Anna Mitchell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Mitchell
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Mitchell in 2006
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| Born |
Anna Belle Sixkiller
October 16, 1926 |
| Died | March 3, 2012 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | American, Cherokee Nation |
| Other names | Anna Belle Mitchell, Anna Belle Sixkiller Mitchell, Anna Sixkiller Mitchell |
| Occupation | potter |
| Years active | 1967–2012 |
| Known for | Cherokee National Treasure |
Anna Mitchell (born October 16, 1926 – died March 3, 2012) was an amazing potter from the Cherokee Nation. She brought back the old art of making pottery for the Cherokee people in Oklahoma. This special art had almost been lost.
Anna was named a Cherokee National Treasure. Her beautiful pottery is now in many museums. These include the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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Anna Mitchell's Early Life
Anna Belle Sixkiller was born on October 16, 1926. Her hometown was near Sycamore, Delaware County, Oklahoma. Her parents were Oo loo tsa (Iva Louise née Owens) and Houston Sixkiller.
Anna's family was full-blood Cherokee. They spoke the Cherokee language at home. Her mom worked hard as a waitress. At night, she often made quilts. Her dad worked on their farm. He grew food for the family.
Anna started school in Jay, Oklahoma. She did not speak English at first. Her mom faced tough times and took her children out of school. Anna and her younger sister went to the Seneca Indian School. This was a special boarding school for Native American children.
At Seneca, Anna quickly learned English. She missed her family a lot. After finishing ninth grade, she went to Haskell Institute. This was a school for different Native American tribes. Her mother had also gone there.
On April 17, 1946, Anna married Robert Clay Mitchell. He was also Cherokee. His family was related to Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee writing system. Anna and Robert lived in Vinita, Oklahoma. They had five children: Nena, Clay, Victoria, Betty, and Julie.
For many years, Anna was busy raising her children. She spent most of her time on home and school activities. In 1967, her husband asked her to make a clay pipe. He wanted one like the pipes often seen in pictures of Sequoyah.
Anna found clay in their pond. She made the pipe for him. She didn't plan to become a potter then. But making that pipe made her curious. She wanted to know how traditional Cherokee pottery was made.
Becoming a Master Potter
For the next few years, Anna taught herself. She didn't know much about clay. She also didn't know what old Cherokee pottery looked like. She started by visiting museums in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Then, she traveled to the lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina.
She also visited other places to learn about pottery. She studied the traditions of the Pueblo peoples in the Southwest. She also learned about the Northeastern Woodlands people. All this time, she tried making different pots. She often wasn't happy with her first tries.
In 1973, Anna showed her pottery to the public for the first time. This was at the Tulsa Indian Trade Fair. There, she met Clydia Nahwooksy from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Clydia encouraged Anna. She also helped Anna find old pottery information in the Smithsonian archives.
Anna learned that the old art of the Southeastern Woodlands people had faded. This happened long before the Trail of Tears. She found a book called Sun Circles and Human Hands. It was at the University of Arkansas. From this book, she learned how ancient Mississippian artists made pottery.
Anna learned that pottery shapes were similar in the west and east. But the designs were different. Southwest designs often used sharp, geometric shapes. They showed animals and landmarks. Southeastern designs had arches and swirls. They showed birds and human forms. Many of Anna's early pots were inspired by old Quapaw pottery from Arkansas.
Anna wanted to keep the old ways of making pottery alive. She started with low-firing clay. Later, she mixed it with porcelain clay. This made her pots stronger and lighter. She ground and sifted the clay to make it smooth. Then, she added ground shells and sandstone. Finally, she added water.
To shape the pots, she had to make her own tools. She copied stamping tools and wooden paddles. She had seen these designs on old pottery pieces in museums. After shaping, she brushed on slip. This slip was made from clay on her own land. It helped keep the old colors of gray, red, and yellow.
She fired her pots over an open pit fire. She placed them on a metal sheet above bricks. A wood fire burned there all day. The pots hardened and cooled slowly. Once cool, she used small stones to burnish them. This made them smooth.
Awards and Recognition
Anna Mitchell won many awards.
- In 1973, she won first prize at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum art show in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
- In 1977, she won first place at the Oklahoma Arts and Crafts Show in Tulsa.
- In 1978, she had her own show at the Southern Plains Indian Museum.
- In 1979, she won first and second prizes at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum show.
- In 1981, she won another award at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum.
- In 1982, she showed her work at the Frontier Folklife Festival in St. Louis, Missouri. She also showed it at The Night of the First Americans in Washington, DC.
- That same year, she won first, second, and third prizes at the Smithsonian Institution's Festival of American Folk Life.
- Also in 1982, she was named a National Treasure of the Cherokee Nation.
In 1983, Anna was asked to show her work at the National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center in Manhattan. In 1985, she won first place at the Santa Fe Indian Market. That year, she had two solo shows. One was at the Creek Council House Museum in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The other was at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Park Hill, Oklahoma.
She continued to have many shows. She was featured at the University of Arkansas in 1990. In 1991, she won awards at the Intertribal Indian Market in Dayton, Ohio. Anna kept showing her work at local art shows until she passed away.
Anna's main goal was to bring back Cherokee pottery making for her people. In 1987, Jane Osti interviewed Anna for a class. Jane became very interested in pottery. She started studying with Anna. Later, the Cherokee Nation asked Jane to create a statue of Anna. This statue was shown in 1990.
Other students also learned from Anna. They include her daughter, Victoria Mitchell Vazquez, and Crystal Hanna. Both are now professional artists. Anna also inspired Martha Berry to bring back Cherokee beadwork. In 2008, Anna received the Educator of Arts and Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cherokee Nation.
Her Family's Legacy
Many of Anna Sixkiller Mitchell's family members are important leaders in the Cherokee Nation. Her brother, Dennis Sixkiller, teaches the Cherokee language. He even has an online radio show in Cherokee. Anna's daughter, Victoria Mitchell Vasquez, is a ceramic artist. She also serves as a tribal councilperson.
Her Lasting Legacy
Anna Mitchell passed away on March 3, 2012, in Vinita. She was buried in Fairview Cemetery. The Cherokee Nation created a scholarship fund to honor her.
Her artworks are in many permanent collections. These include the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. They are also in the Eastern Trails Museum in Vinita and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. You can find her work in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and other places around the world.
In 2015, Anna's bronze statue was moved. It was placed on display at the W. W. Keeler Tribal Government Complex in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. This was to celebrate 25 years since it was made.
In 2016, the Cherokee Heritage Center held a special show. It was called Anna Mitchell Legacy. It showed her pottery from different museums. It also showed how her art grew over time. The show included work by her students, like her daughter Victoria, Jane Osti, and Crystal Hanna. Some of Anna's pottery tools were also on display.
The next year, a mural was painted in Vinita. It was created by Dan Mink. The mural shows Anna Mitchell and her work.
Today, the Cherokee Art Market gives an "Anna Mitchell award" each year. This award honors her memory and her amazing contributions to art.
