Amy Bruton Bluemel

As the great-granddaughter of Eastman Kaney (an original Dawes Commission enrollee), Bluemel is a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation. She is an award-winning storyteller and educator, artist, and stomp dancer. Bluemel is the 2023 recipient of the Coleen Salley Storytelling Award for her commitment to the art of storytelling, by The University of Southern Mississippi. She shares Chickasaw and Southeastern tribal customs with audiences of all ages through lively programs at schools, museums, libraries, and festivals across the country. She also performs with the dance troupe Hithla at events and festivals around the nation. Bluemel is also an accomplished artist. Her artwork is sold at several museums and stores and sells her creations at powwows and festivals throughout the United States. She was also one of 36 Native American artists chosen to show and sell her art at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Native American Art Market in Washington DC.