收藏: Indigenous Edition

This Sista is a young woman whose Indigenous ancestry connects her deeply with the soil on which she stands. She wears a dress with traditional Great Lakes patterns, sports a turtle shell medicine pouch around her neck, and wears moccasins—all of which are common to many different Native cultures. She also carries a knife, exemplifying her resourcefulness.

This Sista’s hair is long and braided, which could represent various Indigenous symbolisms, such as signs of strength and unity. To complement her braids, her crown is adorned with feathers. She is proud of her roots, and the sly smile on her face symbolizes her resilience as the artist, Moe Butterfly, a 20-year-old, 2-Spirit, Seneca illustrator, describes: “Just being alive as an Indigenous person is resistance. They did everything to kill us, but we are still here and we aren’t going anywhere.” 

The message on this Sista Of Liberty’s tablet is clear: “Land Back To The Mother.” “Land Back” is a longstanding movement and legal battle of many Indigenous Nations who have literally been fighting for centuries to reclaim land promised to them through many broken treaties. Furthermore, it also signifies respecting how our planet sustains us, the need to take care of it, and simply honoring Mother Earth.

The background of this masterpiece shows hills, which is symbolic of the artist’s ancestry—the Onöndowága people—which means, “People of the Great Hill.” Around this Sista are eight animals: turtle, deer, beaver, hawk, heron, bear, snipe and wolf, representing the eight different clans of the artist’s Nation. Lastly, emblazoned into the sky are more traditional Native patterns.

As always, a percentage of net proceeds made from Indigenous Edition sales will be donated to the Warrior Women Project, which is a collective of “Indigenous matriarchs, historians, community organizers and multimedia storytellers working to bring to light the radical impact of Indigenous women through recent history.” (https://www.warriorwomen.org)