Native Now: Deep History, Deep Healing (2022)

The first installment of Native Now presented works by eleven Native artists and authors, as well as artifacts that reflect the deep history of Native peoples across the Americas. The installation was part of the first annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day at UTA event on October 10, 2022. 

Works from Native artists included prints, paintings, carvings, and literature. Artist represented:

- Brian Larney (Choctaw/Seminole)

- Kelly Tudor (Lipan Apache)

- Bobby von Martin (Choctaw)

- Jason Lujan (Chiricahuan Apache/Mexican)

- Dana Tiger (Muscogee/Seminole/Cherokee)

- Patrick hunter (Ojibwe)

- Edward Nailor (Diné)

- Eugene Brown (Miami of Oklahoma)

- N. Scott Momaday (Kiowa)

- Elsie Willie (Diné)

- Bertha Chavez (Diné)

- Irvin Tom (Diné)

- William Harjo (Muscogee Creek)

Selections of Native American artifacts included items recovered via archaeology* in Texas and surrounding regions from Dr. Ashley Lemke’s Archaeology Lab at UTA, including:

- Gault lithic point (over 8000 years old)

- Items recovered by UTA students at the UTA Field School near San Marcos

- Painted pottery from across the South

- Bone needle

- Obsidian blades

*No artifacts displayed came from burial contexts. 

Native Now 2022 was curated by Sampson Dewey (Paiute), Kristy Willis (Choctaw), and Dr. Leah McCurdy (ally), with support from Dr. Les Riding-In (Pawnee/Osage) and Dr. Ken Roemer (ally). The curators also established a “community curation” opportunity for UT Arlington students to select additional images and literature to include as part of the exhibit, based on their own resonances and reflections.