GEORGE LEVI (CHEYENNE)
One November Morning: Art on Sand Creek by Cheyenne and Arapaho Artists
THEEXHIBIT T
he artists are seeking not only to heal their own communities, but to speak to broader audiences about the sig-
nificance of the massacre. In the words of W. Richard West, Jr., (Southern Cheyenne) the Founding Director and Director Emeritus of the National Museum of the American Indian and current president at The Autry National Center of the American West in Los Angeles, Calif.: “Sand Creek has particular meaning to me. I consider Sand Creek, in some respects, to be the nadir of how relations occurred be- tween Native people and non-Native people in much of the 19th
century.” Each artist will express his point of view in
various media – from painting to ledger art as well as wood sculpture and graphic novel style. George Levi has been practicing ledger-
book art for about 15 years. He is reviving a style originated by Indian prisoners in the
19th
century, who were given ledger books in
which to record their autobiographies in pic- tures. For a third year, he will once again join the annual Native Art Market as a featured artist – this year in Washington, D.C. Brent Learned, a featured artist in this
year’s Native Art Market at the Museum on the National Mall, is the son of Juanita Learned, the first woman chairperson of the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Learned’s paintings represent the before, during and aftermath of the Sand Creek Massacre, utilizing move- ment through color. He states, “I’m a firm believer that if you don’t remember where you came from, you’re doomed to repeat the same tragic events that happened to your ancestors or people before you. My ancestors were survivors; that’s why I’m here.” Known for his miniature paintings and
work with various materials including acrylic, pencil, watercolor and oil, Merlin Little Thun- der has been a fulltime artist since 1980. A number of his works are in the Museum’s collection. For the exhibition, he will depict
Continued on page 32
Chivington and Cheyenne Youth, mixed media antique ledger paper, from July 5, 1873, 7.75" x 12.5", 2014.
This image shows John Chivington, leader of the attack on Sand Creek, and Cheyenne youth, innocent victims of his attack.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 23
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PHOTO BY HEATHER LEVI
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