Defiance in Native Arts & Representation

Participate in an essential dialogue about the resilience, creativity, and lasting influence of Native art.

Date and Time

Thursday, October 16, 6 – 7:30 PM MDT

Location

Museum of Boulder at Tebo Center
2205 Broadway Boulder, CO 80302

How has art acted as a significant form of resistance for Native communities over the last 500 years? This thought-provoking panel will unite contemporary Native artists and art scholars to explore how their creations (along with those of other Indigenous artists) address historical injustices, reclaim Indigenous narratives, and foster a future rooted in self-representation. Join us for an enlightening discussion on the resilience, innovation, and lasting significance of Native arts.

Panelists

Tom Myer

Tom Myer is a Native artist who relocated to Boulder in 2019. He identifies as Haudenosaunee (historically referred to as the Iroquois) on his father’s side and Ngbe-Bugle from Meso-America on his mother’s side. A self-taught artist, he specializes in acrylics, pastels, pencils, and digital media.

Dallin Maybee

Dallin Maybee, a Seneca and enrolled Northern Arapaho, was raised on the Cattaraugus territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians in Western New York. He is a skilled artist, public speaker, and performer, currently serving as the Assistant Director of Development at the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). Dallin holds a B.A. in Philosophy and a Juris Doctorate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, focusing on Federal Indian Law. His artwork is featured in numerous private collections and museums nationwide, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Autry Museum, the Heard Museum, and the Portland Art Museum. Dallin has received multiple accolades, including Best of Show at the Santa Fe Indian Market (2007) and the Cherokee Art Market (2020).

Nico Strange Owl

Nico Strange Owl is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and has collaborated with Indigenous art and artists for over forty years. She currently owns Eagle Plumes, a historic trading post located near Longs Peak in Allenspark, Colorado. Her extensive experience includes roles as a beadworker, appraiser, and consultant for Native art, as well as working with museums and operating galleries. Nico is also a descendant of survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre, deeply connecting her to Colorado.

Featured Image

Tom Myer notes on the featured image: “I appreciate this image, despite it being created by a non-Indigenous artist. It can serve as a discussion starter. Titled ‘The Murder of Whites Assistant,’ this piece from the 1880s allegedly depicts Mr. White’s assistant (Mr. White was a cartographer) being attacked by arrows from Native peoples outside the Roanoke colony. Although the representation is notably one-sided, the dramatic composition illustrates a moment of defiance against encroaching colonization.” This print is from Cassell’s History of the United States, by Edmund Ollier, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, London, circa 1880.