1939-2026
Cheewa James, a direct descendant of Shkeitko, commonly known as Shacknasty Jim, was born in 1939 on the Klamath Indian Reservation in Oregon to Clyde and Luella James. Her family later moved to New Mexico, where she graduated from Taos High School. She attended Colorado College and the University of Oregon before graduating from Northwest Missouri State University with degrees in speech and English.
She served for several years as a National Park Service ranger at Lava Beds National Monument, an experience that gave her deep knowledge and shaped her writing, which includes nearly 150 publications, including MODOC: The Tribe That Wouldn't Die. She also had a distinguished career as a television anchorwoman, reporter, and motivational speaker. She received several hundred awards over her life, including the prestigious Golden Mike Award for excellence in TV production and many United Press International television awards. She won the title of Mrs. Missouri in 1978 and continued on to compete in the Mrs. American pageant in Las Vegas, where her talent consisted of her singing a Native American song and playing her American Indian drum.
Cheewa lived in the Sacramento, California, area for more than 40 years. She is survived by her two sons, David Easterla and Todd Easterla; two grandchildren, Tanner Easterla and Tayla Easterla; and a great-granddaughter, Alana Easterla. Cheewa started her new Journey on September 27, 2026, at the age of 87 in Roseville, California.
The Modoc Nation offers its condolences to Cheewa's family and loved ones. We thank her for sharing our story and for the awareness she brought to the Modoc people.
