Beauty, Strength and Resilience – We Are Still Here

Kevin and Valerie Pourier carved this spoon with a portrait of Red Cloud, Mahpíya Lúta in Lakota, who led the Oglala Lakota from 1865 to 1909. An accomplished military strategist and diplomat, Red Cloud defeated the US Army in Wyoming in 1868. The Pouriers’ spoon presents this powerful Native hero against a background of flowers and vines; Kevin Pourier recounts being inspired by the lush foliage of American painter Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of former President Barack Obama, now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. This contemporary reference emphasizes, as the title suggests, that Native artists, communities, and practices are still thriving today.