Indigenous Artists You Need On Your Radar
By Hotvlkuce Harjo
Hotvlkuce Harjo (they/them) is a queer Mvskoke Creek interdisciplinary artist based in Oklahoma. Their work engages with ancestral Southeastern Woodlands and Mississippian motifs, Indigenous Tattoo Revitalization, and surfaces dimensions of contemporary Mvskoke identity. Guided by frameworks like Mvskoke epistemology, Indigenous Feminisms, Queer Theory, and Indigenous Futurity, their art practice spans mediums such as visual art, photography, and graphic design. They have graciously shared their list of Indigenous artists everyone should to know.
Mekegsaq (Siberian Yupik/Łingít) is an Anchorage-based artist working primarily in textiles, fibers, and fashion. Best known for their crocheted balaclavas, they have since expanded their handmade pieces to include contemporary designs of traditional wear, specifically qaspeqs. Materials for their qaspeqs designs are often sourced secondhand or vintage.
@mekegsaq
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Evelyn Mikayla Martin/Itsooaakii (Blackfeet/Squamish/Comanche) is a visual artist and curator that centres and reclaims her own personal narrative regarding cultural identity and reclamation of space as a Blackfeet woman. "NDN Girlhood" challenges the harmful trope of the alleged ideal Native woman being stereotyped as a stoic Indian princess merely made up of sheer resilience and strength. Through this projection from society she often abandons herself to satisfy the greater community and its damaging expectations of her.”
@itsooaakii
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Brittany Bendabout (Otoe/Cherokee) is a portrait and documentary photography based in Tulsa, OK. Her work explores the complexities of Native American identity, culture, and social justice. “The Matriarchs that Made Us highlights indigenous womanhood and resiliency despite the patriarchal and subordination of colonization and western societal norms.”
@britti3
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Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ (Nehiyaw; Bigstone Cree Nation) Her work often explores history, knowledge, and traditional practices. Through the use of her body and language, she speaks to the past, present, and future. Bringing her ancestors with her, she moves through installation, photography, video, sound, and performance art. “Being able to reclaim traditional practices I feel I have lost is really special, and I hold those practices so close to my heart. I recently created a hybrid shoe: a platform moccasin. I wear these in my most recent performance Mullyanne Nîmito. I feel so lucky to be in a generation where I can express myself fully, heal, and speak to my identity here today.”
@cheyennerainlegrande
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“Kylie (Wanatee) ThunderHawk (Sicangu/Oglala Lakota) is a visual artist whose art stemmed from her deep-seated desire to portray concepts beyond the confines of reality, translating her unique vision into tangible creations.”
@kyleswanatee
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Please join us in celebrating this Indigenous Peoples’ Day by following, supporting, sharing and purchasing from Indigenous artists in all mediums!