Victoria Vazquez is a

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...

artist and politician who has served on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council since October 22, 2013. She was named a

Cherokee National Treasure Cherokee National Treasure is a distinction created in 1988 by the Cherokee Nation to recognize people who have made significant contributions to the preservation of the tribe's art, language Language is a structured system of communicati ...

in 2012.

Early life and artistic career

Victoria Mitchell was born to Anna Sixkiller Mitchell and Robert Clay Mitchell. Her mother was a Cherokee artist credited with reviving traditional Southeastern Woodlands-style pottery. Victoria was awarded a Smithsonian Native Arts Fellowship in 2005 and her work is displayed National Museum of the American Indian. She was named a

in 2012 for her traditional pottery. She worked as a self-employed potter and pottery teacher for twenty years before running for office.

Cherokee Nation tribal council

In August 2013, Chuck Hoskin Jr. resigned from the

tribal council's 11th district seat to serve as the Nation's Secretary of State. Vazquez ran in the October special election for the seat against Dana Jim and Lana Morris Daugherty. She won the special election and was sworn in on October 22, 2013. On September 14, 2015, she was sworn in as the deputy speaker of the Cherokee Nation tribal council after being elected by fellow councillors the month prior. She was re-elected without opposition in 2017 after her only opponent to file was disqualified by the Cherokee Nation Election Commission and sworn in for a second term on August 14. She was re-elected deputy speaker of the tribal council on August 15, 2017. In 2021 she won re-election with 63% of the vote beating Mike Purcell, Randy Junior White, and Mason Hudson. She was re-elected as deputy speaker again in 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vazquez, Victoria 21st-century American politicians 21st-century Native American politicians Cherokee Nation women artists Cherokee Nation artists Living people Members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Native American women potters Native American potters American women potters 21st-century American women artists 21st-century Native American women Native American women in politics