CHEROKEE PERSPECTIVE: Museum exhibit features life of National Treasure Weynema Smith

Jan. 19—ROSE — A new exhibit celebrating the life of Cherokee National Treasure Weynema Smith, who believes life is more meaningful when understood in Cherokee, runs through May 11 at the Saline Courthouse Museum.

Born May 13, 1932, to Richard Webber and Martha Locust Scott, she married Charlie Smith, a grandson of Cherokee traditionalist Redbird Smith, after graduating from Gore High School. After her first child was born, Smith realized some Cherokee children did not speak the Cherokee language. She began teaching the language in other towns in the Cherokee Nation and later taught at the Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah.

Exhibits Manager Karen Shade-Lanier explained how Smith was named a Cherokee National Treasure in 2022.

"She was named a Treasure in two ways: Lifeways and language preservation," Shade-Lanier said. "She still lives in Cherokee Nation and has a long history of helping individuals and communities learn the Cherokee language."

The tribe has worked hard at preserving the Cherokee language and assistd in its proliferation, Shade-Lanier said.

"Weynema has been doing this since the 1950s. She did it on a very personal level starting in the community she lived — Marble City, in Sequoyah County," Shade-Lanier said.

The exhibit shows preservation of the language is still very critical and demonstrates how long Smith has been involved in the effort.

"The recognition of National Treasure looks at individuals who know these cultural practices, whether it be something like basketry, pottery or flint knapping. Sometimes it could be teaching the language or something like traditional foods," Shade-Lanier said. "I think the essential character of it is that these individuals share this knowledge and pass it on."

The designations are presented at the Cherokee National Holidays, and once the title is given, it is for life, Shade-Lanier said.

Interpretive Project Coordinator Evan Feeley, who coordinated the exhibit, explained what he learned while researching and designing the room that held Smith's creations. Feeley's job is interpreting history and culture in the exhibits so they are accessible and understandable to guests that visit exhibits.

"It's really incredible to sit and talk with an elder who can share their wisdom in regard to the value of the language and what it meant to them to learn and pass that language onto the next generation," Feeley said.

Smith's story centers on her work to make sure certain recipes, like wild onions and eggs, and how to make kanuchi — a pureed nut soup — are preserved, Shade-Lanier said.

As part of the exhibit, a purple tear dress stands in one corner. A tear dress is a long garment made of calico, worn by Oklahoma Cherokee women, and is believed to be modeled after a style worn during the Trail of Tears era, when scissors were not readily available. The word "tear" describes how the design enables the seamstress to rip and tear the fabric.

"This is a tear dress she made for herself for when she sings in her church in the choir in the Cherokee language," Shade-Lanier said. "And she knows about all of the uses of traditional basketry."

A cultural story of a sifting basket on display details how the basket hangs on Smith's wall, and she uses it to chase away the clouds. A wedding basket represents how important family is to Smith, and how she has taken the basket to marriage ceremonies she helped to officiate.

"For this exhibit, we are really focusing on what the language means for speakers," Feeley said. "We've been doing exhibits on Cherokee National Treasures in this gallery since 2019. This year, we wanted to focus on what the language means to speakers and what kind of worldview that kind of understanding gives them of their environment, their culture, that they have as speakers who are connected to a long history of stories and knowledge that were not originally shared in English, but in Cherokee. This gives a completely different way of understanding the world."

Shade-Lanier said this exhibit gives more prominence to the language than past exhibits, and the focus on the language speakers is going to expand with future displays.

"It was very interesting to talk with Weynema, and then the language department, about the way items get translated into Cherokee," Feeley said. "Like a sifting basket has a very specific name in Cherokee that's different from [other baskets] and you just pick up on little things when you are working with the items. That is very interesting."

A corn cob doll and a set of three gourd dolls are displayed in clothing designed and sewn by Smith. The baskets displayed were processed and woven from materials Smith found in nature.

Zach Meeks is lead interpreter at the museum, and his job is to show visitors how important Smith is to the Cherokee community.

After Indian Removal in 1839, a new form of government was established under the new codes, Meeks said.

"Under the new codes, we were given the funds to build nine district courthouses, and this is the last one that is standing," Meeks said. "It only served as a courthouse until 1902, and under the Curtis Act, every tribal government in Indian Territory was resolved besides one of them, and the courthouse went into public domain until 1970 when the state acquired it. [Former Principal Chief] Wilma Mankiller acquired the courthouse in 1988. It was officially restored in 2019 and opened in 2020."

Learn more

The exhibit can be seen at the Saline Courthouse Museum, at 55870 S. 490 Road, Rose, Oklahoma, until May 11. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.