranch.
Married 44-1/2 years
Occupations: Real estate brokers
Married 36 years
Occupations: She’s an attorney and Local Bank CEO and he’s a real estate appraiser and Local Bank executive vice president.
Married 27 years
Occupations: He’s executive chairman of Cherokee Nation Businesses; she operates Baker’s Furniture and rental properties.
Married 48 years
Occupations: She owns and operates Oasis Health Foods; he’s a retired IT/media professional, and current musician.
“Gol’ dangit, I tell you what, Eddie! If there’s one thing I want to do before I die, it’s see an honest-to-God, real-live Bigfoot! I know he’s out there! And I’m pretty sure I’m the man who’s gonna find him!”
R.E. ”Eddie” Glenn was TDP’s last “official” photographer and was on the news team 14 years. He is a writer and independent scholar living in Tahlequah. His book, “Bigfoot Comes to Town: Theory Myth and Alleged Truths about Eastern Oklahoma’s Most Wanted,” is available on Amazon.com and at Too Fond of Books in downtown Tahlequah.
That was the voice of Fred the Bigfoot Hunter, who had called the Tahlequah Daily Press in 2004, shortly after the paper had published a story about a Bigfoot sighting in the Pumpkin Hollow area near Tahlequah. On the other end of the line was me, at the time a staff writer, listening to one of the more entertaining stories I had heard in my journalism career at that point.
In terms of life aspirations, Fred was a failure. As of yet, no one – not even Fred – has found Bigfoot.
But in terms of cultural trends, Fred was way ahead of his time. He might have even been an “influencer,” before that was even a thing. At the time he called the paper, Fred
had been hunting Bigfoot –the mythic hairy creature that stalks the forests of North America, mostly undetected, except by a select few – for decades. But just a few years after that call, everyone seemed to be searching for Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch. There’s now a term for such activities –“squatchin,’” a tremendously abbreviated form of “Sasquatch hunting.” There have been numerous TV series about organized “squatchin’” expeditions, none of which have found their elusive prey.
Squatchin’ has become such a popular activity in eastern Oklahoma that two years ago, State Rep. Justin Humphrey introduced a bill in the Legislature to establish a season and license requirements for Bigfoot-hunting.
“I have been in the woods all my life and I have not ever seen any sign of Bigfoot,” Humphrey told the Daily Oklahoman in January 2021. “I have never heard Bigfoot,
but I have some people [in his southeastern Oklahoma district] that I know are good, solid people who I will guarantee you 100% have said they have had experience with Bigfoot. So, I know there are people out there you will not convince that Bigfoot doesn’t exist.”
Humphrey’s legislation prohibited the killing of whatever beast it was intended to allow people to hunt, but did offer a reward for its capture. The legislation was intended to capitalize on the Bigfoot craze, raise some state funds through the sale of tags and licenses, and promote tourism.
As of yet, there is no Bigfoot season in Oklahoma, and the folks at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters in Oklahoma City really don’t seem all that interested in one. Trust me on that. They really don’t like to talk about it, which is understandable, given the title of their organization specifically relegates
Finding the elusive creature with big feet would be a big feat in this neck of the woods
“Eddie“The author, and allegedly Bigfoot, posed at Too Fond of Books last year, during a book signing event that one or the other of them was having. At right, Bigfoot strolls on Tahlequah Trails’ Welling Ridge Little Brother Trail? Why not?
them to the oversight of creatures that demonstrably exist.
One of the “hot spots” of alleged active Bigfoot locations in the state is, in fact, Humphrey’s district, which includes the westernmost section of the Ouachita National Forest. That’s where Keats Rickart went when he wanted to do some squatchin’ in Oklahoma. Rickart flew from Philadelphia to Tulsa, then drove down to the southernmost part of LeFlore County to search for Bigfoot. Regardless of one’s opinion about the existence of Bigfoot, one must acknowledge Rickart’s dedication.
“We camped out at Billy Creek, which is near Big Cedar,” said Rickart, who has been interested in everything Bigfoot-related for most of his life. “We had some activity where we camped. Whether or not that was Sasquatch, I don’t know, but it certainly resembled the kind of activity I know is common with Sasquatch.”
Readers of my book, “Bigfoot Comes to Town,” will know that in Cherokee County, Lost City and Pumpkin Hollow are alleged hot spots of Bigfoot activity. Locals will know, however, that squatchin’ in those areas could lead to unintended consequences of the firearms-related variety, and is highly discouraged. However, a few places around Tahlequah may be more amenable to squatchin,’ or “Tahlesquatchin,’” as it should probably be called.
The Nickel Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve is close enough to Pumpkin Hollow that any resident Sasquatches might wander into the preserve and be visible from the hiking trails there. The Tahlequah Trails Association
Welling Ridge system might likewise provide such an opportunity of slightly more urbanized Bigfoot specimens. The Sparrowhawk Trail, just up State Highway 10 a few miles
from Tahlequah, is, according to some locals, the most active Bigfoot hot spot to be found anywhere, though evidence is still forthcoming. However, the Sparrowhawk Trail is under the jurisdiction of the state wildlife department, and according to Don Brown, information and Education specialist at the ODWC, “anyone using most of the properties owned or managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is required to possess either a fishing license, a hunting license, or a conservation passport in order to enter the area legally.” So, even without a Bigfoot hunting season, the state will still get its cut of squatchin’ money, at least in some places.
Regardless of the legal status of squatchin,’ according to Juanita Lewis, owner of Bigfoot Inn on State Highway 10, capturing Bigfoot is not an endeavor for the faint of heart. She said her Airbnb was named after the elusive beast not just for marketing purposes, but because there’s a Bigfoot in the neighborhood, and it isn’t the friendliest neighbor. Her husband constructed a wooden Bigfoot silhouette to set up in front of their business, and evidently, the “real” Bigfoot was not appreciative of the likeness.
“Whatever it was, it ripped the wooden Bigfoot to shreds. There were shards of wood lying all around, like they’d been thrown,” said Lewis. “You could hear it whenever it came around, and I could tell by the sound of the footsteps, and by my dogs’ freaking out, that it was a real Bigfoot.”
According to Lewis, Bigfoot – the real one – doesn’t seem like the sort of creature to be taken alive: “That wooden Bigfoot was really thick. I don’t think anything that ripped it apart is going to be captured alive.”
“Whether or not that was Sasquatch, I don’t know, but it certainly resembled the kind of activity I know is common with Sasquatch. “
- Keats RickartThis Sasquatch replica, built by Brad Lewis, was mysteriously destroyed in the wee hours. By Betty Ridge
Old reporters may retire, but many never stop writing. And animal lovers find working with pets a lifelong reward.
Betty Ridge was a member of the TDP news team for about 10 years, and still writes for special projects. She is retired and lives with her 3 cats in Springfield, Missouri where she is working on her next book. Her first book, “Deadlines” can be purchased at amazon.com.
That’s been the case for me. I started writing for the Daily Press in 1999. My 35 years of reporting included previous stints at the Republic [Missouri] Monitor, the Pryor Jeffersonian and the Muskogee Daily Phoenix.
Tahlequah combined the aspects of journalism I enjoyed most — getting to meet fascinating people and write about them, living in a small community, enjoying the culture of Northeastern State University at one end of town and the Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band at the other.
It also brought the best relationship of my life. There I met and married my husband, Tim. He had been born at Hastings Hospital and had spent almost all of his life in Cherokee County. But he had enjoyed our trips
to my hometown of Springfield, Missouri, and wanted the experience of living in a larger city. So we moved to Springfield in 2012. Tim died in 2019.
Since then, I have written periodic articles for the Daily Press, as well as one book, “Deadlines,” an account of some of the cases and people I have written about during my career. I am working on a sequel to “Deadlines,” as well as a book about finding my birth family. I also spend time with an animal rescue, volunteering weekly at Eden Animal Haven. Eden is the first cagefree, no-kill, cats-only shelter in the Springfield area.
I was adopted when I was 10 days old. I discovered this when a cousin blurted out, “You’re adopted!” one day on the playground in second grade. “You’re lying!” I responded. When I got home, my mother grudgingly admitted it was true, but I found out nothing more
about my origins until 2017, when I took a DNA test.
The tests results revealed a mixture of Irish, Scottish, English and other European blood, and, of most interest to the Ridges, 12% American Indian. At first, I thought I’d never learn what tribe. But I soon was contacted by a half-sister and half-brother, who revealed that my maternal great-grandmother had been Alutiiq Alaska Native.
She must have been a remarkable woman. She was only a little over 4 feet tall, but she gave birth to 21 children. At one time, she shot and killed a Kodiak bear that was trying to break into her cabin. Her daughter also showed fortitude. She and her husband were traveling across Kodiak on a dog sled when the grandmother went into labor. They took refuge in an abandoned hunting cabin, and my mother was born there.
The family moved to the Seattle area when my mother
A retired journalist delves into a colorful ancestry she never knew, while devoting her time to caring for stray cats.Greta, one of the cats at Eden Animal Haven, gets a little cuddling from Betty Ridge.
was about 12 years old. She had previously been married a couple of times when she encountered my father, a Navy frogman on shore leave while en route to Korea. He never knew of my existence. Once he arrived in Korea, he earned a Bronze Star for rescuing three men from a sinking ship. He served out his Navy career at the Pentagon. Among his more interesting ancestors are an earl who was ordered beheaded by Richard III after the Wars of the Roses.
Both my birth parents are dead, but I have met sisters on both sides and hope to meet more relatives.
But today, I spend much of my time working with rescue animals, mostly stray cats that have been brought to Eden. I try to make them ready for their new homes.
Stray animals are a problem everywhere. In Tahlequah, the Humane Society of Cherokee County and the city’s animal control officers
to their best to remove stray dogs and cats from the streets and prepare them for their new owners. In Springfield and Tahlequah, as well as throughout the country, animal rescuers do their best to work with the animals they find, spay or neuter them before finding them homes, and encourage members of the public to spay or neuter their pets. The shelters constantly remain at capacity, and have waiting lists.
Michelle Chapman, shelter manager at Eden, said the vast majority of cats that come to the shelter are strays, the offspring of animals that have not been neutered.
People can help the cause by ensuring that all their animals are spayed or neutered, and properly vaccinated, and by preventing them from roaming loose. They can support their shelters by fostering animals and volunteering to care for the animals and clean the facilities.
It’s a Tuesday night in Tahlequah, and a light is on at the Cherokee Arts Center on Water Avenue. The minute you enter the building, you smell food and hear laughter or intense conversation, or most likely, both.
Stacy (Patrick) Pratt, who was part of the TDP news team for three years, is a Mvskoke tribal citizen, originally from Adair County. She is an art writer specializing Native art and is a frequent contributor to First American Art Magazine. She is also the staff writer for an international music nonprofit.
The Southeastern Indian Artists Association is meeting, as they have for almost two decades, to share art, network, and make plans for their next event or activity –an exhibition, a print action, an art market booth, a co-authored article. SEIAA may be a small organization, but it does mighty things.
SEIAA has its roots in the Cherokee Artists Association, whose founders include some of the most well-known names in the Native arts world. Among them are Martha Berry, Mike Dart, Bill Glass Jr., Demos Glass, Sharon Irla, Jane Osti, Troy Jackson, Bobby C. Martin, Tony Tiger, Lisa Rutherford, and the late Tony Chuleewah, Shan Goshorn, and Knokovtee Scott.
Several founding members attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said SEIAA Vice President Candice Byrd-Boney, and they were inspired to increase visibility, respect, and support for Southeastern art.
“Initially it was a core group of Cherokee artists,” she said. “As Southeastern iconography began to be revived throughout the Northeastern Oklahoma region, they wisely expanded the vision and the group to to include all the Southeastern artists.”
The collective welcomes artists of all disciplines, from ceramicists, painters, and weavers to actors, musicians, and arts workers such as curators and art writers. Today, artists like former SEIAA President Roy Boney Jr. of Tahlequah, who has designed covers for the Marvel Comics franchise, and SEIAA member America Meredith, founding editor of internationally-pub-
lished First American Art Magazine, exemplify the increasing visibility of art work from tribes whose homelands are in what is now the Southeastern United States.
SEIAA has played a part in that increased recognition. Culturally, Southeastern tribes prioritize sharing knowledge and talents – and jokes and food – with their community, and that is how SEIAA works as well.
When Byrd-Boney first came back to Tahlequah after finishing her master’s degree in Georgia, she was grateful for the artistic community that SEIAA provided. That community became especially important the group could no longer hold their (in)famous potluck business meetings in person because of the pandemic. Like many groups, they moved their meetings to Zoom, but recently, the in-person meetings have returned – and with them, the close relationships that were maintained
throughout their time apart.
“SEIAA has been important for making intergenerational connections,” said Byrd-Boney. “The pandemic hit us pretty hard, but prior to that, we were encouraged to build strong artistic relationships that continue. It’s important to find feedback in a group like this, where we can build each other up and get connected, besides being really good for networking with each other about artistic opportunities.”
Recently, SEIAA held one of its popular print actions as part of IndigiPop, the nation’s largest Indigenous comic con, at First American Art Museum in Oklahoma City. Proceeds benefited the museum’s proposed children’s wing. It’s not the first time a SEIAA held a print action for a good cause. In 2019, a SEIAA print action benefited artists injured in the tornado that destroyed the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site during Caddo Cultural Day.
SEIAA is based in Tahlequah because of its beginning as a Cherokee organization, and it stays in Tahlequah because of the community.
“We have a great partnership with the Cherokee Arts Center,” said Byrd-Boney. “It’s centrally located, and many of our artists have taught or learned at the Arts Center or have studios there. It’s close to Spider Gallery downtown, and it has become the hub where artists hang out and spend our time.”
Post-pandemic, SEIAA members are grateful to be together again.
“We are an un-businessy art collective that does business,” says Byrd-Boney. “We have a lot of respect and, well, love for each other. The conversations that we have are inspiring. We make each other want to work harder and be better at what we do.”
To learn visit SEIAA’s social media pages or email info@ seiaa.org.
Nancy M. Garber was part of the TDP team, both in news and advertising, for about three years. She is the retired director of Communications and Marketing at NSU and a first-time grandmother of George, whose parents are Ginny and Chris Poe.
As many people grow older and raise their own children, they picture a day when they’ll be sitting on the porch, perhaps enjoying a glass of iced tea, while watching the grandkids gamboling on the front lawn. And few who reach that stage of life would describe it as anything short of joyful.
Two Tahlequah women who became grandmothers at different stages in life often share their experiences and the goals they have for their grandchildren.
This February, Deb Amlin experienced the greatest miracle she could imagine: She became a grandmother. Deb’s daughter, DeeAnn Evans, gave birth to Hayden, a healthy 9-pound, 10-ounce, 22-inch boy, after a nerve-racking 90-minute labor resulting in an emergency Caesarian section.
Deb recalled that once the baby was safely delivered, “I isolated myself in
the corner and had a good cry. He was a true miracle from God. I didn’t think I could love anyone more.”
Deb stayed a few weeks to help care for her grandson, then returned home to Tahlequah, joyful and secure in the knowledge that he had “good parents who have their priorities straight.” But life is about to change for the Northeastern State University retiree. She now plans her future around bridging the distance between Tahlequah and Texas to become involved in Hayden’s life.
She’ll make the four-hour return trip when her daughter goes back to work in the spring, spend the summer in Oklahoma, then travel back to Texas in the fall to provide support during Hayden’s first year.
“There will be lots of video calls while I’m gone,” Deb said.
Her new role as “DeeDee,” as she’ll be known to
Hayden, brings a shift in her own priorities.
“I feel a desire to leave my comfort zone – my family and friends in Tahlequah. I don’t want to miss any milestones in Hayden’s life. I want to be there to witness the life of my ‘miracle’,” Deb said.
But regardless of what the future holds, she plans to continue a family tradition.
“I’ve teased Ryan and DeeAnn that Hayden will have to attend NSU to find his wife,” she said with a laugh. “Three generations of families began at NSU: the Curreys and the Amlins, and Hayden’s mom and dad met there.”
As Hayden grows up, Deb hopes he will always be grateful, kind, and thankful for everything he experiences.
“I want him to be responsible, hard-working, a rescuer of animals, a man with compassion for people
Local grandmothers share the joy the young ones have brought to their livesThe Lamonses with grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Tory and Samantha Dotson, with Blake and Reese; Ann and Sam Lamons; Tabitha and Chandler Eubanks with Avery and Landon; Shelli Lamons and Cory Lamons.
less fortunate and have a passion to work to restore Earth’s natural resources, especially our water supplies,” she said.
Ann Lamons and her husband, Sam, have two children; four grandchildren, ages 31 to 40; and four great-grandchildren, ages 3 to 15. All live in Cherokee County, where their family history traces back several generations.
Ann’s days include interacting with one or more of them or her children, by phone or in person, and the family frequently gathers for Sunday lunch. They are always together on birthdays and holidays.
Now retired from her long-time position as Cherokee County court clerk, Ann became a grandmother at 42. At the time, she was apprehensive.
“They [her son and daughter-in-law] were young parents and lived up in Gideon,” she said. “I didn’t see them every day, because I was working. I prayed for them a lot.”
Ann’s retirement in 1994 allowed more time to spend with her grandchildren. Through the years, she has enjoyed attending special events and activities with them. She’s provided home daycare for each great-grandchild while their parents worked, teaching them skills and chores that Ann learned from her own mother.
Her two great-granddaughters – Reese, 11, and Avery, 6 – love to sew, making pillows, tote bags, and pin cushions for themselves and others. They like to cook, and “Nanny” has taught them and great-grandson Blake, 15, to read recipes. The children help with canning homegrown vegetables at harvest time. Blake helps Sam, “Pawpaw,” with farm chores, as do the others from time to time. Landon, 3, is following in their footsteps.
Ann documents the life story of each great-grandchild through scrapbooks. To share family history, she’s taken them to the one-room
schoolhouse she attended in Carter Community, and to the church where she and Sam were married.
“I want them to realize how different life is now than it was back then,” she said.
Her concerns as a new grandmother have been replaced with pride in her progeny.
“I like seeing them develop their own interests as they get older and get involved in activities that
add value to their lives,” Ann said. “I want them to learn new skills – things they might not learn in school –and excel in what they do. I want them to be good neighbors and help people.” And she doesn’t worry about any of them.
“They all have good parents. And I’m always here and willing to help,” she said. “I tell them, ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow. God will take care of it.”
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Certain high schools in Oklahoma have a constant presence among the elite in Class 5A athletic circles. Carl Albert, Lawton MacArthur, Bishop Kelley and Bishop McGuinness all come to mind quickly.
Now, though, Tahlequah is starting to assert itself among that class.
Athletics across the board at Tahlequah High School are enjoying quite the run lately. And it’s not by coincidence.
the right man for the Tahlequah football job. And he’s proved it.
In 2014, Gilbert handed over the athletic director duties, and the extra time he’s been able to commit to football has paid dividends. The Tigers are constantly making the playoffs in football, and no longer getting pushed around by fellow district opponents.
And that’s across the board for Tahlequah athletics.
the coaching staff,” Cloud said. “Most of our head coaches have been here for several years, and that is important to creating culture in the department.”
The athletic season for the 2022-2023 school year is two-thirds of the way over, and Tahlequah has been enjoying copious amounts of accolades so far:
• Tahlequah softball collected 30 wins and made the 5A state tournament.
Ben Johnson was sports editor for the TDP news team for five years, and is still a sportswriting correspondent for media outlets. He and his wife, Alicia, a licensed esthetician, live with their two children in Collinsville. He is Oklahoma account manager for D.K. Haney Roofing and can be contacted at Benj@dkhaneyroofing.com.
Look, when I was the sports editor at the Tahlequah Daily Press – December 2009 to April of 2014 – there were a few programs with success here and there. But I would often joke with a lot of coaches that I was their bad luck – Brad Gilbert, especially. Poor Brad had to deal with me peppering him with questions after some tough losses during my time in Tahlequah.
But there was never a question that Gilbert was
It points back to Matt Cloud’s taking over as Tahlequah’s athletic director. Cloud routinely had the Tahlequah softball program among the state’s elite, and now he’s steering the athletic ship into successful waters.
He credits the sweeping to success to coaches remaining in place in Tahlequah and not leaving for any other jobs.
“I believe the key to our success is the continuity with
• Tahlequah cross country had two girls runners in the state’s top 13, and the boys program had Trae Baker in the state’s top five at the 5A level.
• The Tigers – based on OSSAA’s two-year district-pairing system – managed to make the football playoffs at the 6A level in the fall. It won’t be long before Tahlequah is back among the 5A ranks.
• Jayden Moore won an individual state championship at 175 pounds at the
of their best seasons ever,Tahlequah junior quarterback Brody Younger practices before making his first career start during the Tigers’ season opener against Sapulpa on Aug. 31, 2022.
state wrestling tournament. He also polished off a 32-4 season.
• Both Tahlequah basketball programs reached their respective 5A state tournaments.
“This is definitely one of the best year for athletics based on postseason achievements,” Cloud said in last March. “I am proud of the work the student athletes and coaches have done thus far. Spring sports are kicking off and I expect more of the same.”
All the lofty accomplishments this year needed a starting place, and it started with several sit-down meetings Cloud had with his coaches.
“Our coaches have their own goals and expectations at the beginning of each year,” Cloud said. “The head coaches and I sit down before and after their seasons and create a plan for growth and a road map for how we will get there by the end of the season or by the beginning of next season. Our coaches work diligently every day at achieving their goals.”
And more than anything, Cloud and the coaches at Tahlequah High School set
forth a culture that breeds success.
“We started in the summer of 2014 with a mindset and expectations for our student-athletes and all of our coaches that we were going to win the right way,” Cloud said. “We haven’t cut any corners, and it hasn’t always looked pretty, but our student-athletes and coaches expect to win every time out. Another key component has been the head coaches sharing student-athletes with other sports. Our head coaches genuinely get along with one another and support each other’s programs.”
And what about future success? Tahlequah is poised for that, too, with a recent bond project that will provide a new indoor athletic facility and new turf at the Tahlequah track complex –one of the state’s best.
Key to future successes are retaining quality coaches and attracting the right student-athletes, Cloud said.
“Our latest bond project has set us up for achieving both of those goals,” he said.
And don’t worry: My days as the newspaper’s sports editor are long gone. So that’ll help, too!
Renee Fite has been writing for the Tahlequah Daily Press and its sister newspapers for more than 30 years. She is managing editor of the Stilwell Democrat Journal and Westville Reporter, writer for Claremore Progress, and regular contributor to TDP. She is founding president of the Arts Council of Tahlequah. She has five children and six grandchildren, and is the wife of renowned local musician John Fite.
Kelsey Berry had noticed that not many girls were participating in the Strawberry Queen pageant in recent years, and she wondered why. The crowning of the queen has always been an essential component of the Stilwell Strawberry Festival, the state’s longest-running continuous annual event.
2022 marked a milestone, as the festival celebrated its 75th year. The collection of vendors – including arts and crafts booths, food, games and other merchandise – numbered close to 100. A parade, rodeo, carnival, auction, 5K run, classic car show and other features drew more than 30,000 visitors to enjoy the small-town ambiance, which always includes live gospel and country music, contests, and the traditional free strawberries and ice cream.
But Kelsey was focused on the future. As reigning queen,
the 2022 Westville High School graduate wanted to carve a path for those who came after her, and it wasn’t long before she realized the cost of formal wear and business attire was holding back potential contestants. She had several gowns at home she didn’t know what to do with, and was sure others did, too, so she thought of a way she could share the bounty.
The Stilwell Kiwanis Club has always sponsored the festival, so Kelsey approached members with her idea. She found overwhelming support, and not just with the volunteers. When she reached out to the community at large, she collected enough dresses to fill a donated space for three months.
Suddenly, her dream became a dream come true for others. She created the Berry Loved Closet, a nonprofit organization to provide afford-
able prom and pageant wear for girls. The clothing can be borrowed, and the only cost is to return it dry-cleaned and ready for the next girl. And the experience of shopping at the store is intentionally special.
“I don’t want girls to think of it as a thrift store; I want them to feel glamorous and pretty without having to pay hundreds of dollars,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey’s mom, Julie Catron, supported her daughter by designing and decorating the store.
“She was here day and night, hanging the racks for the dresses and making the store look so good. She organized and decorated the whole place,” said Kelsey.
From Julie’s perspective, it was a niche just waiting to be filled.
“Our town really needs something like this because there are kids whose parents can’t afford to help them, so
The outgoing Stilwell Strawberry Queen found a unique way to pay it forward to future contestantsPosing in front of a fashion photo display at Berry Loved Closet are from left: Strawberry Junior Queen Dayci Starr, Strawberry Queen 2022-2023 Kelsey Berry and First Strawberry Queen Pat Reed Leatherwood. At right, first Strawberry Queen Pat Reed Leatherwood and Berry Loved Closet founder and current Queen Kelsey Berry, admire some of the beautiful gowns available at the nonprofit store.
they miss out,” said Julie. “I saw a lot of changes in Kelsey. It built her up and gave her more confidence in front of people.”
Hanna Catron was the 2011 Strawberry Queen. She had borrowed a dress from a cousin when she vied for the queen title.
“Her Berry Closet will give girls a chance to do something they couldn’t do otherwise,” said Hanna. “Kelsey’s been a fabulous queen this year. She’s worked hard to make a difference in her community.”
During the open house for the Berry Closet, attendees heaped rich praise on Kelsey. Pat Reed Leatherwood, the very first Strawberry Queen from 1948, was all smiles and wearing the crown she received last year.
“This is amazing. Clothing is so expensive, and if the girls can come here and borrow something, that’s great. It’s a wonderful idea,” said Pat.
Junior Strawberry Queen Dayci Starr showed up to support Kelsey.
“I feel like this is needed. But you don’t have to get gussied up to been a pageant; it’s how you treat others and your personality that matters most,”
she said.
Westville High School counselor Dusty Miggletto was also on hand to support the project.
“I came because it’s a reminder of why I do what I do. I want to be here to encourage her,” Dusty said of Kelsey. “Since she graduated, I’ve kept in touch with her. But the reality is, it’s encouraging to me.
I had a small part in her life. Seeing her succeed – or any of my students succeed – brings joy to me and reassures that I’m doing what God called me to do. I’m very proud of her.”
Mingling with the others was Nancy Farrier, who echoed the general sentiment about the shop being a great idea.
“It’s entrepreneurship for Kelsey, and it gives all the young people a chance to step out and look pretty,” said Nancy.
By the time the Strawberry Festival rolls around on May 13 – always the second Saturday of the month – Kelsey’s successor will be wearing the crown she received April 1. Guests will be making plans to come back into town. And those who want to help with donations to cover the cost of dry-cleaning this year’s apparel can still do so, by contacting.
I had a small part in her life. Seeing her succeed – or any of my students succeed – brings joy to me and reassures that I’m doing what God called me to do. I’m very proud of her.”
- Dusty Miggletto Westville High School Counselor
