Laura Walkingstick (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) is a multidisciplinary artist and art therapist based in the Appalachian Mountains. Her narrative-driven work explores themes of healing, memory, and intergenerational trauma, with a strong emphasis on Cherokee cultural identity and women’s roles across time.

Laura holds a B.A. in Ceramics from the Institute of American Indian Arts (2014) and an M.A. in Art Therapy from Southwestern College (2018). She integrates her training in therapeutic arts into her creative practice and community outreach, offering workshops and healing-based programs in collaboration with tribal organizations, local museums, and cultural institutions.

Working across a wide range of media—including clay sculpture, marionettes, traditional and contemporary dolls, and mixed media installations—Laura also creates beaded and handcrafted jewelry, continuing the legacy of wearable storytelling and cultural expression. Her jewelry pieces, like her other works, reflect a deep connection to her Cherokee heritage and a commitment to preserving and evolving Indigenous artistry.

Through her studio, Rez Dog Art Studio, she produces handmade dolls, ceremonial figures, narrative artworks, and jewelry that reflect the evolving stories of Cherokee people—past, present, and future.
Her work is in museum collections at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM., The Museum of the Southeast American Indian, Pembroke, NC., Mountain Heritage Center Museum, Cullowhee, NC., Museum of the Cherokee People, Cherokee, NC.