Celebrating Choctaw Cultural Expressions: A Look at Choctaw Artistry

Bradley Isaac, Jr. is a lifelong resident of the Pearl River Community, currently employed with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Office of Public Information as a Creative Art Producer/Photographer. He specializes in Advertisement, Landscape, Portrait, and Travel photography. 

Bradley’s artistic journey began in his junior year at Choctaw Central High School, working as a yearbook staff photographer. Despite initially pursuing a college degree in Psychology, his passion for photography led him to the Choctaw Community News in 2001. Mentored by Melford Farve and Brian Willis, Bradley honed his skills and developed a unique style through self-teaching, books, and trial and error. He emphasizes continuous learning and improvement in his craft. 

Bradley’s artistic style is characterized by creativity and originality, inspired by a college professor’s advice to capture photos in a way no one has seen before. His work often tells stories, whether through travel photography or capturing the intricate details of Choctaw crafts. One of his favorite projects, “Choctaw Hands,” showcases the skilled, weathered hands of artisans, telling the story of their craft. 

Bradley is dedicated to preserving and sharing his Choctaw culture through photography, aspiring to inspire future generations of photographers. He plans to travel nationwide to document and highlight the traditions of other tribes, ensuring their cultural legacy is preserved. 

Jacob Frazier is a proud member of the Pearl River Community and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. From a young age, Jacob enjoyed drawing as a hobby, but it was during his senior year at Choctaw Central High School in 2022 that his passion for art became more serious. An art class ignited his interest in digital graphic art, setting him on a path to pursue a creative career. Recently, Jacob was accepted into the California Institute of the Arts, where he will work towards a degree in Graphic Design.

Jacob aims to develop his skills to create art that showcases Choctaw culture through digital mediums. He is deeply committed to expressing his culture to both the public and his fellow tribal members, and he strives to learn more about Choctaw history to enrich his work. Jacob has already begun sharing his talent, contributing digital artwork for the Standing Pine School’s spring festival and creating graphic art for the Chahta Immi Cultural Center.

Jacob aspires to return to his tribe and create illustrations and advertisements that highlight Choctaw heritage. He expresses great appreciation for the support of his family, especially his mother, Morgan Ben, and grandmother, Barbara Ben, who have been his steadfast supporters.

Halito! My name is David Mingo and an enrolled member with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. I reside in the Tucker community. I am Originally from Chicago Illinois.

I have been drawing since an early age and loved to draw comic books and magazines. At that period, I used pencils and flair pens to draw with. As I got older, I started using pen and ink. I started copying logos and made my own logos in freehand style. During my college years, I attended the ray Vogue Commercial Art School in Chicago. I learned quite a bit of methods in commercial arts, advertising, and photography. This was where I learned to be a photographer. I won two awards in special effects for Darkroom techniques. I won 2nd place for story book illustrations. My interests like running, cycling, and swimming, which lead to becoming a triathlete.

While in Chicago, I attended a course in water coloring and had a difficult time duplicating the skills. I hated the technique and had no control of the color or how the colors would blend. I kept repeating this thought to myself ‘Why am I trying to paint like the instructor,” I had to change my mindset and manipulate the colors and techniques my way. From that point, I developed my own style and stopped following the rules to paint with watercolors. They are the same techniques, but it is the intensity of colors used, plus the background. This was the birth of watercolor painting for me.

In the ninety’s, I returned to Mississippi and was unemployed. I was fortunate to have a mother that supported my art ambitions. I would stay up late at night painting and kept getting new themes for the next painting. I always got approval before selling any artwork. I loved the expression she displayed when I showed her my paintings. I felt I had to have her approval and to see her smile. That meant so much to me was her smile. Maybe that is why I don’t paint any more.

Samuel Lawson Mingo is a documentary photographer and a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Originally from the Bogue Chitto community, he now resides in the Pearl River community. Samuel specializes in digital still photography, digital video photography, and digital audio capture to document indigenous culture in both contemporary and historical contexts through lived experiences. His photography career began in 2015 as a photojournalist for the University of Southern Mississippi’s student newspaper. Since then, his work has been published in multiple local newspapers. Leveraging his background in fine art, photojournalism, and social research, Samuel covered social justice protests in 2016, earning him an award from the Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Media Editors.

Kimberly Thompson is a self-taught artist with a diverse range of artistic interests and skills. From a young age, she delighted in drawing animals from books and her cat using crayons and pencils. Her creativity extended to sculpting with materials like mud and wax. As her passion for illustration grew, pencil became her primary medium, though she also gained experience with ink, paint, pastels, chalk, ceramics, and more. Kimberly expanded her artistic knowledge at Jones County Junior College, learning about design, digital art, and photography.

Kimberly enjoys experimenting with new techniques and artistic outlets. While she favors a realistic drawing style, she also loves creating cartoons of people to capture their unique personalities and expressions. She frequently draws for fun and gifts her artwork to family and friends.

Currently, Kimberly leverages her illustrative skills and artistic expertise in her role as a graphic or illustrative designer. She collaborates with the Choctaw Tribal Language Program to develop language learning materials for tribal schools and members, fostering the promotion of the Choctaw language. Additionally, she creates illustrations for children’s books aimed at tribal youth.

Looking ahead, Kimberly aspires to establish a creative business to pass on to her children or a younger generation. She encourages everyone to continue drawing and using their creative thinking skills, even if it’s just for fun.

Jenisa Tubby, a Choctaw artist from the Conehatta community and a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and a minor in Graphic Design. Her artistic journey began in college, where her fascination with Choctaw culture led her to explore and express it through pottery. Jenisa skillfully incorporates both modern Choctaw designs and ancient symbolism into her ceramic pieces, blending contemporary aesthetics with traditional heritage.

Her academic and practical experiences have allowed her to delve into the techniques of ancient Choctaw pottery, deepening her appreciation for the artistry of her ancestors. Jenisa’s mission is to master these ancestral methods and to use her pottery as a means of cultural expression and education. Through her work, she aspires to share the richness of Choctaw culture with a broader audience, honoring her heritage and contributing to the preservation of her people’s artistic traditions.

Hillary Vaughn, a lifelong resident of Pearl River Community and a proud member of the MS Band of Choctaw Indians, is a renowned Choctaw Jewelry maker deeply rooted in tribal traditions. With a fervent passion for preserving and sharing her cultural heritage, Hillary plays Choctaw sickball and embraces her role as a steward of tribal customs. Her dedication extends to creating vibrant Choctaw beaded Jewelry, featuring intricate starburst, floral motifs, and traditional Choctaw symbols.

Ms. Vaughn’s journey into the world of beading began during her time at Pearl River Elementary School, where she attended summer school in the 5th grade. It was there that Ms. Lucille Chickaway, her Assistant teacher, imparted the knowledge of crafting bugle bead collar necklaces to her students. As Hillary grew older, she further honed her skills by attending cultural workshops with her late father, Mr. Harley Vaughn, who shared her passion for the art of creating a Choctaw shirt and sash. These workshops provided her with the invaluable opportunity to learn the intricate craft of crafting a beaded medallion under the guidance of Mr. Hester Allen. Mr. Allen’s insistence on acquiring this skill left a lasting impact on Hillary’s artistic journey. Little did she know that her initial interest in beading would flourish, propelling her towards the goal of creating a complete beadset.

Today, Hillary acknowledges that she wouldn’t have become the accomplished artisan she is without the guidance and support of several influential individuals. Lucille Chickaway, Hester Allen, Travis Willis, Lisa Ketcher, Serena Tubby, Tina Routh, Jennileen Young, Lakisha Wallace, and Jan Jimmie have all played pivotal roles in shaping her artistic prowess. Ms. Vaughn recognizes the importance of passing down these skills to future generations, as she believes that the preservation of Choctaw culture relies on the collective effort of everyone. Through her work with the department of Chahta Immi, Hillary aspires to contribute to this cause and intends to carry on this cherished tradition with her own children.

Jaeden Wesley comes from the Standing Pine community and is an artist of various media, including painting, sketch, beadwork, blow guns, stickball, stickball sticks, rabbit sticks, chanting, dancing, and sewing. Jaeden’s parents are Jay and Danielle Wesley.

Jaeden was introduced to painting in the Talented and Gifted program at the age of 7. As a 4-H member, Jaeden enjoyed making crafts, especially for the 4-H booth at the Choctaw Indian Fair. The Beta Club provided opportunities to showcase Jaeden’s art at both the state and national levels. With a love for various arts, Jaeden learned to use an imaginative side to convey thoughts and feelings through artistry.

At home, Jaeden was taught many cultural aspects like chanting, dancing, rabbit stick making, and storytelling from Jaeden’s father, and beading from her late grandmother, Judy Gibson. Jaeden can also make frybread. One summer, Jaeden learned other Choctaw traditions like pottery making, Chunky, and more storytelling through the Youth Opportunity Program and Tribal Elders. Jaeden enjoys learning more about cultural arts and spreading the significance of the Chahta people to others, which has become a true passion.

De’Jorae Williams is a gifted photographer and digital painter who discovered her passion for art at a young age, thanks to the influence of her mother and grandfather. Her mother, who was deeply involved in arts and crafts, and her grandfather, who loved photography, sparked De’Jorae’s early love for drawing and capturing moments through the lens.

De’Jorae carried these inspirations with her from childhood into adulthood, culminating in her graduation from Belhaven University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. She continuously applies the skills she learned throughout her education to her art projects, focusing on the interplay of colors and forms. These elements are crucial to her as she captures and edits photographs, often inspired by spontaneous moments, particular scenes, environments, or her vivid imagination.

Her Choctaw culture plays a significant role in her art, shaping her perception of subjects and offering a continual source of learning and comfort. Much like her cultural heritage, De’Jorae’s art is a never-ending cycle of creation and discovery. Her goal as an artist is to push beyond her previous work, always striving to create something new and meaningful. Through her art, she shares not just her creative vision but also a piece of her cultural heritage.

Johnny Williams is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians from the Conehatta community. He is a self-taught painter specializing in acrylic painting. His artwork focuses on Choctaw culture, depicting traditional attire, baskets, drums, social dancing, hunting, the sport of Kabotcha, outdoor cooking, and the mother mound Nanih Waiya. Many of his paintings are inspired by his experiences and observations growing up, each telling a story from the past.

About 2008, a friend and coworker encouraged him to enter an art contest at a local festival in Philadelphia, MS. He submitted a painting titled “Legends of the Game,” which featured three boys sitting and lying down with stickball sticks, facing a pole, and representing Conehatta, Bok Chitto, and Beaver Dam colors. Winning first place in this contest was a proud moment in his artistic career.

Over the years, Johnny has continued painting intermittently. Recently, he has been focusing more on his art, setting up at local events whenever possible. He is honored to be invited to the NAIA Pow Wow in Nashville to demonstrate his paintings and storytelling or other aspects of Choctaw culture. His inspiration comes from the rich heritage of his culture and the pride instilled in him by his parents.