Why being Indigenous and a (hopeful) art historian is important.

Lauren Good Day Giago, “Independence Day Celebration” (2012), antique ledger paper, colored pencil, graphite, ink, felt-tipped marker (photo by Ernest Amoroso/NMAI)

I've wondered how to (re-)start this blog and what direction to go since, well, this might be the second or third time that I've wiped it clean and tried to start again. This time around, I think I finally know what I want to share with you all - my experiences and journey as a Diné student, scholar, and young professional. Yes, yes, I know, there are already established and great blogs of the same genre. So why does my little space on the internet matter? Well, I hope that what I can share will give some insight into my journey in the world of art history and museums, my research interests and plans to get published, and my experiences related to fellowships, jobs, volunteer activities, and so forth. In addition to the first-person narratives and opinions being shared, I also want to highlight other voices and share some of the resources, knowledge, and readings that I've had access to over the years. Much like the Indigenous People & Borderlands resource packet that I created between 2018-2019, I've considered going in the same direction with this art and art history blog! Being a recent graduate and new to the job market, I have so many things I want to write about and share with everyone. Twitter doesn't seem like the right space, for many reasons (140 character limits don't help). So, through this blog I can only hope to reach as many people as I want who have the same interest in learning and sharing about this awesome field/subject.

I personally know a handful of Native individuals who are specifically interested in or involved with art history and then another handful who dabble in (public) history, conservation, (art) education, and/or are artists (in residence). Knowing there's such a small community of young professional in these areas, our voices and experiences matter now more than ever. For one, our journeys and experiences in academia are immensely unique, exciting, and difficult. We have so much perspective and knowledge to offer our respective fields and sometimes, it either feels like our voices are getting lost, silenced, or completely misunderstood. How can we, and how do we, navigate them? How are we addressing this systemic inequities in academic, cultural, and tribal/governmental institutions? Second, when Indigenous people actually have the opportunity to work within museums, galleries, etc., our priorities, whether that be initiatives around equity, decolonization, social justice, and indigenous sovereignty, are ignored. Worse than that, social institutions have made it common practice to exploit Indigenous identities, issues, and voices to further their own agendas while failing to support their Native students, employees, and surrounding communities. These are the issues that matter to me and these are the heavy things that I want to talk about here.

While my own research is focused on the broader contexts of art history and theory, I want to hopefully specialize in Native contemporary art and artists of the 20th century and onwards. To me, Native artists and their art represent so much more than the theories, concepts, and ideas that western approaches to interpretation can even begin to touch on. Art has always been part of our cultures, lives, and epistemologies. In fact, the way we move about the world - from the time our people were created to the seven generations who are coming later - is reflective of this. The delicate balance between life, kinship, nature, spirit, mind, and body is always present, no matter where we are or what we do. Our epistemologies, histories, and our very existence are celestial, spiritual, and physical forms of art. We reflect this intersection through our creation stories, dances, songs, stories, ceremonies, and artistic practices. The creator gave us these tools to care for each other and the world around us. Today, Native art impacts and influences our lives, like a type of energy that we can't see but is always present.  This idea fits into how we are taught to understand and move through the world; in academia, this is no different. Our perspectives, knowledges, and strengths have the power to change long-standing, eurocentric, patriarchal approaches to art.

I hope you can join me and I hope that, in some way, my experiences resonate with you, challenge you, or even inspire you to critically analyze your favorite museums, institutions, and artists.