In the Spirit: Contemporary Northwest Native Arts Exhibit

The annual exhibition, "In the Spirit: Contemporary Northwest Native Arts Exhibit," showcases phenomenal works by Native artists, and is a partnership between the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center and the Washington State Historical Society.

Come see my work, "Self Decolonization: On the Dakota Uprising," at the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma, Washington. The work is up now, and you can see it until September 19, 2010. Read my artist's statement about the piece below, which is made of cedar, ceramic, acrylic, plaster and maps, and measures about 24"x 22".

The piece, and all the wonderfully crafted and created works are to be experienced in person, since photographs do not do them justice and do not convey the power of the exhibit in its entirely!

Artist's Statement:
Self-Decolonization: On the Dakota Uprising, 2010
By Erin Genia (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate)
This piece is a symbolic attack on an icon of imperialism—Abraham Lincoln, who presided over the largest mass execution in United States history—of 38 Dakota men who took part in the 1862 Dakota Uprising. It is a window into the past that revisits a hidden history of how this country came to be what it is and revises landscapes to reflect the presence of our ever-present ancestors. I am a descendant of survivors of genocide, ethnic cleansing, expulsion, relocation, and internment. My ancestors have asked me to revisit this painful past because there is healing that needs to be done and restitution that needs to be made to the Dakota people for the diaspora that was created when we were expelled from our place of origin and forbidden to return. Here, I explore the concept of blood money and subvert the ideals of American mythology while asking myself, “Who are my heroes?” This work is part of a series called Self-Decolonization. The act of creating works for this series is a potent vehicle for decolonizing my own mind and bringing me sanity to my life. In learning the truth about my history and trying to make sense of my world, I seek to shed values that have been imposed on me and reclaim those that are my birthright.