Mercedes Dunn Mvskoke Creek

Hvtvm Cehecares (“I will see you again.”)

Digital painting

In my digital S tudio 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

Ledgerart

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 TheReturn

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

BloodQuantum

Printer paper, sharpie

This piece is inspired by Dana Claxtonʼs AIMseries , 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.