“We Are The Land”

A Native American Heritage Month Activation

Install starts (2022-11-14) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures

Making Native Peoples More Visible

For Native American Heritage Month in 2022, NACF partnered with Josué Rivas (Mexica and Otomi) Founder and Creative Director of INDÍGENA to bring visibility to the original people of these lands and begin a conversation that’s been long overdue.

Wheatpasating install, Robert Franklin, 2022-11-14, From the collection of: Native Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
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Josue Rivas, Robert Franklin, 2022-11-14, From the collection of: Native Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
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Taking a break, Robert Franklin, 2022-11-14, From the collection of: Native Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures
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While the story of Native American peoples is woven into the fabric of this country, all too-often Indigenous Americans are erased or not a part of the National conversation.

Rolling it out (2022-11-14) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures

Representation

Josué Rivas’ installation We Are The Land was created with the intention of building a bridge between representation and conversation.

Sun setting on the Center (2022-11-14) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures

Marcos Alvey (Hopi & Tewa)

On a sunny fall day, Josué and his team applied the portrait of Marcos Alvey (Hopi & Tewa) to a large garage door on the Center for Native Arts and Cultures building that faces Belmont Street in northeast Portland.

“Native people are present in a city that rarely understands how to provide space and dialogue between tribes and representatives,” says Josué.

Marcos Alvey (2022-11-14) by Robert FranklinNative Arts and Cultures Foundation - Center for Native Arts and Cultures

Quote from Marcos Alvey (Hopi & Tewa)

By showcasing Indigenous portraiture across the city of Portland, Oregon, Josué aims to make local Indigenous people and their contributions to the region more visible.

Read about other locations in Portland where portraits appeared in this piece in the Oregonian.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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