From Powwows to Smartphones, See the Past and Present of Indigenous Plains Life in Narrative Art

At first glance, Oglala Lakota artist Dwayne Wilcox’s of two women in traditional garb at a powwow looks like it could be from a century ago. Completed on antique ledger paper, the drawing is an example of , a pictorial tradition developed by Native people of the American Great Plains during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in which events, such as ceremonies and battles, are drawn onto pages. Take a closer look, though, and it becomes clear that the piece is contemporary because of what the two women are holding in their hands—smartphones.

One screen reads: “r u at da powwow.” The artwork’s title is , a play on the Lakota word for the number one, (pronounced “one-gee”), and the names for different levels of cellular service. Wilcox’s colorful ledger art is now on display in Washington, D.



C. at “ ,” an exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian that juxtaposes historical and contemporary works by Native Plains artists to demonstrate how the art has evolved over time to respond to changing social, political and environmental conditions. “I want people to see that we’re not just stuck in the past,” says curator Emil Her Many Horses, who is also an Oglala Lakota artist.

“We’re inspired by our traditions, and we try to follow those, but we’re also evolving, too. We’re bringing this forward.” Ledger art, and a made of deer hide and horsehair are some of the displayed narrative works from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The diver.