We Lift the Sky,” which opened in March 2019 at the ARTS at King Street Station, a cultural hub in Seattle, Washington. The ex- hibition’s subtitle derived from the “Lifting the Sky” story told by Tulalip Chief William Shelton in 1923, narrating how, a long time ago, the sky was so low that people could not stand upright. The people came togeth- er and realized that they needed a com- munity effort pushing upward at the same time. When all the people and animals used their strength together, the sky lifted high above. The values of the “Lifting the Sky” story guide the principles and program- ming at yәhaw’. The yәhaw’ show featured more than 200
artists from more than 100 Indigenous na- tions. The curatorial team accepted works from all Indigenous artists who answered an open call. The curators included cre- atives who would be considered masters at their arts alongside emerging artists who
20 AMERICAN INDIAN WINTER 2020
were exhibiting for the first time. More than 2,700 people attended the opening celebra- tion, which featured a community breakfast by chef Hillel Echo-Hawk (Pawnee/Atha- baskan), a performance by Lummi Nation Blackhawk Singers and other performances and art activities. yәhaw’ has continued to expand its proj-
ects, offering more exhibitions, workshops, trainings, artists-in-residence programs, liter- ary and art zine publications, and COVID-19 relief minigrants to other artists. As explained on the website, “yәhaw’ unsettles assumptions and centers Indigenous action, Indigenous innovation, and Indigenous agency to author our own stories.” After the May 25, 2020, death of George
Floyd during his arrest by a Minneapolis po- lice officer and the killings of other unarmed Black people by police, yәhaw’ wanted to show support without taking space from Black voices. The collective released a statement on
Paige Pettibon‘s two vibrant protest posters are available with different messages. Left: This first poster was designed to show strength in solidarity. Pettibon drew from the Coast Salish story “Lifting the Sky,” which guides and inspires the projects of yəhaw̓.
Right: Curator Britt Reed says Pettibon’s “We Are All Related” poster was in response to the fact that “There are many Natives who don’t believe that Black and Native communities stood together historically. But the truth is, we’ve stood together since the time Africans arrived on our shores.”
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