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The United States Mint recently announced its new quarters for the upcoming imprints and one of Oklahoma's own is to be featured.

Maria Tallchief, who first danced on stage in Fairfax along with her sister, Marjorie, will be one of the newest imprints on our quarters to be imprinted in the 2023 cycle. Maria would go on to be one of the world's first global prima ballerinas and break the barrier for Native Americans to be able to join professional ballet companies. Maria, along with her sister and three other Native Americans, would ultimately become known as The Five Moons, a recognition of the women's achievements on stage as both Native Americans and supreme dancers. Maria would transform the choreography of George Ballenchine, bringing new interpretations to his existing repertoire and to traditional roles such as Firebird and The Nutcracker's Sugar Plum Fairy. She was one of only a few ballerinas who danced for President John Kennedy and the first Native American to dance with the New York City Ballet.

Maria was the daughter of Alexander Joseph Tallchief, an Osage tribal member, who is credited with helping the Osage through a difficult time of history by creating the Tall Chief Theatre in downtown Fairfax to support Osage dancers and entertainers.

On June 29 of this year, Maria Tallchief Day was declared in Oklahoma to recognize Maria's contributions to a trifecta of state, federal and international dance. The US Mint elected to announce the official release of the quarter with Maria's name and image in November, which is designated nationally as both American Indian Month and Women's Month.