National Museum of the American Indian

Ancestors Know Who We Are

Black-Indigenous women artists address race, gender, multiracial identity, and intergenerational knowledge

Digital painting sets silhouettes of female heads with varying hairstyles in concentric rings of purple, green, and gold

Digital painting of an elder woman in lavender, her head ringed by a yellow halo, on a starry black and purple background

Introduction

Ancestors Know Who We Are ignites a conversation on the experiences of Black-Indigenous women through art. Joelle Joyner’s and Paige Pettibon’s paintings honor ancestors who continue to inspire and guide. Moira Pernambuco’s photographs are a counter-narrative to negative portrayals of Black boys and men. Monica Rickert-Bolter’s digital artwork is a reflection on the relationship between hair and cultural identity. Storme Webber’s prints and spoken-word performance pay tribute to her multiracial family and childhood. Basketry by Rodslen Brown (1960–2020), a Freedman descendant and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, embraces her activism and both her heritages.

(Image: Joelle Joyner, Iris)

From the Curator Reflections

Color illustration of an Indigenous woman and a Black woman standing with arms linked and the words We Stand Together

Art Gallery

Through artistic expression and reflection, Ancestors Know Who We Are explores contemporary realities in the interwoven histories of Black and Indigenous peoples. Ancestors Know Who We Are continues a conversation launched more than a decade ago in the groundbreaking book and traveling exhibition IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas.

(Image: Courtesy of yǝhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective)

Art Gallery Resources