Margaret Roach was born in 1943 in South Dakota to Rubey ( née Massey ) and Diamond Roach . Her mother , of Chickasaw ancestry , grew up in Tishomingo , Oklahoma , after her great grandmother , Nancy Mahota , ( also called '' Emahota '' ) had been removed from her traditional homelands in the area between Holly Springs and Oxford , Mississippi . Her father , of Choctaw heritage , worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs ( BIA ) as a teacher and the family moved often , living in " North Carolina , Arizona , South Dakota , Washington state and Montana " at different times . She had two older siblings , Lawanda and Robert . Among the various tribes with whom they lived , Roach enjoyed the rich cultural exposure and was encouraged to pursue her interest in painting . As a child , Roach watched her mother and grandmother use various fibers in their knitted and crocheted , embroidered , and sewed works
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Trail of Tears
Margaret Roach Wheeler