During the time I was doing my African pieces, I wanted to do a piece with Native Americans in mind. This was a fun little finger painting exercise, dipping my finger and thumb in paint and making marks which would reflect blanketed figures. A quote on the page says, "The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the blood of our ancestors." That was written by Chief Plenty Coups, a Crow Indian.Much to my surprise, when I started painting many years ago, I painted or sculpted mostly Native Americans or scenes of their country and camps. At first I thought that I was being influenced by the fact that I lived in Oklahoma, but after awhile I realized they had taken on a tone and distinctive look. They were all sad, for one thing, and for the life of me I couldn't seem to find terribly happy faces to paint or scrupt with my clay. I began to wonder if I had once lived as an Indian and if my art was a sort of sad remembrance, or if the spirits of those who walked and died on the Trail of Tears were speaking through me. We almost rendered an entire race of people extinct and it is another thing that shames me and brings a tear to my heart. I eventually was privileged to take water color lessons from renowned Indian painter, Bert Seabourn.
I don't think it's an accident that for the last several years I have worked for John Ragsdale, a Law Professor at the University, who teaches Indian Law. He has helped local Missourian Native Americans fight their way through broken treaties. Can you imagine? White Eyes is still breaking treaties with the Indians, who now have so little. John Ragsdale is one of the men I respect and admire...one of the good guys. Maybe after some paintings of my women heroines, I'll have to do a series of my men heroes.
2 comments:
Terri said...
Wow. This is powerful stuff. You have a real talent for both the visual and the literary. This is great.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
thelmasmith said...
It's the birthday of Leslie Marmon Silko, (books by this author) born in Albuquerque, New Mexico (1948). Silko grew up on the Laguna Pueblo reservation and is best known for her novels Ceremony (1977) and Almanac of the Dead (1992). Her books are about the increasing disappearance of Native American cultures.
This is from the Writer's Daily Almanac. It seems pertinent to what your are working with. Hope you enjoy the added information
Saturday, March 05, 2005
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