Sketchbook, William Cohoe, Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), 19th century, 1876, Bequest from the Karen Daniels Petersen American Indian Collection

The Papers Speak: Drawings by Cheyenne & Kiowa Artists from Fort Marion at the MIA

They document lives in exile, from daily life to ceremonies. Called ledger drawings, they were created by Southern Plains artists held captive in Fort Marion, Florida, in the 1870s. MIA Native Art curator Jill Ahlberg Yohe will facilitate an engaging conversation on the MIA’s collection of these works with contemporary ledger artist George C. Levi (Southern Cheyenne/Arapaho) and Michael Jordan, a leading expert on historic ledger art.

George C. Levi is a member of the Southern Cheyenne Tribe of Oklahoma. He is also of Southern Arapaho and Sioux descent. As a member of the Kitfox Society, Levi participates in Cheyenne cultural ceremonies. Raised in the El Reno and Geary, Oklahoma, communities, he is currently a full-time ledger artist residing in Mustang, Oklahoma, with his wife and children.

Michael P. Jordan, PhD, is an assistant professor of cultural anthropology whose research focuses on the ethnohistory and expressive culture of the indigenous inhabitants of the Southern Plains. He has worked with members of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma for more than a decade. He is also interested in exploring how digital technology can help indigenous communities preserve and promote their heritage.

To register, call (612) 870-6323 or reserve online.

_{Sketchbook, William Cohoe, Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), 19th century, 1876, Bequest from the Karen Daniels Petersen American Indian Collection}