In 1819 the US government began a cultural genocide campaign by forcing thousands of Native American children to attend federally funded boarding schools mostly run by christian organizations where they were punished for speaking their original languages. They were forced to renounce Native beliefs and abandon their identities including their names. Many children were leased out to European colonizers as indentured servants. Native American parents who resisted their children’s ‘removal’ were imprisoned. Children endured starvation, overcrowded dorms, medical experimentation, substandard medical care, abuse and death. Many children were leased out as indentured servants to colonizers. In Canada, residential schools operated for over 150 years and killed thousands of First Nations children. The NALA Act of 1990 established US federal policy to allow the use of Native American languages as the medium of instruction in schools, and affirms the right of indigenous children to express themselves, be educated, and assessed in their own Native language. For indigenous peoples, the ribbon skirt/dress represents our own personal reclamation of identity. It is a cultural protection against erasure and degradation, while inviting everyone to celebrate the stories woven into its fabric. It becomes a symbol of unity, cultural richness, and commitment to reconciliation. At the age of 5, I was forced to learn and speak only English, and assimilate. I secretly began my journey of personal cultural education at the age of 10 in silent protest and openly sought out my heritage, cultures and identity once I turned 19 and lived on my own. Today I use art as reclamation.

This piece is a part of the permanent collection held by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.