OKMULGEE – It is hard to miss Maddie Sanders (Mvskoke/Fort Mojave/Seminole) in the hallways at the College of Muscogee Nation on game day. She is decked out in a matching blue-and-orange outfit, the colors of the Oklahoma City Thunder professional basketball team. The outfit is not complete without her matching lightning bolt earrings. Sanders’ support for the team goes beyond admiration. She has worked with the team as a professional artist, alongside other contemporary Indigenous artists.
Sanders, also known as Holatte, is a multi-disciplinary artist who utilizes graphic design, painting, beading, and modeling. She has worked with several Indigenous Tribes, colleges, and organizations that have provided opportunities to express herself through storytelling and art. Although Sanders has accomplished a lot early in her career, she remains humble, noting that her achievements break barriers for all Indigenous artists.
“Just being able to talk to people about my experience with the Thunder, I’ve seen the impact that it’s made. It’s showing the possibility for Mvskoke artists to be in there and have those opportunities and experience. I want to bring other people up here with me. Me being here is just the stepping stone for others to be in here as well,”
One of Sanders’ biggest career accomplishments was being selected for the Oklahoma City Thunder Artist Group (TAG), a program that highlights work from Oklahoma artists. She was one of ten selected artists in 2024. Sanders admitted she did not have high expectations of being selected as one of the featured artists in the program. However, she said the opportunities TAG provided have been numerous.
“Getting into the program itself was unreal. I almost didn’t expect it to happen because they choose from such a big pool of people. All kinds of people from the state of Oklahoma, all kinds of talented artists. For them to choose me based on my work was exciting,” Sanders said.
Sanders designed a Thunder poster that was given away at the home game on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, against the Dallas Mavericks. During the game, over 13,000 copies of her poster were handed out. Sanders was also one of five Indigenous artists who designed an OKC Thunder bandana for their city nights. The other city night bandana designers included Faithlyn Seawright (Chickasaw), Erica Pretty Eagle (Osage), Roy Boney (Cherokee), and Nathalie Standingcloud (Cherokee). Sanders said she enjoys working with fellow Indigenous artists and helping connect them with national organizations like the OKC Thunder.
Holatte Nak Vhakv
Motifs found in Sanders’ works feature Mvskoke and Southeastern cultures. She utilizes symbols significant to Indigenous cultures, including bison and turtles. This is combined with influences from her personal day-to-day experiences. Sanders enjoys finding inspiration for her works in nature. These elements include wind, sky, and water. Growing up around art influences and artists, Sanders remarked that art was instilled within her.
“That inspiration comes from growing up around the culture. My family had very bright imagery in their houses and a lot of Native art,” Sanders said.
Sanders is currently a full-time CMN student in the Mvskoke Language Master Apprenticeship Program. Through the program, Sanders is not only learning to speak the Mvskoke language but also how to teach it. An article in the Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, published on Friday, Feb. 20, detailed the extensive lengths the program goes to reclaim the language and set its apprentices up for success in the workforce.
The opportunity provided through the TAG program has given her exposure on a national scale. That exposure has grown since the OKC Thunder became NBA Champions in 2025, after a nail-biting best-of-seven series win over the Indiana Pacers. A notable figure Sanders has worked for is one of the OKC Thunder’s forwards, #6 Jaylin Williams. For Williams, Sanders designed a custom-painted basketball and a custom-painted backboard.
Although Sanders’ stint in TAG is now over, she serves as a mentor in the Oklahoma City Arts Council’s FRESH PAINT: OKC NYE Mural Project. Working in conjunction with the OKC Thunder, the project selects five artists to create their own mural. The week-long program pairs newer muralists with established artists, like Sanders, who share their career experiences.
When asked about her future plans, Sanders said she does not know what the next big thing is, but she is open to opportunities that come her way. Regardless of how many high-profile clients she works for, she still seeks to create career pathways for up-and-coming Indigenous artists. In the meantime, Sanders wants to grow deeper roots into the Mvskoke culture.
“Moving forward, I would like to work within my language and incorporate that into my art,” Sanders said. “Hopefully, I will do more mural mentorships and other opportunities to create more space for Indigenous artists to do the same things that I’m doing.”
To view more of Sanders’ work with TAG, visit holatte.com/okc-thunder. There, viewers can access photos of her colorful murals, graphic designs, and modeling work with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sanders will be recognized for her work with the FRESH PAINT project at the Sunday, April 5, OKC Thunder home game against the Utah Jazz at the Paycom Center. Tip-off is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. (CT).
