Trade (Gifts for Trading Land With White People)

In Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s collage, images related to the conquest of American Indians appear alongside clippings that describe the bleak facts of life on reservations. Above, an array of cheap toys, souvenirs, and sports memorabilia speaks to the commodification of Native American identity. The work ironically offers these objects to white people in exchange for the return of stolen lands. As a part of the The Quincentenary Non-Celebration series, Trade stands as a symbol of Native American protest and revisionist history. Created in response to the 500th anniversary of Columbus Day, the work challenges traditional celebrations of the so-called discovery of America and the white privilege they signify.

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