An Indian Art-Rising
A growing gallery of projects with the native people of this land
The Sky Grizzly. Badger Two Medicine area, Blackfeet Reservation, Montana, 2004. 400
Blackfeet from age 3 to 80 gather in the shape of a grizzly
bear to declare the sacrednessof their land and send a message
to the government that they do not want this land to be harmed
in any manner.
"This was a magical way to bring kids, adults and elders together to celebrate
their culture. The image we have created communicates so powerfully, the
beauty and the sacredness of this land, entrusted by the Creator to the
Blackfeet people."
Christine Mulvey, Development Director, De La Salle Blackfeet
School.
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Next to the oldest continually occupied dwelling in North America, the Taos Pueblo,
a sky art bald eagle was created by the Taos Day School using composted soil, white sheets
cottonwood leaves and students and staff as white eagle feathers. Fall 2007
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The Gila Indian River Community celebrates the recovery of their
water rights December 11th, each year. In 2006, dripping water from their ancient "man in the maze" symbol into a "river" below was the intent of this design. 150 Indianyouth from VHS and Blackwater Schools dressed in blue as "water drops" "falling" to
the river below where they were greeted by elders.
a-MAZE-ing Water - Dec. 11, 2006, Sacaton, Arizona
Each student carried a cup of water from the Gila River which they
offered to their sacred Mesquite tree in a big pot just above "the river".
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The Sky Horse - May 2004, Harrah School, Yakama Indian Reservation, 2003
This design of a running horse pays tribute to the wild horses in the region as well as the prominent natural horse design formed by rock and snow on the east facing slope of nearby Mt. Adams. "The Sky Horse was truly a gift for the heavens above!"
-Lynn Gellerson, 3rd grade teacher
Lynn Gellerson, 3rd Grade Teacher" caton, Arizona
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250 youth and teachers team up to form an endangered sea turtle and
celebrate afterwards during the blessing of an Hawaiian downpour
which began immediately afterwards. Children lay down on a giant version
of the sacred Kakui leaf made palm fronts and Kakui leaves.
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700 children and teachers from 8 Flathead Reservation schools take the shape of
"Big Medicine," a white buffalo who lived on the National Bison Reserve near the site of
this event. He was born in 1930 and lived for 26 years. See front page story.
The white buffalo is sacred to many Indian Tribes. (see the beautiful myth of
White Buffalo Calf Woman)
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The Jicarilla Apache Tribal Schools perform as individual beads in a
traditional morning star design. 8 tipi skins form the points of the star.
Dulce, New Mexico, 2007
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850 students and teachers enact the planned removal of Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington which is scheduled to be removed in 2008. This will free the White Salmon River and restore 14 miles of salmon and 33 miles of steelhead spawning habitat. See the story and video. For detailed information on the planned restoration of this important river visit this website.
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Students carry salmon on sticks as they ran upriver through the freshly breached dam. This project was sponsored by the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute of the Confederated Tribes ofthe Umatilla Indian Reservation and Columbia River Keeper.
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165 students and staff from the Paschal Sherman Indian School in Washington, form
a giant salmon. Project led by new Sky Captain, Kara Sisk. April, 2007
