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Red (Pedal) Power

May 5, 2009

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I thought some of y’all may be interested in what is happening in the Native arts community, particularly from an anti-colonial perspective. This summer, I am one of a handful of invited Indigenous art historians participating in a symposium at the Insitute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. Alongside other young intellectuals, we’ll be writing some of the history of contemporary Native art. Once we meet and get some stuff written, I’ll post my writings up here. In the mean time, scope this older essay from Do Not Park Bicycles!: Aboriginal Bike Culture, a rad exhibtion held two years ago in Manitoba.
The show, organized by aboriginal curator Jenny Western, addressed the relationship between contemporary Native artists and bike culture. I was one of the five artists in the show, which included America Meredith (Cherokee), Tania Willard (Secwepemc), Terri Saul (Choctaw), and Yatik Fields (Cherokee, Creek and Osage). It was a pretty dope show, based on an amazing curatorial proposition. In addition to having work in the show, I also wrote an essay in the catalogue called “Red (Pedal) Power: Natives, Bikes, and Anti-Colonial Art.” Here is the essay as a PDF.
“Red (Pedal) Power: Natives, Bikes, and Anti-Colonial Art.” Ed. Jenny Western. Do Not Park Bicycles!: Aboriginal Bike Culture (Brandon, MB: Art Gallery of Southwest Manitoba).

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