EDGAR HEAP OF BIRDS

EDGAR HEAP OF BIRDS

A SOLO EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS, LANGUAGE ISTALLATIONS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND VIDEO



NOVEMBER 1, 1995 - DECEMBER 31, 1995

FAVELA!



INSURGENT MESSAGES FOR AMERICA

As in today's South Africa, the United States of America dominated their Native hosts by establishing reserves and relocating the indigeneous peoples for the profits and pleasure of the dominant white culture.

The State of Oklahoma exists today as a living insult and broken contract. Oklahoma has stripped away much of the only remaining livelyhood for Native Americans by forging itself into one of the United States of America. Oklahoma is built upon Indian misery and rests upon exclusively mandated Indian Territory. Native lands and revenues have been swallowed up by the non-Indian Oklahoma citizens. Native peoples are thereby left to struggle to feed their families upon a mere fraction of their original lands from Federal Treaty agreements.

What has been renamed Oklahoma was set aside as an exclusively Indian territory in 1866. This territory was meant as a final Indian sanctuary for over thirty tribes. Tribes, including the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, were forcibly relocated to these new homelands/reserves within Indian territory from as far away as Montana, New York and Florida.

During the 1870s life in the Indian territory was very grave. The tribes were restricted to hunt only within the imaginery boundaries of the reserve, as defined by the whiteman. To venture beyond these boudaries would be unlawful. During this period a reservation rebellion began against the white government. This Native insurgency was lead by the warrior society, members of the Tsistsistas or Cheyenne tribe of western Oklahoma (Indian territory). Raids were made in Kansas and the area now called Okahoma to recover traditional tribal hunting grounds that warrior societies used to provide for their families.

Because of these actions in 1874, seventy-three defiant warriors and chiefs from the southern plains were arrested by U.S. troops. They were exiled to Fort Marion, St. Augustine, Florida, and imprisoned. These seventy-two men and one woman were taken from their families without a trial and charged with the vague term of "ring leaders." While suffering through the sad prison life many warriors created artworks by drawing. The colorful drawings became the messages that the warriors could relay about their captivity, the damaging interaction with the whiteman, and their personal expressions of Native freedom.

These imprisoned artist/warriors used contemporary forms to communicate to the white public. This was done as a method of defending Native peoples. At that time older modes of physically violent warfare were left behind in order to articulate the public message, thus insuring more survivability for the warrior and his family while voicing opposition to white domination.

Today, in 1987, modern Native artists have renewed this same insurgent struggle of defending Native freedom through artistic expressions. As a headsman of the traditional Elk Warrior society of the Tsistsistas-Cheyenne tribe I offer "Sharp Rocks." This exhibition in the arrow spirit of defense, attack, and preservation is made up of expressions gathered from language installations, paintings, photographs and the Times Square computer video presentation. "In Our Language." From my highly personal artistic viewpoint I hope to establish one principle statement, that is: In order for Native peoples to survive they must be allowed to exist as Individuals.

Edgar Heap of Birds,
Cheyenne Arapaho Nation
Geary, Oklahoma 73040, U.S.A.