ALL: Master Collection List

 

Nationality

American, Standing Rock Sioux

Preview

image preview

Date of Work

2025

Medium

Acrylic, aerosol on canvas

Signature

On back

Height

40"

Width

30"

Depth

1 1/2"

Collection/Provenance

Contemporary Indigenous Collection

Department of Research & Economic Development Collection

Status

Displayed

Location

Division of Research & Economic Development

Artist Bio

Danielle SeeWalker is Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta and citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. She is a visual artist, activist, muralist, and author. SeeWalker uses mixed media to highlight traditional native imagery and also addresses the contemporary experience and culture of Native Americans.

Additional Information

Prairie Surrealism recognizes that the northern plains are layered landscapes shaped by many histories, voices, and ways of knowing. In The Chairwoman, Standing Rock Sioux artist Danielle SeeWalker presents a contemporary Indigenous leader whose presence is both grounded and dynamic.

Fragments of line, color, and abstraction move across the figure, suggesting the complex intersections of identity, memory, responsibility, and community. Rather than placing indigenous experience in the past, the work centers Indigenous leadership as an active force shaping the present and future of the region.

As universities seek to broaden knowledge through diverse perspectives and ways of understanding the world, works such as this remind us that leadership, inquiry, and cultural knowledge have long been integral to life on the northern plains.

From the artist:

"She is L/Dakota. She is not one to mess with. She defends her people. She defends the land. She defends our four-legged, winged, and water relatives. She defends our languages & our youth. She leads with humility and respect. She is what makes our ancestors proud."

Condition

Excellent

Rights

Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”

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