Lady in Waiting
The Drummers
Dorothy Strait was a Cherokee woman. She grew up in Arizona and learned to paint by watching her mother, who was an artist. "When I was about seven I painted along with her," said Dorothy Strait.
Dorothy Strait learned about her Cherokee past from her parents and grandparents. Her great-great-grandfather was forced to leave his home in Georgia and move to Oklahoma along with thousands of other Cherokees. This forced relocation has come to be known as the "Trail of Tears."
Dorothy Strait painted traditional dances, legends and portraits of Native American people in a contemporary style. She also taught art at the Apache Junction campus of Central Arizona College. One of her paintings hangs in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
Dorothy Strait's paintings display the pride, honor and spirit that remain in the hearts of her people.
Paintings © Dorothy Strait. Reproduced by permission.
