“Just vote — but not against your own interests” by Susan Hoffer
(Photo provided — Schweinfurth Art Center)

AUBURN — When Long Island native Susan Hoffer started college, she intended to pursue a degree in chemistry with a goal of conducting cancer research. Like many college students, her plans changed.

“I was more interested in the fine arts classes I took and kept taking in college and realized my passion was in the arts,” she said.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in teaching and studio art, moved to Syracuse, and began teaching. When her children went to college, she returned to earn her MFA in fine arts and has been painting seriously ever since.

But Hoffer never left her interest in chemistry behind. She spent a month this summer as an artist in residence at the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation in Chenango County, working with artists and chemists at the Golden Artist Colors manufacturing facility located next door.

“During my time there I experimented with various substrates, grounds, and Williamsburg paint,” she said. “It was a period of tremendous growth and learning!”

Hoffer, who lives in Lake Placid, is featured in a solo exhibit titled “Rural Voice Rising: Can Art Subvert Media’s Narrative?” on display at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn from Sept. 1 to Oct. 15.

Her paintings of North Country residents draw attention for her process as well as their descriptive titles and explanations.

An example: A painting of her father sitting on a couch, his hands signaling that he’s making a point during an intense conversation. The title: “Just vote — but not against your own interests.”

“This image was made a week before he died,” Hoffer said. “He told me that people in poor rural areas continually vote against their own interests, and that he hoped they ‘smartened up.’”

The paintings tackle serious topics through the eyes of Adirondack Park residents. The subject of “Reproductive decisions are complicated. #blackdoctorsspeaking” worries that restrictive laws states passed after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade will mean the death of some pregnant women because doctors must wait for approval to conduct live-saving surgery.

In “Connecting to the Protest,” the subject of that painting is writing a letter to U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik trying to convince her to “stand up to the 45th president.” A piece “‘I never felt unsafe until there was a target on my back’ #chinavirus” explains that the subject’s parents worry about her safety amid racist backlash over the coronavirus.

“I think a goal of the exhibition would be to challenge the narratives that are often believed about rural residents in my region,” Hoffer said. “I use the words and ideas of my sitters as they speak on weighty topics.”

In addition to painting, Hoffer teaches studio classes and art history at North Country Community College.

“We are a poor mountain college and often my students haven’t had access to the privileges wealthier and less rural communities offer,” she said. “It means a lot to me to contribute something good to the community where I live.”

And just like her students, Hoffer is still learning — from her students and from the chemists at the Golden paint factory. She applied for the residency because she wanted to research how different grounds affect her paintings.

“I was using the same oil paint with the same result and, even though I knew I could craft a good painting, I just wanted to learn new things,” she said in a video interview conducted during the residency. “I did a lot of experimenting on the surfaces with gesso and color, and that was really interesting to me. Just by changing up my ground, it created a whole new painting experience for me.”

Hoffer said she loved collaborating with the artists and chemists. “I learned why freezing my oil paint to both stiffen and slow the drying process works,” she said in an interview with the Schweinfurth. “I learned why refining the pigments differently is important and results in differing vibrancy, opacity, and translucence. Of course these different properties of oil paint are interesting to the painter.”

During the week of July 25-28, 2023, a group of 84 Native youth participated in IndigeSTEAM; a weeklong summer engagement program where 9-12th grade students accelerate their academic preparation for college, explore Indigenous-led, culturally relevant and immersive programming in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM), along with exploring careers in health sciences and medicine.

The University of Utah American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) in partnership with the U’s Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and Honors College hosted IndigeSTEAM, part of larger institutional efforts to build sustainable pathway programs for Native/Indigenous students to study at the university. The program helps advance the health, well-being, and academic success of tribal communities across the state. These efforts ensure tribal sovereignty through collaboration with tribal nations and further the institution’s commitment to the University of Utah land acknowledgment.

“The goal of the program is to ensure college readiness, provide an on-campus experience to motivate students to complete high school, and strengthen cultural identity and belonging by emphasizing cultural knowledge and traditional ways of learning,” said AIRC Director Samantha Eldridge.

IndigeSTEAM is funded by the 1U4U grant and in partnership with American Indian Services summer enrichment preparatory program. AIS PREP is a free educational preparatory program for Native American youth who live on or near reservations. Students experience three summers of rigorous science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) instruction, which has been proven to raise test scores by 30% and help students become ready to pursue advanced high school courses. Students traveled to the university and stayed at Kahlert Village to celebrate the completion of the AIS PREP program. This summer, the program was expanded under IndigeSTEAM to include students along the Wasatch Front. 

“AIS PREP is happy to partner with the American Indian Resource Center to bring STEAM education opportunities to our students. This is our third year bringing students to the U, and the highlight of our summer. We look forward to continuing this partnership for many years to come,” said AIS PREP Director Kevin Sekaquaptewa.

“We envision IndigeSTEAM will attract more Native/Indigenous students into medicine to improve healthcare for all,” said Donna Eldridge, director of Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She leads OHEDI’s tribal outreach and engagement initiatives to address the under-representation of Native/Indigenous students in STEM disciplines and increase the number of AI/ANs in health careers and medicine.

“I would like to acknowledge that the program allows indigenous high school students to explore degrees/careers at the University of Utah and connect to indigenous college students in STEAM,” said Dylan Bia of the Native American Research Internship (NARI) and Medical Admissions Preparatory Program (MAPP). “IndigeSTEAM embodies native ideologies of a strong community focus and holistic perspective to support every student’s journey in higher education.”

A hands-on suturing workshop helped students learn about basic suturing techniques from second-year medical students, Jenna Murray and Caroline Nelson, co-founders of the university’s first formal chapter of the Association of Native American Medical Students.

“Programs like IndigeSTEAM are invaluable as they not only show students how fun science and medicine can be, but they also connect them with Native role models who have pursued higher education,” said Jenna Murray. “The goal of our workshop was to show students that they can grow up to be physicians just like us, and that there is support for them along the way.” 

“Providing avenues for young indigenous students to see representation in historically underrepresented fields, though thoughtfully constructed and culturally conscious programs such as IndigeSTEAM, is an incredible way to encourage students to believe in themselves,” added Caroline Nelson.

Students visited the Department of Anesthesiology Center for Patient Simulation with hands-on practice on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), intubation, and ultrasounds with Dr. Ken Johnson.

“We are grateful to the IndigeSTEAM program organizers for their initiative to bring students to learn about some of the many educational opportunities the University of Utah has to offer,” he said.

The experience for many was the first step to seeing themselves on a college campus. Students also visited the Crocker Science Center Laboratory, Honors College, Rice-Eccles Stadium and participated in workshops facilitated by Turtle Island Art Collective and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The event instilled a sense of belonging for many as they began to imagine post-secondary possibilities. 

“It is always refreshing to see young Indigenous youth on campus, it is a good reminder of how important our work as the AIRC is in fostering community and a sense of belonging for the next generation of young Indigenous scholars,” said AIRC program manager Tashina Barber.

SALAMANCA — For the first time in 45 years, the Salamanca “Warrior” logo is going to look a little different.

The traditional school logo of a Seneca male, originally designed by Carson Waterman and introduced in 1978, has received an update from the Seneca artist. The Board of Education adopted the updated design as the district’s official logo Tuesday.

The Seneca Nation granted the Salamanca City Central School District permission to continue using the logo and Warrior nickname in May after the New York State Board of Regents announced in 2022 that public schools with Indigenous nicknames, logos or mascots must change them. The only exception was if a federally recognized tribe residing in New York gave a district permission.

“We went through a rather rigorous process for several months gathering community feedback,” said Dr. Mark Beehler, district superintendent. During one a public feedback session, Waterman presented an updated version of the logo for the school if the district were granted permission to continue using it, Beehler said.

“We then collaborated and worked with the Seneca Nation, and through their efforts they endorsed that, and we continue to use the logo that we have, what we refer to as our Warrior logo, and continue to be the Warriors,” he said.

The updated logo is very similar to the logo the district has used since the 1970s, Beehler said, but there are also several notable changes in the design. He said the district’s Native American Curriculum Team has developed some informational material around the logo to go with it.

“Information that can be used and will be shared not only with community members but everywhere our logo goes so we have a better understanding of the logo itself,” Beehler added.

As with the original logo, the Senecas, or the Onöndowa’ga:’ people, are the “Keepers of the Western Door,” which is why the male in the logo faces west. The man in the logo also continues to wear his hair in a long braid. It is common in indigenous communities to see both men and women wear long hair in resistance to the boarding school experience of the 19th and 20th centuries when children were forced to have short haircuts.

Among the changes are to the gasto:wä’, or feathered headdress, worn only by Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Iroquois) men to identify their nation. The logo’s headdress shows one feather sticking up to indicate the Onöndowa’ga:’.

Additionally, the skin tone for the man in the logo was at Waterman’s discretion, noting that it’s an inaccurate stereotype to assume all indigenous people have the same skin tone and look alike. Waterman’s signature is also incorporated into the logo itself.

“Historically, Native American art has had the artist’s name taken away, and we wanted to do our best to try to undo that,” Beehler said. “Since this is (Waterman’s) design, we want to make sure that he was associated with it.”

Before Waterman’s original design in the mid-1970s, the district used a caricatured “American Indian” logo featuring the profile of a stereotyped indigenous person. The headdress style depicted most closely resembled that of Plains tribes in the central United States, whose homelands are more than 1,000 miles east of New York.

Most of the Salamanca school district lies within the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation. At least 30% of Salamanca students identify as Native American, with one recent poll at 38%. Additionally, many athletics teams in Salamanca have a large number of Seneca students on their rosters, with some teams, such as boys and girls lacrosse, consisting mostly of Seneca players.

The Regents board voted unanimously on the decision without discussion. The proposal was announced by the state Education Department in November 2022, and education officials began urging school boards to begin the process to change mascot images and names ever since.

The “Warriors” name has been used by Salamanca High School since at least the 1930s, with the name used several times in a 1937 yearbook. The district’s logo and identity was reaffirmed in 2001 when a similar statement made by the state Education Department required districts to decide whether to change when an initial ban on utilizing Native American name and imagery was implemented.