Galloway, N.J. – “Indigenous people are more than just what you read about in your false and colonial history books or a concept of the past. In 2024, we are contemporary.”
This and more gems of wisdom were dropped by Indigenous artist Denise “Bright Dove” Ashton-Dunkley during Sept. 17’s Artist Talk & Workshop in the Stockton University Art Gallery.
Ashton-Dunkley of the Nanticoke/Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation is one of more than 25 local and international artists featured in the new two-floor exhibition, “Indigenous Approaches, Sustainable Futures.” She and fellow tribe member Tyrese “Bright Flower” Gould Jacinto and Jeremy Dennis of the Shinnecock Indian Nation led participants on a tour of the exhibition and talked about the inspiration behind their featured works.
According to Ashton-Dunkley, her piece, “Land Back,” is meant to challenge the viewer to acknowledge and consider the concepts of land reclamation and the significance of Indigenous traditional and ecological knowledge, especially as the world reckons with the current climate crisis.
“We hold this knowledge, and we’ve always been willing to share it. There’s no need to try to continue erasing us via MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women), genocide or forced sterilization,” Ashton-Dunkley said. “It all comes down to you voting, finding out what these politicians stand for and holding them accountable to their promises. Help us with your voice and steward these lands.”
Gould Jacinto’s gourd art is visually striking; lights reflect off of the colorful beads that adorn the painted gourds, creating rainbow shadows on the gallery’s walls and floors. Gould Jacinto explained that each piece comes from the same source of inspiration — nature and how it connects the past with the present.
“I use the seed of my ancestors, and I plant it in the soil, which is the dust of my ancestors….
