“Here, We Tell Our Own Story: A Celebration of Native American History and Culture Through Art,” which showcases a collection of modern Native American art, will be on display in Reed Library beginning Monday, Oct. 31, through Monday, Nov. 14.
Art work by members of the local Seneca Nation will be featured in the exhibition that is part of the Native American Student Union’s (NASU) observance of Native American Heritage Month and is sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Affairs, the Ethnic Studies Speakers Series and the Western SUNY Native American Consortium.
Featured items include sculpture, pottery, carved stone and found objects, cornhusk art, beadwork and regalia produced by artists Sherri Waterman-Hopper (Onondaga, Beaver), Tom Huff (Seneca-Cayuga), Peter B. Jones (Onondaga, Beaver) and Judy Schindler (Seneca, Wolf). In unique ways, each artist conveys messages of importance about the history, culture and traditions of the Haudenosaunee while also engaging with and offering observations relating to modern issues such as climate change.
Commentary about the art work will be offered by Ganondagan State Historic Site Manager G. Peter Jemison (Heron Clan, Seneca) on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. in Williams Center Room G103B. His talk, "Our Art and Our Way of Life," is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
The exhibition’s title is attributed to a statement made by Mr. Jemison, and is also particularly relevant, according to event organizers, as the history of Native Americans is too often told by non-Native colonial powers, which they contend leads to diminishing the culture and history of indigenous peoples.
Each artist has something to say through his/her work. Recorded video interviews accompanying the exhibition allow artists to introduce themselves and describe their work. More information about these and other local artists is available at http://www.nativerootsartistsguild.com/
The NASU strives to deepen the understanding of Native American people and ways of life both on campus and in the community. Information on other events to be held during November is available online.
