In December 2012, Tallchief broke her hip.
She died on April 11, 2013 from complications stemming from the injury.

Tallchief was considered America's first major prima ballerina, and was the first Native American to hold the rank.
She remained closely tied to her Osage history until her death, speaking out against stereotypes and misconceptions about Native Americans on many occasions.
Tallchief was involved with America for Indian Opportunity and was a director of the Indian Council Fire Achievement Award.
She and her sister Marjorie are counted as two of a group of five Native American ballet dancers from Oklahoma born in the 1920s.
However, she wished to be judged on the merits of her dance alone. "
Above all, I wanted to be appreciated as a prima ballerina who happened to be a Native American, never as someone who was an American Indian ballerina," she wrote.

Tallchief was called "one of the most brilliant American ballerinas of the 20th century" by The New York Times.
According to Wheater, she "paved the way for dancers who were not in the traditional mold of ballet ... she was crucial in breaking the stigma."
Upon Tallchief's death, Jacques d'Amboise remarked "When you thought of Russian ballet, it was Ulanova.
With English ballet, it was Fonteyn.
For American ballet, it was Tallchief.
She was grand in the grandest way."
Time remarked "of all the ballerinas of the last century, few achieved Maria Tallchief’s artistry, a kind of conscious dreaming, a reverie with backbone."

She is credited with "[breaking] down ethnic barriers" and was among the first Americans to flourish in a field long dominated by Russians and Europeans.
Reflecting on her own career, Tallchief wrote "I was in the middle of magic, in the presence of genius.
And thank God I knew it."
In December 2012, Tallchief broke her hip. She died on April 11, 2013 from complications stemming from the injury.
Tallchief was considered America's first major prima ballerina, and was the first Native American to hold the rank. She remained closely tied to her Osage history until her death, speaking out against stereotypes and misconceptions about Native Americans on many occasions. Tallchief was involved with America for Indian Opportunity and was a director of the Indian Council Fire Achievement Award. She and her sister Marjorie are counted as two of a group of five Native American ballet dancers from Oklahoma born in the 1920s. However, she wished to be judged on the merits of her dance alone. "Above all, I wanted to be appreciated as a prima ballerina who happened to be a Native American, never as someone who was an American Indian ballerina," she wrote.
Tallchief was called "one of the most brilliant American ballerinas of the 20th century" by The New York Times. According to Wheater, she "paved the way for dancers who were not in the traditional mold of ballet ... she was crucial in breaking the stigma." Upon Tallchief's death, Jacques d'Amboise remarked "When you thought of Russian ballet, it was Ulanova. With English ballet, it was Fonteyn. For American ballet, it was Tallchief. She was grand in the grandest way." Time remarked "of all the ballerinas of the last century, few achieved Maria Tallchief’s artistry, a kind of conscious dreaming, a reverie with backbone."
She is credited with "[breaking] down ethnic barriers" and was among the first Americans to flourish in a field long dominated by Russians and Europeans. Reflecting on her own career, Tallchief wrote "I was in the middle of magic, in the presence of genius. And thank God I knew it."
Maria Tallchief