Among Oklahoma painters, Mike Larsen is a living legend. His work-from a twenty-six-foot mural in the Oklahoma state capitol to a painting appearing on the U.S. postage stamp honoring the Oklahoma centennial-is visible and prominent. In 2005, leaders of the Chickasaw Nation commissioned Larsen to create twenty-four oil portraits of living Chickasaw elders. After those paintings were completed, the Chickasaws commissioned a second series of twenty-four portraits-showcased in this handsome, full-color volume. In Proud to be Chickasaw , the Chickasaw master artist and his wife, Martha Larsen, have again teamed up to offer insights into and insider perspectives on the lives of two dozen tribal elders, including a storyteller, a longtime contributor to music education in Oklahoma, and a World War II code talker. This book follows the critically acclaimed They Know Who They Are , which exhibits Mike Larsen's first twenty-four paintings in the series, each accompanied by a biographical sketch of the elder by Martha Larsen. Proud to be Chickasaw captures the spirit of the most revered members of Chickasaw and American Indian society: the elders. This book is an exciting addition to the growing body of literature about American Indians, by American Indians.