Maggie Rice Cunningham
OsiyoTV
Tulsa, OK USA
"Own [your story]. Talk about it and live from that place confidently."
Career Roadmap
Maggie's work combines: Television, Art, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
If I could give my younger self advice, I'd say to trust myself and my story. I did a lot of soul searching in my 20s trying to figure out who I was as a person, woman, and Native person. There was a time that I really questioned myself. I grew up with my tribe and family, then went to college in a vastly different space. I questioned how people saw me. I should've been myself and trusted that that's the story I should be projecting. Own it, talk about it, and live from that place confidently.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Fine and Studio Arts
Dartmouth College
Graduate Degree
Museum Studies
New York University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I’m part of the Pawnee Nation and grew up in Oklahoma.
2.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in studio art from Dartmouth College with a minor in Native American studies—college was a culture shock and Native American studies really grounded me.
3.
I interned at the Hood Museum of Art, where I decided to pursue a career as a Native curator.
4.
After a few years, I went back to school for my master’s degree in museum studies.
5.
I wrote my thesis and interned at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and was blown away by the dedication to Indigenous experiences and collections.
6.
Inspired by that experience, I came back home and utilized my education to work for my tribe as a NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) project coordinator.
7.
I started to become discouraged by the lack of opportunity to really make an impact in the museum world within the context of cultural heritage.
8.
I jumped at the opportunity to become a producer for “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People,” which filled the missing impact piece that I was looking for in my career.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Am I Native enough? Am I not Native enough?
How I responded:
If I could give my younger self advice, I'd say to trust myself and my story. I did a lot of soul searching in my 20s trying to figure out who I was as a person, woman, and Native person. There was a time that I really questioned myself. I grew up with my tribe and family, then went to college in a vastly different space. I questioned how people saw me. I should've been myself and trusted that that's the story I should be projecting. Own it, talk about it, and live from that place confidently.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I eventually became jaded by my work in the museum world. Museums are the epitome of colonization and non-Native people are the authority. I wanted to make more of an impact without expending so much time and effort fighting against brick walls.