David Pendleton Oakerhater | |
|---|---|
 Oakerhater in 1881 | |
| Deacon and missionary | |
| Born | ca. 1847 Indian Territory |
| Died | 31 August 1931 Watonga, Oklahoma |
| Venerated in | Anglican Communion |
| Major shrine | Grace Episcopal Church, Syracuse, New York |
| Feast | 1 September |
David Pendleton Oakerhater (c. 1847 – August 31, 1931), also known as O-kuh-ha-tuh and Making Medicine, was a Cheyenne warrior and spiritual leader. He later became an artist and Episcopal deacon. In 1985, Oakerhater was the first Native American Anglican to be designated by the Episcopal Church as a saint.
Captured in the Indian Wars and imprisoned in 1875 at Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos), Florida, Oakerhater became one of the founding figures of modern Native American art. Later he attended college in New York State and was ordained as a deacon in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He returned to the West where he served as a missionary in Oklahoma, serving Native Americans.
Since 1985 he has been recognized in the book of Lesser Feasts and Fasts of the Episcopal Church. Grace Episcopal Church in Syracuse, New York is a national shrine to Saint O-kuh-ha-tah, and he was celebrated there in 2005 with a major event including descendants.