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Object #     2009-48/2
Object name     Photograph
Culture of Origin     Swinomish, Tulalip
Title     It Was a Gift
Maker or Artist     Matika Wilbur
Materials     Printed, Paper
Dimensions     H: 26 in, W: 21.8 in
Exhibit Label    

Artistic expression and interpretation are personal, and even though interpretation can be anyone's guess, we are still each others' and our own interpreters. Indian culture has been whittled away to the point where leather and feathers are perceived synonymously with the people. Leather and feathers don't define the Indian. Native America is alive, flourishing and vibrant; we invite you to experience the richness of our ways.

As active members of society, we have no choice but to check the box - on census forms, job applications, etc. In order to merge we place an 'x' on the millimeter of white paper.... Its labeling cannot define the individual. We are not the box.

My work is about that exploration; the redefining and redemptive associations of living in a spherical world. I believe we have come full circle; I believe that we are one people.

Matika Wilbur.

This photograph is a part of a series entitled "We Emerge," where Native peoples are rephotographed in places that have been taken by modern society.

Source     Ms. Matika Wilbur
Credit     Purchased with funds donated by Lawrence Christian for the permanent collection.
 

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