Environmentalism has been an ongoing issue for a very long time.  Environmental issues affect everyone, no matter who you are, where you live, or your economic status.  However, environmentalism affects certain populations to a higher degree than it does for other populations.  For this project, I would like to explore environmentalism through the eyes of Native Americans.  There are many modes of environmental expressions that have been circulated throughout history.  These modes take the form of music, dance, poetry, literature, etc.  My name is Robert Floyd and for my project, I would like to single in on environmentalism through Native American artwork.  The themes of my project consist of environmentalism and cultural identity

The artists I chose are: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Jaque Fragua, and Jay Smiley.

The first artwork, State Names by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith was created in 2000, it is composed of “dripping paint and newspaper clippings.”  The image is of a map of North America and state names.  The only state names that are legible are from native origins.  The artwork depicts the passage of time.  It shows the removal of the culture of Native Americans throughout history.  The second artwork, Decolonize and Chill, by Jaque Fragua, was created in 2021 and is a mural found in Pennsylvania.  According to Deborah Thomas, professor at Penn Museum, “In North America, conversations around repatriation and decolonizing and repair tend to focus on Native American groups and settler colonialism and Indigenous populations.”  Artist, Jaque Fragua, is a community activist from the recognized tribe, Pueblo of Jemez in New Mexico.  The last artwork, Winds of Change by James Smiley. Smiley is Navajo artists. His creation depicts a powerful force for natives, wind. “The final act in many traditional ceremonials is to stand and breathe in the air, to again fill the lungs with the wind, and to remember to walk in beauty.”

Works Cited:

Credits Michele W. Berger Writer , et al. “Tackling the Topic of Decolonization.” Penn Today, 28 Apr. 1970, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/Penn-Museum-anthropology-conference-decolonization.

“Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.” To, https://www.jaunequicktoseesmith.org/.

Thompson, Dick. “Winds of Change – Jay Smiley – Navajo ret_1941.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 15 Apr. 2017, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dick-thompson-sandian/33246926773.