Kevin Pourier (Oglala Lakota) crafts jewelry from buffalo horn in his workshop.


KEVIN POURIER (Oglala Lakota)


As the only artist who works exclusively with buffalo horn, Kevin Pourier produces jewelry that is hard to mistake. Like Kelly Church, the artist feels his medium connects him to his ancestors, because it’s the material they used before him. It also empowers him to have a voice and speak out about societal, environ- mental and political issues that are important to him. Pourier found his artistic method at the


age of 30, after many battles with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Discovering a creative outlet began what the artist calls “a healing journey” that led him to rediscover who he was and from where he came. The spirit of the buffalo, carried within their horns, is a source of power for the artist, and he uses it to chal- lenge assumptions about Native people. For him, his ability to strive for innovation


emphasizes that Native artists working today continue to push boundaries and break new ground. He states succinctly, “My work is 21st


-


century art. I am a Native man living in 2015 and my work reflects that.”


46 AMERICAN INDIAN WINTER 2015


PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST


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