INSIDE NMAI


........................


FILLING THE SILENCE S


BASKETS PRESERVE SHAN GOSHORN’S UNIQUE TALENTS AND DEPICT LASTING


IMPACTS OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS BY REB ECCA HEAD T R AU TMANN


26 AMERICAN INDIAN WINTER 2019


ome of the last creative efforts of Eastern Band of Cherokee artist Shan Goshorn now rest in the National Museum of the Ameri- can Indian. This past spring,


NMAI acquired “Resisting the Mission; Filling the Silence,” a set of baskets commemorating a tragic era in American history. Beginning in the 19th century, American Indian children were removed from their homes and forced to attend boarding schools. Once there, they were stripped of their Native identities. Wo- ven during the last two years of her life, the impressive set of seven pairs of baskets is per- haps the magnum opus of Goshorn’s unique works. She used traditional Cherokee weaving techniques to create art with an unexpected purpose—to show the strengths and struggles of American Indian people. Although Goshorn was most recently rec-


ognized for her provocative and expertly wo- ven baskets, she had many talents. During an interview with “Invisible Nations” television series, she says, “I don’t consider myself a pho- tographer, painter or basket maker. I consider


PHOTO BY NMAI STAFF


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