Kupferberg Holocaust Center Exhibition: Native American Survivance: History and Falsehoods

RYAN! Elizabeth Feddersen (Confederated Tribes of the Colville {Okanagan / Arrow Lakes / German / English})
Unveiling the Romantic West, 2015

The Unveiling the Romantic West series explores images from two cultural perspectives, that of the Edgar S. Paxson murals displayed in the Missoula Courthouse and tribal records from the region, drawn in layers, the top one using thermochromic ink which becomes translucent when touched. Though Paxson’s paintings have been recognized to be more historically accurate than some other Western painters of the nineteenth century, his work romanticizes colonization and is full of factual inaccuracies. His mural series in the Missoula Courthouse reinforces the primacy of one narrative and decentralizes and obscures others while framing historical events through the lens of the dominant culture. Unveiling the Romantic West invites viewers to use their own body heat to reveal a more accurate portrayal of Native life during the period of early colonization. Through this process, other sides of the story begin to emerge where Indigenous society, economy, culture, environment, and experience take prominence alongside the plants and animals that sustained them. Over time, through our cooperative efforts, we can change the images that reinforce dominant destructive mythologies and plot a healthier path forward.

- RYAN! Feddersen