Choctaw Artist Dedicated to Recording American Indian Culture

DURANT, Okla.—To Janie Semple Umsted, the clean, white fabric in front of her contained an image of a significant event in American Indian history, and she had the tools to bring that image out. At first blush, she looks like any other mother, grandmother, or retired teacher in this southeastern Oklahoma town. She’s energetic and active in her church. The retired art teacher is on the school board, a member of several community organizations, and a long-time promoter of the local arts scene. She’s the kind of woman any grandchild knows has a stick of gum, a tissue, or change for an impulse candy purchase in her purse. She is also a nationally recognized painter and sculptor dedicated to preserving the culture and history of the Choctaw people....