By Carrie Bradshaw-Buckley , Media Relations Specialist
Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Lt. Governor Jefferson Keel honored tribal members Jerry Underwood and Dr. Teresa Shavney Sept. 29 at the Chickasaw Nation Arts and Culture Awards. Mr. Underwood received the Silver Feather Award for preserving Chickasaw heritage and culture and Dr. Shavney was named the Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year.
Oklahoma City's first female surgeon, a Chickasaw artisan, tribal historians and southeastern artists were honored at the Chickasaw Nation Arts and Culture Awards ceremony Sept. 29 at the McSwain Theatre in Ada.
Pediatric and general surgeon Teresa M. Shavney, M.D. was named the 2009 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby presented the award.
"Dr. Shavney is an excellent example of what Chickasaw people can accomplish," said Gov. Anoatubby. "She uses her talents and abilities to blaze trails for women in her field while contributing to her community and remaining an involved and compassionate mother and wife."
Dr. Shavney has been named one of America’s Top Surgeons by The Consumer Research Council of America and served as the president for the Oklahoma Medical Women’s Association, the Oklahoma City Surgical Society and the Oklahoma County Medical Society.
"Looking at my company, I’m certainly humbled and honored to receive this award," she said. "I am so proud to be Chickasaw."
Aside from her medical obligations, Dr. Shavney is also a committed and involved community member, church member, mother and wife.
She is the daughter of Beaulah and the late Richard Shavney and the granddaughter of original Chickasaw enrollee Sylvia Gibson Pope.
"My mother and grandmother, two of the original Chickasaw dynamic women, had an extraordinary work ethic and dedication to their tribe and family," Dr. Shavney said.
"They certainly set the bar high for me."
Jerry Underwood of Milburn (OK) was the recipient of the Silver Feather Award for his efforts in preserving Chickasaw heritage and culture.
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said Mr. Underwood has shared "a wealth of knowledge" with others through the years.
"Jerry Underwood not only has an abundance of cultural information and experience, he has the wisdom to share that knowledge in a way that will make a difference for generations to come," said Gov. Anoatubby. "By helping to preserve our culture, he makes us richer as a people."
Mr. Underwood is a talented artist skilled in beadwork, moccasin making, wood carving and silver smithing. For years, he has been a regular fixture at Chickasaw Nation events and Senior Centers, sharing his talent and teaching others.
"Not only am I thankful for this award," said Mr. Underwood, "I greatly appreciate the programs and services offered by the Chickasaw Nation that allow me to go out and work with our people."
He serves on the Johnston County Chickasaw Community Council. Last year, an exhibit dedicated to Mr. Underwood was unveiled at the Council House Museum in Tishomingo.
During the ceremony, Marvin Burcham of Brandon, MS donated a collection of over 190 ancient chipped-stone tool items to the Chickasaw Nation.
The artifacts were uncovered throughout the Chickasaw homelands near Alcorn County, MS over more than 50 years. The collection, to be displayed at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, includes an example of every type of chipped-stone tool used by the Chickasaw people.
Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield and his colleagues Amanda L. Paige and Fuller L. Bumpers received the Holisso Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript for "Chickasaw Removal."
Awards were also presented to winners of the Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM).
The top winners in each category were:
The show was open to all artists of Southeast and Woodlands tribes. Artists, who were juried into the market by a panel of judges, were also able to enter the art show to compete for a number of cash awards.
The Chickasaw Press announced the release of three new titles: "Uprising! Woody Crumbo’s Indian Art," a biography of the internationally acclaimed Potawatomi artist, musician and dancer by Robert Perry; "Chickasaw Lives, Volume Two: Profiles and Oral Histories," by Richard Green and "A Nation in Transisition: Douglas Henry Johnston and the Chickasaws, 1898-1939," chronicling the life of an important Chickasaw leader.
A book signing hosted by the Chickasaw Press and featuring the authors of the new publications will be conducted Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Chickasaw Nation Annual Meeting and Festival in Tishomingo (OK).
The winning SEASAM artwork, as well as work from all participating artists, will be also on display and available for purchase. Both the SEASAM and Chickasaw Press tents will be located on the Chickasaw Capitol Grounds, 408 West 9th Street.
