Zoongide’ebines and Gimiwanaabo-Ikwe, Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, SD
English mural by @elninoperdido & @missesmorningstar. Lakota mural translation of "You Are Not Alone" by @__therd_.
Artist statement by Zoongide’ebines (@elninoperdito): There are over 574 federally recognized natives in the US. These nations include over 200 Indigenous languages, diverse cultures, traditions and histories. Although there is a huge amount of diversity among our tribal communities, we share some common cultural threads. Relationship to land, sharing connectedness with the past and with others in the community, nurturing family bonds, & following wisdom of our Elders. Many of these shared cultural experiences are protective factors for mental health, but members of our Indigenous communities also share many burdens, including economic and political marginalization, education disparities, discrimination & mental health challenges rooted in a long history of trauma. Much of traditional Indigenous life is organized around a deep respect for the land. Communities were spread out in different areas to prevent overuse of resources, and sustainability was a priority while harvesting medicines and hunting. Connection to land is a large reason why colonization was so devastating. Our communities faced mass violence, displacement & forced removal as colonizers imposed borders, cut down trees & blocked waterways. Mental health & emotional well-being among Native people are often closely tied to cultural traditions of prayer and ceremony. In recent generations, these supportive traditions have been endangered by forced assimilation. The process of forced assimilation included children being removed from communities to attend boarding schools, where culture and languages were forbidden through extreme discipline, sexual abuse, violence, medical experimentation, starvation and death. Due to this history, continued racism and lack of opportunity, there are countless Native people suffering from multi-generational & historical trauma. The result of this trauma includes mental/chemical health issues, and suicide. We are 2.09% of the entire population.
40% of those who die by suicide are Native American between the ages of 15 and 24. And among young adults ages 18 to 24, Native Americans have higher rates of suicide than any other ethnicity, and higher than the general population.
Zoongide’ebines (@elninopedido) uses his Indigenous heritage to influence and shape his visual artwork. His murals, digital designs and photography examine social and political issues such as the criminalization of immigrants and Native populations, urban life, and self- identity. Charles has been a part of many collaborative mural events across the Country, is a member of City Mischief Murals, is the Founder and Lead Organizer of Intertribal Styles BIPOC Graffiti Jam.
Gimiwanaabo-Ikwe (@missmorningstar) is an enrolled tribal member of Marten Falls Anishinaabe First Nation and has ancestral ties to Constance Lake Oji-Cree First Nation. She is a visual artist, muralist and lead project coordinator for a BIPOC artist collective called City Mischief Murals in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. She utilizes art to elevate community voice, healing, and advance change. She has been part of several community arts-based events and mural projects throughout the United States, Canada, Africa, and Mexico. She uses acrylic paint, aerosol paint, traditional Native American artforms and dance as a personal and political tool to address, explore and portray contemporary indigenous struggle.