Nicholas Galanin pulls out of Smithsonian event, claiming censorship

""I come from a lineage that has endured attempted erasure through cultural, linguistic and spiritual silencing," it reads. "My people, and all Indigenous peoples of this hemisphere have endured attempted erasure through legislative and physical violence. My work is only possible because of the ancestors who persisted and refused to be silenced; who continued to carry our culture and pass on that responsibility to me, to speak to a larger audience than was able to see or hear them.""

""promotes the view that race is not a biological reality but a social construct""

""the curators and organisers of the exhibition and symposium have been put into a challenging position""

Nicholas Galanin, a multidisciplinary artist and member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, withdrew from a Smithsonian American Art Museum symposium, citing government censorship and restrictive conditions. The symposium tied to The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture was named among exhibitions labeled "divisive" and "race-centred" by a Trump administration executive order. The order criticized the exhibition for suggesting race is a social construct. Galanin alleges the event became private with a curated guest list and a request not to record or share proceedings. Galanin affirms ongoing commitment to speak for Indigenous persistence and cultural survival.

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