I walked into the main gallery at the Longmont Museum after taking in the inspirational “Voices
of the Future” display by Denver area Native American youth.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the left corner. There hung a split photograph of a Hopi
woman and Princess Leia Organa, one of the main characters from the Star Wars movies. A photographic juxtaposition by acclaimed Native American artist Nicholas Galanin, the double image communicates two uses of the squash blossom, a butterfly whorl hairstyle worn by unmarried Hopi women as they approached womanhood.

The image was titled “Things Are Looking Native, Natives Are Looking Whiter.”

According to Galanin, as reported on easel.net, “In borrowing from an Indigenous aesthetic, the
image projects settler claims to Indigenous culture into the future. The title speaks to consumer
culture’s desire to claim ‘Native inspired’ looks, while simultaneously refusing Indigenous
people the agency to define Indigenous culture in an increasingly hybrid world.”

Powerful words.

And it made me think of the multiple years I wore that Princess Leia costume for Halloween,
complete with the hooded white robe, white belt with the silver buckle, bulky white boots and
a wig of the squash blossom.

I never considered the source of the style.

This entire exhibit presented pieces with this type of powerful message about Native American
cultures and their impact on history.

Curated by nationally recognized activist and artist Gregg Deal, a member of the Pyramid Lake
Paiute Tribe of Nevada, the show brings together a collection of new contemporary Native American art by locally and nationally known Indigenous American artists.

The show contains more than 30 pieces of art by 15 artists from a variety of Native American
backgrounds — Laguna Pueblo, Navajo, Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, Tlingit, White River
Ute and many others.

According to Deal, the exhibit title “Duality” speaks to the shared experience of being both an
Indigenous, Native person from this continent and simultaneously an American. He continued
by saying that it involves the balance of mixing tradition and ceremony, while also experiencing
the world the same way as the rest of Americans.

A centerpiece of the show, which contains mixed media, metal, oil on canvas, clay, beadwork,
video and more, is a 3D display of ribbon, sand and a bald eagle feather.

Eagles symbolize the boldest, strongest and holiest in Native American cultures because the eagle is considered the toughest and bravest of all birds. Eagles are also a symbol of the Great Spirit from whom strength and power flows. Eagle feathers frequently adorn Native American clothing, jewelry and pipes and are often used within ceremonies.

In the ephemeral piece of art, the single feather is surrounded by hanging ribbons and floats above an intricate display of sand in shades of red, aqua, orange, yellow and black — like a beautiful Native American shawl spread out to see from above.

“This show was absolutely fascinating,” said Leslie Hauck, a native of New Jersey who recently
moved to Colorado and visited the show. “I have loved learning about Native American culture
and art since I was a child, but this show taught me so much more.”

In addition to the “Duality: Contemporary Works by Indigenous Artists” show, which runs
through May 14, 2023, the museum also has an in-depth history of Longmont — from the early
days of roaming hunters 14,000 years ago to the impact of modern technology in the region’s
significant growth. There is even a display about the connection of Bluebird Lake in Rocky
Mountain National Park to Longmont’s water supply.

The Longmont Museum is open most days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Sunday when the
museum opens at 1 p.m. The museum offers extended hours on Thursdays until 9 p.m. through
May 18 and the second Saturday of each month is free admission.

For more information about the Longmont Museum, visit
https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-e-m/museum.

Dawn Wilson is a professional and award-winning nature photographer and writer who has lived in and written about northern Colorado for more than 20 years. She recently published 100 Things to Do in Estes Park Before You Die, available throughout Estes Park. You can see more of her work, join one of her Rocky tours, purchase prints and calendars, or suggest future topics at DawnWilsonPhotography.com.