Jeri Redcorn facts for kids

This is a Caddo pot made by Jereldine Redcorn in 2005. You can see it at the Oklahoma History Center.

Jereldine "Jeri" Redcorn (born November 23, 1939) is a talented artist from Oklahoma. She is famous for bringing back the old ways of making Caddo pottery. She did this almost all by herself!

Jeri's Early Life

Jeri Redcorn was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 23, 1939. Her father was from the Caddo Nation. Her mother was from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Jeri grew up in Colony, Oklahoma. She lived on land that belonged to her Caddo grandmother.

Jeri's tribal name is Bah-ha Nutte. This name means "River Woman." She finished high school in Colony. Later, she earned two college degrees. She got her first degree from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. Her second degree was from Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Bringing Back Caddo Pottery

In 1991, something amazing happened. Jeri Redcorn and her Caddo Cultural Club visited the Museum of the Red River. At the museum, they saw hundreds of ancient Caddo pots. These pots were made long before Europeans came to America. Even the oldest people in their tribe had never seen pottery like it.

Jeri said, "That day we were so excited." The group decided they would learn to make Caddo pottery again. It was a big goal for their tribe. Jeri's brother taught her how to start. He showed her the basics of coiling clay. This is a way to build pots by stacking clay ropes.

Learning the old techniques was very hard. Jeri worked to learn how to burnish and engrave the pots. Burnishing makes the pot surface smooth and shiny. Engraving means carving designs into the clay.

How Jeri Makes Her Art

Since 1991, Jeri Redcorn has been teaching herself. She uses traditional Caddo methods to make her pottery. First, she coils the clay to build the pot's shape. Then, she uses special tools made of metal or bone. She carves beautiful, old Caddo designs into the pots.

Jeri does not use a modern kiln to bake her pottery. Instead, she fires them by hand. This is how her ancestors did it. To add color, she rubs red clay into the carved designs. This makes the patterns stand out.

Where to See Her Pottery

Jeri Redcorn's pottery is very special. You can find her artwork in many public places. These include:

• Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
• Oklahoma History Center
• Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian (in New York City)
• Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History (in Washington, D.C.)

In 2009, something really cool happened. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, displayed one of Jeri's pots. It was called Intertwining Scrolls. This pot was shown right in the White House!

Jeri's Family Life

Jeri Redcorn was married to Charles Redcorn. He was an author from the Osage Nation. They lived together in Norman, Oklahoma. Charles passed away in 2017.