A Cherokee Master Beader with short gray hair and glasses sits at a desk with colorful fabric patterns, smiling at the camera. Shelves, filing cabinets, and ribbons are visible in the background.

About the Artist

At the age of five, Martha Berry's mother and grandmother began teaching her to use a needle and thread. By age nine, she was making her own clothes, and at twenty, she was a seamstress for a touring ice show.

Born and raised in northeastern Oklahoma to Cherokee/English/Scots-Irish parents, she took her Cherokee heritage largely for granted for many years. In her forties, with her children nearly grown, she began to discover the richness and importance of her ancestors' experience and turned her skill with a needle to beadwork.

She now divides her time between research and creating beadwork that is inspired by the styles of the Southeastern Woodland Native Americans. These native nations include the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole. Her beadwork often illustrates the stories and lore of her Cherokee ancestors, allowing the observer to experience the power of their knowledge and the richness of their experience.

She is a registered tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation but currently resides outside the nation with her husband Dave, a retired journalist.

Awards and prizes

A woman wearing a purple shirt holds a decorated ribbon and an elaborate, beaded sash with tassels and geometric designs, showcasing the skill of a Cherokee Master Beader against a plain background.
A woman holding a blue ribbon award at an event.
Four people posing with a plaque at a Cherokee Nation event.
Magazine spread featuring Martha Stewart and holiday crafts.

Special Awards, Grants, Memberships & Affiliations

  • Designated Cherokee National Treasure by the Cherokee Nation, for traditional Cherokee beadwork, August 2013
  • Awarded Tradition Bearer Award, by the Cherokee National Historical Society, at the Seven-Star Gala, Tulsa, OK, Sept. 26, 2015
  • Recognized as a "Cherokee Nation Honored Elder, in appreciation of her commitment to the preservation and conservancy of Cherokee customs and heritage" during the annual Cherokee Nation Chief's visit to the Cherokee Gadugi group in Fort Worth, Texas, May 7, 2023
  • Designated one of eight Women Who Do Amazing Things, Women of Tyler organization, Tyler, TX, March 2013
  • Registered Tribal Citizen, Cherokee Nation
  • Recipient of the Native American Community Scholars Grant, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 2000
  • Delegate, 1999 Cherokee Nation Constitution Convention, Feb. 25 through March 7, 1999, Tahlequah, OK
  • Listed in Source Directory, Indian Arts and Crafts Board, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
  • Member, Cherokee Gadugi Community of North Texas
  • Charter Member, First Families of the Cherokee Nation

Special shows and exhibits

A woman explaining something in a workshop with a traditional textile in front of her.
A woman standing and smiling in front of a projection screen in a classroom.
  • Sageeyah Gold bandolier bag photograph used on all promotional materials for Cherokee Art Market 2019
  • Rekindled, Contemporary Southeastern Beadwork, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, Clewiston, FL, Dec. 12, 2016 - Nov. 22, 2017
  • Floral Journey: Native North American Beadwork, exhibit at Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, CA, March 2014 - April 2015.
  • New Masters of Old Traditions, show at Zarrow Center, Tulsa, OK, June 7 - July 26, 2013.
  • Ancient Ways: Modern Forms, An Exploration of Related Experience in Native American and Jewish Cultures by Oklahoma Native Artists, Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa, OK, Feb. 12 - April 2, 2013
  • E.A.S.T. (East Austin Studio Tour) 2010, Pleasant Valley Ranch Gallery, Austin, TX, Nov. 13-14 and 20-21, 2010
  • Cherokee Beadwork: Finding a Lost Art, curator and exhibitor for this show in the Bell Gallery, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX, May 1 - Aug. 15, 2010
  • Spirit Red, Visions of Native American Artists from the Rennard Strickland Collection, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Summer 2009.
  • Generations: Cherokee Language Through Art, Cherokee Heritage Center, Summer 2009, photo and beadwork collaboration piece with daughter Christina Berry.
  • Co-Curator: Beadwork Storytellers, a Visual Language, Cherokee National Museum, Tahlequah, OK, Oct. 11, 2008 through April 19, 2009
  • Lost Arts, a Southeast Native American Art Show, Bill Shores Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, Oct. 4 - Dec. 28, 2007
  • Voices in the Tallgrass: Native Women Artists in Oklahoma, The Pioneer Woman Museum, Ponca City, OK, May 20 - Sept. 16, 2007.
  • Cherokee People Today Fotografien von David G. Fitzgerald, Nordamerika Native Museum, Zurich, Switzerland, Feb. 3 through Aug. 31, 2005. Bandolier bag "Thorns" appears in an exhibit of Cherokee cultural objects, in conjunction with David Fitzgerald's photographs.
  • Clearly Tradition: Glass in American Indian Art, The Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD, Sept. 22 - Oct. 23, 2004. Celebrating the Grand Opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. Featuring 3-dimensional glass forms and beadwork by Tony Jojola, Marvin Oliver, Susan Poiint, Preston Singletary, Robert Tanahill, Christopher Tarpley, Marcus Amermam, Martha Berry, Vanessa Jennings, and Donna Shakespear Cummings
  • Passages - Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Sept. 10, 2011 - Jan. 15, 2012
  • The Bead Trail - Trade Beads of the North American Frontier, The Bead Museum, Glendale, AZ, March, 2004 - May, 2005
  • Featured Artist: Contemporary Native American Glass Art at the National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA, November 2003
  • Indian Territory Arts and Humanities Council - Special Exhibition at Celle Castle, Celle, Germany, Aug. 4 - Sept. 28, 2002. Part of a cultural exchange between Celle and her sister city, Tulsa, OK.
  • Featured Artist: The Beaded Artistry of Martha Berry, a one-woman show, Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah, OK, June - September 2000

Speaking and Teaching

A woman presents a lecture on beadwork to an audience.
A woman presenting a detailed black and white drawing on a screen.
  • "Pathways to Heartwork: Building Community Through Indigenous Art & Poetry" virtual panel April 18, 2024, featuring Martha, poet and singer/songwriter Tanaya Winder and artist/storyteller Weeya Calif. Part of Marymount University's PATH (Pathways to Action, Truth and Healing) project sponsored by Marymount's Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center. Link above takes you to full PATH Panel presentation
  • Online Interview with Cray Bauxmont-Flynn, host of Beyond the Art, podcast, December 2023
  • Beading, Weaving and Reviving Lost Cherokee Arts, online event for Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians featuring mother and daughter, Martha Berry and Cherokee finger-weaver Karen Berry, April 5, 2023
  • Online Lecture and Presentation, University of Maryland Institute of Art, March 25, 2022
  • Artist Demonstration, DMA Late Night during "Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World" exhibition at Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, March 25, 2022.
  • Online Lecture & Workshop for the United Kingdom's Being Human Festival, Nov. 12, 2021. "Renewal" was the festival theme, and Martha teamed up with her daughter Karen Berry for a segment called Beading Weaving and Reviving Lost Cherokee Arts, discussing beadwork and finger-weaving in the Native American collection, University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
  • Artist Lecture, opening of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's exhibition "Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World," Oklahoma City, OK, February 2021
  • Interview, Gilcrease Facebook Live, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK, July 10, 2020
  • Ongoing: Beginner and Advanced Traditional Cherokee Beadwork Workshops at the Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah, OK. Since November 2001, I have conducted many workshops for the Cherokee Heritage Center (now closed).
  • Ongoing: Beginner and Advanced Traditional Cherokee Beadwork Workshops at the Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Since December 2010, I have conducted many workshops for the Oklahoma History Center.
  • Lecture, Cherokee Art Symposium, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, Nov. 10, 2018 (sponsored by First American Art Magazine)
  • Lecture, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK, September 2018
  • Lecture & Workshop, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK, October 2017
  • Lecture & Workshop, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, Seminole Nation, Florida, February 2017.
  • Workshop, Chickasaw Nation, Sulphur, OK, May 2016.
  • Lecture, Cherokee Community of North Texas, July 27, 2014, Grapevine Public Library, Grapevine, TX
  • Autry National Center of the American West, panelist for beadwork symposium, April 5, 2014
  • Cherokees of the Greater Bay Area, workshop, Stanford University, November 9, 2013
  • Stanford University Native American Students Association, workshop, Nov. 8, 2013
  • California State University, East Bay, lecture, Nov. 7, 2013
  • The Rise, Loss, and Revival of Traditional Cherokee Beadwork, presentation, Jane Douglas Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Dallas, TX, May 2013
  • Interview, Oklahoma Oral History Research Program, Oklahoma State University Library, Nov. 17, 2012
  • Traditional Southeastern Woodlands Beadwork Workshops for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, conducted at the Creek Council House Museum, Okmulgee, OK. I have conducted three workshops for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
  • Presentation of the Fourth Estate bandolier bag during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Cherokee Independent Press Act, Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Museum, September 4, 2010, Tahlequah, OK
  • Traditional Cherokee Beadwork Beginners Workshop, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX, August 15, 2010
  • The Rise, Loss, and Revival of Traditional Cherokee Beadwork, lecture at the Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX, July 29, 2010.
  • Museum talk for the Native American Indian Cultural Association of Texas meeting, Tyler Museum of Art, July 17, 2010
  • Museum talk at the opening reception for Cherokee Beadwork: Finding a Lost Art exhibit at the Bell Gallery, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX, May 1, 2010.
  • Rise, Loss, and Revival of Traditional Cherokee Beadwork lecture, Rogers County Cherokee Association meeting at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore, OK, December 6, 2009
  • Advanced Beadwork Workshop, Cherokee Heritage Center, Park Hill, OK, December 4 & 5, 2009, Cherokee Heritage Center, Park Hill, OK, December 4 & 5, 2009
  • Art as Identity: The Operative Principles of Affirmation, Accommodation, and Appropriation in the Native American Artistic Pursuit of Self, a panel discussion in conjunction with the exhibition of Spirit Red, Visions of Native American Artists from the Rennard Strickland Collection, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma, Sept. 11, 2009. Moderated by Dr. Edwin Wade, art critic, with contemporary native artists Joseph Erb, Ruthe Blalock Jones, Shawna Morton Cain and Roger Cain, Bill Glass, Bill Rabbit, Lisa Rutherford, and Mrs. Berry.
  • Rise, Loss, and Revival of Traditional Cherokee Beadwork Lecture, Chattanooga Audubon Society, Audubon Acres, Chattanooga, TN, October 4, 2007
  • The Rise, Loss, and Revival of Cherokee and Southeastern Woodlands Beadwork - Museum lecture, workshop, and PowerPoint presentation, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK, August 4 and 5, 2007
  • The Rise, Loss, and Revival of Southeastern Woodlands Beadwork - Museum lecture and presentation, The Bead Museum, Glendale, AZ, March 3, 2005.
  • Traditional Southeastern Woodlands Beadwork Workshop, Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston, Houston, TX, July 31, 2004.
  • Opening Night Museum Talk, Bridging Traditions: Native American Glass Art, The National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, PA, November 2003. Other artists featured in this exhibit included Preston Singletary, Christopher Tarpley, Tony Jojola, Vanessa Jennings, and Marcus Amerman.
A man showing a coin trick to a seated girl.

Press and Publications

Books and fabrics featuring traditional textile designs.
  • An image from the bandolier bag Our Fires Still Burn was chosen by the University of Oklahoma Press to illustrate the cover of "A History of the Cherokee Nation," written before 1939 by Rachel Caroline Eaton, Mrs. Berry's great-aunt. The book, edited by Martha Berry, Dave Berry and Patricia Dawson, will be released in December 2025 and is available for pre-order through OU Press.
  • American Craft Magazine: The Art of the Flourish, Photos & Story, Summer 2021, pp. 66-69.
  • Gilcrease Museum Magazine, Collecting with Gilcrease In Mind, Photos and Story, Winter 2020, pp. 12-13
  • Sageeyah Gold bandolier bag photograph used on all promotional materials for Cherokee Art Market 2019
  • First American Art Magazine, Winter 2018/2019, pp. 13-15
  • Native American Art Magazine, Dec/Jan 2019, pp. 134-135
  • Featured artist on Osiyo TV, Voices of the Cherokee People. The segment was called Martha Berry, Leading A Beadwork Revival. Please follow the link to watch the full video.
  • Cover art for The Great Vanishing Act: Blood Quantum and the Future of Native Nations, Ratteree and Hill, Fulcrum Publishing, 2017
  • Cherokee National Treasures: In Their Own Words, OU Press, 2017.
  • Chickasaw Nation Press Release: Art of Dallas Area Mother and Daughter Featured at Artesian Arts Festival, Sulphur, OK, May 12, 2017
  • Beadwork as Storytelling, article in Oklahoma Newspapers in Education, November, 2016
  • Rekindled, article in Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Quarterly, Fall, 2016.
  • Interview, local Tulsa NBC affiliate, during Cherokee Art Market, 2016
  • Photo & Bio, Cowboys and Indians magazine, August/September 2016, p. 126
  • Photo and mention, "A Fruitful Exchange," Paige Bardolph, Antiques magazine, July/August 2014, p. 103
  • Cherokee National Treasure Martha Berry to Teach Beadwork Class in OKC, Cherokee Phoenix newspaper, February 18, 2015
  • Photo, "The Hidden Language of Flowers in Native North American Beadwork," Lois S. Dubin and Paige Bardolph, American Indian Art Magazine, Autumn 2014, p. 78
  • Photo, Western Art Collector magazine, October 2014, p. 125
  • Exhibit Review of Indigenous Beauty: Masterworks of American Indian Art from the Diker Collection, First American Art magazine, Winter 2015, p. 77
  • Floral Journey: Native North American Beadwork, book by Lois S. Dubin, published by Autry National Center for the American West, Los Angeles, CA, pp.70, 72, 231, 234, 235
  • Native Treasure, article by Britt Greenwood, Tulsa People magazine, April 2014, p. 20
  • Native North American Beadwork Exhibit set for March 15, article in Cherokee Phoenix, February 2014, p. 18
  • Beautiful Beadwork, article in IN magazine, January/February 2014, pp. 40-43
  • 3 Named Cherokee National Treasures, article in Cherokee Phoenix, October 2013, p. 16
  • Stitches in Time: The Rebirth of Southeastern Woodland Beadwork, First American Art magazine, Fall 2013, p. 46-51
  • Cherokee Artist Honored by Women of Tyler Organization, article in Cherokee Phoenix, June 2013, p. 17
  • First American Art magazine article and photos, Fall 2013, p. 46
  • Cherokee Phoenix newspaper article & photo, June 2013, p.17
  • "Ancient Ways: Modern Forms" Exhibit Opens, Cherokee Phoenix, Feb. 12, 2013
  • Native American Connections Podcast interview, April 16, 2013
  • Tahlequah Art Guide 2012, cover photo, Butterfly bandolier bag
  • Oklahoma Newspapers in Education, The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, May 2012, p.11, story & photo.
  • The Dr. J.W. Wiggins Native American Art Collection, Vol. II: Three-Dimensional Works; Dr. J.W. Wiggins; published by Sequoyah National Research Center, University of Arkansas; p. 26
  • BUILDING ONE FIRE: Art+World View in Cherokee Life, Chadwick Corntassel Smith, Rennard Strickland, with Benny Smith; published by the Cherokee Nation, distributed by University of Oklahoma Press, 2010, pp. 17, 48, 120 - 121, 132 (sash detail), 186 - 187
  • Spirit of Revival, article in Tyler Morning Telegraph, Tyler, TX, Sunday, May 2, 2010, p. 1B
  • "Co-op Thrives in Tough Times: Cherokee Artists Association" - article in Native Peoples magazine, January/February 2010, p. 74
  • "Berry Leads Revival of Southeastern-style beadwork" - article & photos, Native American Times, Dec. 25, 2009, Art & Culture, p. 7
  • "Cherokee Beadwork Artist to Speak at RCCA Meeting" - article and photo in Claremore Progress, Claremore, OK; Dec. 3, 2009, p. 11
  • "Beadtime Stories" article & photos, Oklahoma Today magazine, Jan/Feb 2009, p. 78-79
  • Television Interview - KJRH Channel 2, NBC affiliate, Tulsa, OK, Oct. 12, 2007
  • Television interview - Chattanooga News Channel 9, ABC affiliate, Oct. 5, 2007
  • Radio interview - Chattanooga Talk Radio 102.3 FM, Oct. 4, 2007
  • Cherokee Beadwork Undergoes Revival - article in Cherokee Phoenix, online Aug. 14, 2007; print p. B-6, September 2007
  • "Everyone Is Important" - The Cherokee Beadwork Revival Project, 2007 - article in Native American Times, online Aug. 14, 2007; print p. 1, Aug. 17, 2007
  • National Museum of the American Indian magazine, Fall 2007, p. 27, photograph of "Fortune's Fandango" bandolier bag
  • National Radio Interview: Rezervations, Native Voice One (NV1), hosted by Dawn Karima Pettigrew, July 30, 2007
  • American Indian Art magazine, Summer 2007, p. 110, photograph of "Fortune's Fandango" bandolier bag
  • Native Peoples magazine, May-June 2007, p. 25; July-August 2007, p. 53; photograph of "Fortune's Fandango" bandolier bag
  • ART OF THE CHEROKEE: Prehistory to the Present, Susan C. Power, University of Georgia Press, 2007, Title page (photograph), p. 179, p. 209-211
  • "On The Wind - Honoring," announcement of People's Choice Award, Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Native Peoples magazine, Sept/Oct 2006, p. 18
  • Cover art, photo of "Ani Yunwiya" bandolier bag, The University of Georgia Press, Books for Fall & Winter 2006 catalog.
  • "Bandolier Bag Wins People's Choice Award," photo & article, Cherokee Phoenix and Indian Advocate, July 2006, p. 24
  • "Cherokee Bandolier Bag Wins People's Choice", photo and article, Muskogee Phoenix, May 25, 2006
  • "An Interview with Martha Berry, Homecoming Artist," The Columns (Cherokee National Historical Society newsletter), Summer 2005, p. 7
  • "On The Wind - Honoring," photo & paragraph announcing the Grand Award, 9th Annual Cherokee Homecoming Art Show, Native Peoples magazine, Jan/Feb 2005, p. 18
  • "Cherokee Homecoming Art Show Winners Announced," photo and mention, Cherokee Phoenix and Indian Advocate, November 2004, p. 13
  • "Tylerite Berry's Beadwork Not Just Sew-Sew," article by Jonathan Perry, Tyler Morning Telegraph, Tyler, TX, Oct. 15, 2004
  • "Art Values," Southwest Art magazine, August 2004, pp. 48-49
  • "Finding a Lost Art," article by Martha Berry, Bead & Button magazine, December 2003, pages 137-140
  • "Our Fires Still Burn," feature article by Sarah Heiskell, Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph, Tyler, TX, Dec. 7, 2003
  • THIS SIDE UP!, International glass art magazine. A photograph of bandolier bag Our Fires Still Burn featured in article "The Technique of Beadwork," Issue No. 22, Summer 2003, p. 12
  • Artist of the Month, January 2001, AllThingsCherokee.com
Two women smiling at a radio station desk with microphones and computers.
A person giving a presentation to an audience in a room with framed artwork.
A woman sitting on decorative tiled stairs in a building.

Collectors

Special thanks...

  • To my daughter, Christina, for creating my original website, for her support and inspiration while creating her own amazing website All Things Cherokee, and for becoming a beader.
  • To my daughter, Karen, an outstanding Cherokee gourd carver and finger weaver, for making my tear dress, her dad's ribbon shirt, her own wedding gown, and for letting me bead her cuffs and train.
  • To my husband, Dave, for taking the beautiful photographs you see on this website, maintaining the site, and for making me believe that I could do this thing.

Wado, Martha Berry