"History is written by the victors," or so goes the quote often misattributed to Winston Churchill. In other words, those who wield the most power or resources are typically the ones whose stories are represented in textbooks, passed down through generations, and etched into our collective consciousness. Without intentional effort, it can be difficult to hear more than a single narrative.
On a warm August morning, Portland still heavy with summer's residue, I stood beneath the Burnside Bridge billboard: ' Long Live the Wildcards, Misfits & Dabblers.' The words lingered like a chant, revealing pride, broken promises, and ironies. It was in that humming space that I spoke with Demian DinéYazhi´ (Naasht'ézhí Tábaahá [Zuni Clan Water's Edge] and Tódích´íi´nii [Bitter Water], clans of the Diné Tribe), a Portland-based Diné transdisciplinary artist whose work refuses the tidy boxes of colonial etiquette.
His works range from painting, in which he trained, to myriad sculptural forms, performances and installations and video. With this interdisciplinary practice, he deliberately confronts orthodoxies in the art world and art history, questioning biases regarding taste, value and legitimacy, confronting and subverting stereotypes of Indigenous people and culture, and proposing a radical interaction with the objects and spaces he creates.
Ritchie Sinclair expressed relief upon learning about a $1.45-million lawsuit against the Morrisseau estate, claiming the adult children promoted fraudulent works for financial gain.
Ashley Holland, the curator and director of curatorial initiatives at Art Bridges, emphasized the importance of Indigenous perspectives in American art collections, stating, "Indigenous perspectives are foundational to any American art collection. We are honoured to continue our deep support of Indigenous art with this acquisition and look forward to sharing these works with audiences around the country through our loan programme."
"We are not only going to display more, we are also going to see ways to be inspired by the Indigenous practices, in terms of thinking of community, thinking of sustainability."
The failure to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual culture as art is closely tied to the fact that the original inhabitants of Australia were not counted in the census until 1967.
Heap of Birds' retrospective reflects decades of advocacy for Indigenous communities, showcasing over 100 works that combine artistry with deep societal and moral implications.
"Our government's investment will help McMichael modernise and grow, protect the gallery's C$750m collection and secure the institution's status as a world-class cultural tourism attraction for generations to come."