Beyond Standing Rock
Beyond Standing Rock takes a look at one of the most widespread grassroots movements in recent history, highlighting works created at the protest by Native and non-Native artists. From early 2016 to early 2017, the Sioux Nation (Očhéthi Šakówiŋ) of Standing Rock Reservation protested corporate abuses of Native sovereignty and welfare. The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) planned construction through Standing Rock reservation, violating the 1851 Fort Laramie treaty and compromising the Sioux Nation’s access to clean water. As the movement grew, more than one hundred Native nations and allies gathered together to preserve the land through peaceful protest. The protest gained international attention through images, videos, and posters. The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Santa Fe, NM, exhibit features pieces that record events leading up to the movement as well as related events. Curator C.L. Kieffer Nail discussed this aspect of the expansion. “Although the protests at Standing Rock are over, there are many themes of what happened there that have a history of occurring and we continue to see happening on Native lands. Because these themes persist, it is important to highlight in detail one or more current events and draw parallels to other events.” Two years after the last water protectors were evicted from the construction site, the impact of their message comes through in their artwork. Beyond Standing Rock blends artistic tradition and action as it evokes a future of advocacy for Native rights. The exhibition Beyond Standing Rock is organized by C. L. Kieffer Nail and The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. The original exhibition, Entering Standing Rock: The Protest Against the Dakota Access Pipeline, was organized by the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
