The Heart Is A Fist

The Heart Is A Fist is a digital art show from Haskell Indian Nations University, the oldest and largest all-Native university in the United States. The title comes from Joy Harjoʼs 2019 poem, Break My Heart, in which she writes, “The heart is a fist / It pockets prayer or holds rage.”

Artworks in this catalog also pocket prayer and hold rage, and they present careful examinations of issues that matter to everyone. The artistʼs statements are illuminating, but the images can speak for themselves. Let each one lead the way into meditation and remembrance of histories that haunt as well as exalt us.

This is just a sample of artwork HINU students created this semester. For more, please visit our Instagram @hinuarts. Onward Haskell!

-David Titterington, Instructor of Art, Haskell Indian Nations University Cover Image: Mia Cadue (Kikapoo), Kuppamantam, antique nails and railroad tie.

Jathen Alonzo Navajo Who's Missing?

Movie poster You can barely see her, but the woman in this photo is my friend, Nadia. We were walking around campus late one night and it was really dark. I started thinking about how Indigenous women go missing after hanging out with friends or partying late at night, just having the time of their life. I saw the silhouette of my friend standing there in the dark, only lit by the single light on the wall, and I took the picture. I imagined it as a movie poster because movies grab everyoneʼs attention.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is an issue I have been dealing with my entire life. Itʼs all I can think about when picturing Indigenous people as whole. It feels like nobody except other Indigenous people really care about the tragic situation weʼre in.

Randi Anderlik Oglala Lakota Dreaming of Death Valley Digital collage/gif I took a photo of a snowy landscape in what is colonially known as Iowa, and then added an iPhone with Death Valley, a 1°and a snowfall filter from Snapchat. I made this because my ancestors made ledger art based on their dreams, and this is based on one of my most significant dreams.

It's the dream I had the night before my brother died in a car accident due to a snowstorm in Iowa.

Kimimila Ska Win Arvik Sicangu Lakota Remittance Antique ledger paper (1919), colored pencils When Indigenous people had their land stolen, the settlers immediately started enforcing new laws.

They would hold trials and legal proceedings, and they recorded it all on ledger paper. It is a strong, durable medium, but when I started my drawing, I was somewhat scared at first because the ledger paper was so old and I thought it was inappropriate to draw on such things. Nonetheless, despite having that slight fear, I did my drawing because, as Indigenous people, we need to stay resilient against colonizers. We need to keep expressing our distress, whether it be voicing it, acting it out, or simply ruining what was once theirs.

Courtney Begay Diné Mt. Truth Digital collage I take inspiration from Cara Romero who sometimes indigenizes famous images by recreating them.

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial promotes the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, who were all racist and contributed to the genocide of Indigenous people. I replace their faces with four of my friends who are Lakota. This is significant because Mount Rushmore is located in South Dakota in the Black Hills, a sacred and culturally significant place to the Lakota people.

Ethan Black Cheyenne The Walk in Silence Photography I was inspired by Edward Curtis and how his photographs look like paintings. I wanted to recreate one of a person walking away from the camera. The feeling that I want to communicate is that silence isnʼt always a bad thing. Walking alone in silence creates a calming state of mind.

Bree Black Bear Rosebud Sioux Tribe kimímela wiŋ - Butterfly Woman Digital Photograph I am a traditional dancer. I choose to dance because my mom and many of my relatives dance. To counter Edward Curtis, I photographed myself in my dorm room with a dark green backdrop. I wanted to capture me smiling and my culture thriving today. The title is my Lakota name because I carry that along with my culture with me every day. I believe having an indigenous name, dancing, learning the language, and reconnecting with your culture are all forms of resilience.

Addison Butcher Wyandotte Nation Meditation on White Glass beads, leather I was inspired by Mediations on Red by Nadia Myre who, after her ethnicity was questioned on the Canada/U.S border, was forced to prove her Native blood quantum. I turned her beaded shields into a pair of brown earrings. I made the pattern more of my own by adding more white, symbolic of my mixed-race identity. For me, these earrings symbolize my struggle, and other Natives' struggle, with race and identity.

Mia Cadue Kikapoo Kuppamantam (“To Live”) Repurposed railroad tie and nails.

On May 3rd of 2023, my sister and I found a small piece of a railroad tie near the Kansas river, standing 37 in. tall. Afterward, we stopped at the Restore where I bought a 2 lb bag of nails for $1.09.

We went home, sprayed down the railroad tie, let it dry overnight, and the next day I got to work. I hammered the nails into the sides around 2 cm. deep, in the shape of a hand, and then repeated the pattern until hands wrapped around the entire tie. These hands represent Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. I chose to title this piece Kuppamantam meaning “To live” in Kickapoo. I want people to think of life and living while also being reminded of the tragedies Indigenous people continue to face daily.

David Titterington introduced me to Rebecca Belmoreʼs work and I immediately took interest.

Belmore inspires me to create sculpture that physically stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. This is a topic about which I want to be more knowledgeable, and I intend to create more works of art that highlight Indigenous American voices.

Mikylah Chavez Chemehuevi Into the Unknown Mixed media I was originally inspired by stories of children escaping boarding schools like old Haskell. Due to the amount of abuse and trauma that occurred, many of these children would escape through these very woods, heading into the unknown. I was also inspired by Cara Romeroʼs photography of modern Chemehuevi women.

Mollie Coffey Comanche Onion Mixed Media collage I was inspired by Jason Lujan's collage of items from his home that represent parts of his identity. With my version, Chief Ten Bearsʼs famous speech from the Medicine Lodge Treaty (1867) is in the background, in part because of how I blamed my awful mental health on not being able to wander the prairie as my ancestors did instead of on the chemical imbalance, generational trauma, toxic environment, and the capitalistic society I live in. The book When The Light of The World Was Subdued Our Songs Came Through by Joy Harjo is the first comprehensive Native poetry book Iʼve found. The way it is structured by geography emphasizes the connection Indigenous people have with the land, which is why I tried blending the book into the background to emphasize the prairie.

With Sanapia Comanche Medicine Woman I relate as a Native woman and internist of traditional medicine alongside Western medicine. On top, I added 3 generations of jewelry. I see my great grandmas in the prairie with my ancestors, finally free to wander without walls. The title is a reference to Shrekʼs “Ogres are like onions” line. As gen z, how could I express the core layer of who I am as a person without a joke?

Kalysta Crone Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Ojibwe Floral Chalk I had originally painted this design on a canvas and gifted it to my grandparents with their Indian names on it. I chose Ojibwe floral for them because that is who they are; the word I like to use is beautiful. I wanted to create an ephemeral version somewhere more public. It was a rainy week, but one day the weather cleared up and I could draw and take a picture before it was destroyed.

DeʼAra L. Dosela White Mountain Apache NʼDeé (The People) Digital collage Apache history is diverse and elaborate. One portrait, painting, or landscape can explain the bonds, gifts and histories that Apache people and all indigenous people possess. Every image in this collage has a significant meaning, some to me and some to other Apache tribes. NʼDeé in White Mountain Apache means ʻThe Peopleʼ. I created this collage to express the pride, the relevancy and the fight in all of us to never forget who are and where we came from.

Kimimina Hota Drapeau Yankton Sioux Tribe An attractive shade tree Photography I used an iPhone to take this photo of my quilled moccasins. I put down the blanket to respect them and to make them pop. I composed them next to a tree like a still life. I also waited until golden hour to take the photo because I wanted the best lighting. This is all to bring more attention to my tribeʼs beautiful tradition of quilled moccasins.

Mercedes Dunn Mvskoke Creek Hvtvm Cehecares (“I will see you again.”)

Digital painting In my digital Studio Style painting, there is a purple Iris, a brown bear, rain, rainbow, and half of a Native girl. The bear is leading the girl into a new beginning. She has to leave her life for a moment to find herself. I was inspired by Studio Style paintings, which originated at the Santa Fe Indian School in New Mexico in the 1930s. This work takes inspiration specifically from Harrison Begay. Studio Style has this flat appearance and a soft, earthy color palette used to depict traditional scenes from Native American life, culture, and stories.

Elijah Garcia Cheyenne Ledger art Colored pencil I study ledger art from my tribe, specifically Hakyon Leviʼs drawings because they catch my eye and I really like how she draws the moon.

Shanna Greemore Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation The Return Digital The LAND BACK movement has existed for generations. Demian DineYazhi's piece "My Ancestors Will Not Let Me Forget This" inspired me to use digital neon light to draw attention to the significance of LAND BACK. Iʼm also inspired by NDN Collective, who has launched a campaign to support and amplify this movement, starting with Mount Rushmore and the return of public lands in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Putting Indigenous lands back in Indigenous hands is essential to dismantle white supremacy and systems of oppression. LAND BACK is also a political framework for organizing movements towards true collective liberation.

Erica Hail Cheyenne & Arapaho Blood Quantum Printer paper, sharpie This piece is inspired by Dana Claxtonʼs AIM series, which pays tribute to the strength and resilience of Indigenous people in the face of ongoing systemic injustices. In Claxtonʼs enlarged FBI documents, the black marks of redaction suggest secrecy but also the erasure of Indigenous worldviews. My artwork focuses on the negative impact of CDIBs (Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood), which reduce Native American identity to a percentage of blood and perpetuate colonial concepts that were imposed on Indigenous communities. I seek to challenge these harmful ideas and to highlight the ongoing struggles faced by Native American communities. Like Claxton, I believe that art has the power to inspire change and to give voice to those whoʼve been silenced for too long.

Star Her Many Horses Lakota, Cheyenne, Taos Pueblo, Meskwaki, and Ojibwe Untitled Mixed media collage I was inspired by Edward Curtisʼs series that captured Native nations in the early 20th century. For my project I wanted to capture what Curtis failed to recognize. In a way I believe his presentation of our people alienated us to the public, so I wanted to highlight our individuality, our personality, and most of all our peopleʼs liveliness. My project is made of various sepia toned photos of modern Natives wearing their traditional regalia as a sign of pride and resiliency. It shows that even in the 21st century we are still here, we are thriving, and through the hardships and modern challenges of our people, we continue to celebrate whatʼs always been important.

Kiara Iron Heart Blackfeet Untitled Mixed media on manila file folder My piece is a study of Fraserʼs End of the Trail, which originally signified the genocide of Native Americans in the U.S. during the expansion of the West. I made this ledger-style art because I wanted to honor the memory of the fallen warriors who protected & preserved our culture. I included family designs, the Seven Brothers, also known as the Big Dipper constellation, and a cross. Theyʼre both watching over us as a way of protection.

Kanon Keckler Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Untitled Pencil and paper I made this drawing as a way to honor Dyani White Hawk and her beautiful artwork.

Lenny Knight Three Affiliated Tribes Take Me as I Am Colored pencil Healing is a messy process that's sugar-coated with face masks and tea time. In reality, healing can mean being pissed off at the world and discrediting self-worth. It is also growing as a person and recognizing one's own mistakes. Take Me as I Am is a visual ode to sexual assault survivors, mentally ill people, and people in marginalized communities who are healing. Everyone deserves to be loved, even the parts that are 'broken'.

Cassandra Komanekin Mohican Untitled Pills, pill bottle, paper, markers I created a pill bottle of antidepressants and pieces of paper in the shape of all sorts of things̶food, body parts, books, and more. I put them inside the pill bottle on top of the medication and put the cap back on. I made this because I struggle with anxiety. I was always told that I had to get diagnosed and medicated, and I tried it for a while. However, taking a pill every day to feel better or to be "normal" just wasn't for me. Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to using any form of medication in general. Although no perspective is 100% wrong, I want to bring awareness to the fact that there are alternative ways to improve your health.

Alexia Moon Skokomish Tribe We are still HERE Photography I took a digital photograph of myself in my traditional regalia from my reservation in Washington State. Itʼs difficult to see, but I am wearing a button blanket made out of red and black felt and abalone shell beads. It has a moon with black and shell lining in a coastal style design, and at the bottom is a Root Digger woman. It was made by my Mom, Lea Miller, and it has aspects of my Plains and Coastal side. I am also wearing a cedar woven cap with shells and a beaded feather attached. The cap was woven by my sister Aliyah Grover who wove it just for me out of cedar. The beaded feather was given to me by my dad who had it made for me. Overlaid is the famous Curtis photograph of Chief Joseph. I chose to mix these two photographs together because Curtis at the time thought he was doing something positive for Native people by photographing them but he was also spreading false information, using incorrect regalia, and wrong names which isnʼt right or ok. In a lot of ways, his images have come to eclipse who we really are. We become difficult to see clearly.

Therann Moore Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma The Cherokee Women Within Me Digital collage I created an image that honors and represents all the Cherokee women in my family of the Wolf clan, from the first names all the way to the most recent. Meryl McMaster is the artist who inspired me to make art this way.

Edgar Nickols Mississippi Choctaw A Finished Product: Am I Beautiful, Am I Happy?

Faux flowers, foam mannequin head, wooden dowel, green foam, sea-themed bead collection, googly eyes, random plastic gem collection, pill bottles, white out, paper tags, hot glue.

This assisted readymade sculpture is an homage to idol making with non-traditional materials. I was inspired by the helmets and genderless, placeless garments made by Jeffrey Gibson. In the work we can see resemblances of traditional idols from all over the world̶totems, European marble statues, busts, heads on spikes, and perhaps most importantly, trees. The use of sea-themed beads on a green foam base suggests different landscapes in which we are all grounded. Pill bottles act as stabilizing agents below that we either do not notice or we choose to ignore.

Like a tree, we do not see all that goes into what makes the complete organism; we do not see what all it has seen.

Celesta Osceola United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma Princess Grandma Digital collage I found an old photograph of a Cherokee woman on the internet, and transformed it by replacing the original face with my own and then adding cartoons and other imagery. I blended my face into the original photograph, but left the cartoon imagery in color.

Iʼve heard many non-Natives claim their great-great-great grandmother was a “Cherokee Princess.” As a member of the United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, I find it offensive as well as comical. I Dreamed of Being a Warrior by Rosalie Favell is my inspiration, as Favell says, “I am interested in exploring the space that has developed for aboriginal image‒makers who dare confront stereotypes.”

Austin Pitzer Cherokee Nation and the Delaware Tribe SOBER Blacklight, cardboard, paper, acrylic paint

SOBER is inspired by the 1992 painting “Columbus Chronicles” by Carl Beam. With my painting, I explore the dark world of substance abuse. Everyone has seen a family member, friend, or co-worker who has suffered from substance abuse. It eats them away, leaving them a shell of who they once were.

I know this personally as my grandfather abused substances in his life causing harm to his kids and his life. I wanted the pictures and the distressed surface of the cardboard to represent a person who has deteriorated from substance abuse. I also show how, in the black light, only crosses are illuminated, as many people look to their faith to heal from addiction. The painting is dirty, brutal, and honest, as this is how it is out there in the real world. The title is a nod to the song “SOBER” by TOOL, which talks about drug abuse.

Paige Primeaux Cheyenne and Arapaho The Red Hand Digital Art The MMIW movement advocates for the end of violence against native women, an epidemic that is affecting many native communities. It is an epidemic that should not be happening at such an alarming rate. The borders of white around the red hand print are names of native women who have gone missing or were murdered. One name that was the inspiration for this image is Leah Masheet, our sister. Leah was 16 years old when she went missing from Geary, Oklahoma. A week later her body was found in a field 7 miles away from her home. To this day my family has zero answers to what happened to her. Leah had her whole life ahead of her.

Evan Puryear Nenana and Minto tribes of Alaska Untitled Pen I studied the "Indian Head Nickle" or “Buffalo Head Nickle" by James Earl Fraser. The nickel was minted between 1913-1938, and Fraser once said that it is considered “one of the most beautiful coins ever produced in the United States Of America." Researching Fraserʼs artwork inspired me to draw my own Buffalo Head and Indian Head coins. This process reminded me of how I used to have a big coin collection growing up as a child.

Carly Strauser Johanning Fort Peck Tribes, Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, and Cuthead Yanktonai The People of the Seven Council Fires (Oceti Sakowin Oyate)

Take a Picture of a Real Indian Photography, ledger paper, chicken feathers.

Nothing is original. We pull our creations from a compilation of our muses. When viewing photography, performance art, paintings, or drawings, I take bits of those pieces with me and put them into my own creations. Wendy Red Star, James Luna and Sherrie Lavine have inspired this mash-up using photography and ledger paper.

In Take a Picture of a Real Indian, I wanted to draw attention to modern Native girls. These girls are the future of our Indigeneity. Yet, without context, you would never know it. We often acknowledge their “Nativeness” only when surrounded by physical symbols such as a headdress, a tipi, or a bow and arrow. When I asked non-Native people what they thought of when they heard the term “Indian Girl”, I mostly heard “Disney Pocahontas” or “the little Indian girl being tied up and submerged in water in Peter Pan.” I wanted to let the world know that the future of Native femininity IS present, itʼs modern, sometimes itʼs blonde, itʼs feminine, masculine, gay, and most importantly, itʼs strong.

Brianna Whitehorse Navajo Yellow Corn Mixed media The meaning behind this rug design is what makes me who I am and how I was raised. While the white corn is for the young man, the yellow corn, in the Navajo way, is for the women to use to grind at their puberty ceremony to make it known to our ancestors and creator that we are changing into young women. This is also where we get our taadadiin, the corn pollen we use during ceremonies and blessings.

Marlon Whitlow Cheyenne and Arapaho Untitled Graphite on paper For this drawing, I studied the work of ledger artist George Levi. I wanted to create something that was familiar to me, and thatʼs ledger art. Growing up, my grandmother had ledger paintings all over her house.

Sheldon Yazzie Navajo Untitled Mixed media on paper I love everything that has to do with basketball, and so for this project I designed a basketball court by changing the shapes into Indigenous designs and colors.