Shawna Morton-Cain
Shawna Morton Cain is a direct descendant of Frog Town, Georgia Cherokees forcibly removed to Indian Territory in the early 1800’s. A life-time resident of Cherokee Nation’s Trail of Tears District in Adair County, Shawna and her husband, Roger, have chosen to continue traditional Cherokee art traditions closely tied to their natural woodland environment. A doctoral candidate at the University of Arkansas in Anthropology, Shawna stresses, “My Cherokee teachers from our home communities are just as integral to my graduate studies as my university teachers. Each provides me with a strong foundation to better understand our people’s history, traditional knowledge systems and forms of artistic expression.” Awarded the title of “Cherokee National Living Treasure” for her work in traditional basketry by the Cherokee Nation in 2006, Cain continues to represent the Cherokee Nation as a master basket weaver and teacher.