Indigenous Visions – Descendant Artists and Living Traditions of the Southeast

Introducing contemporary Indigenous artists whose work shows how ancestral art and traditions sustain culture and inform scholarship Indigenous Visions showcases Native Southeastern artists whose work draws on ancestral imagery and their cultural histories to interpret the past and its relevance today. Contributors explore how contemporary artists use ancient symbols and designs to revitalize culture, preserve languages, and express cosmological beliefs. Featured artists include Cherokee, Chahta (Choctaw), Mvskoke (Muscogee), Ogahpah (Quapaw), and Wahzhazhe (Osage) individuals—descendants of Mississippian peoples. Across media such as ceramics, painting, clothing, jewelry, and photography, chapters examine topics including the Cherokee art renaissance and its influence on other Southeastern tribes, eighteenth-century Quapaw buffalo robes, and Native art as a form of activism. The contributors also emphasize the need for institutional protocols that protect Indigenous communities when traditional art is studied. They outline pathways for respectful collaboration between artists and archaeologists, highlighting how knowledge exchange can inform future research. This volume offers practical guidance for archaeologists seeking approaches that center Indigenous priorities.