Myths, Home and Self-Portraiture

The narrative that arises in Wendy Red Star’s Sweat Lodge is one of an immersive experience. The viewer is invited inside the sweat lodge to view the film which covers the landscape of the seven towns in the Crow Reservation. The film is seen through a projector with the pictures displayed on the walls of the Sweat Lodge. The sweat lodge is a more modern approach as the description on the wall states, it’s made with blankets, carpets and sleeping bags. The narrative that emerges upon viewing this piece is one of dedication and identity, this is such a distinct practice that really reflects on the culture that Wendy Red Star is displaying. 

These works are about showcasing the practice and traditions that come from Wendy’s life. Wendy displayed the seven towns in the projector so that one can try and experience what it would be like to use a sweat lodge in the Crow Reservation. Wendy is thinking about the viewer and how to fully make an impact and make the viewers understand how distinct and special her culture is. Kambui Olujimi showcases his stories through a video he made that can be seen through the planetarium. His work was about showcasing some visuals that he made to a story that he summarized and showcased. This story must be really special to him. 

Wendy Red Star and Kambui Olujimi showcased mythology in the work by the way they showed their work. Kambui references to mythology by making visuals and narration to a story that serves a social role about what I remember to be about equal rights for the people and telling a story about a heroic boy who came from an orphanage. The boy who came from a misfortunate place such as an orphanage and was able to save the people when their jobs were taken away. Wendy references to mythology with how she displays the life of a native American and the stories of her family and her people with “Map of the Allotted Lands of the Crow Reservation, Montana—A Tribute to Many Good Women.” She showcased a tale of misfortune in how the matriarchal society was replaced by a patriarchal one after the lands in the reservation was split up after the General Allotment Act of 1887. 

It showcases the displacement of these tribes by showing the crow women in their native dresses over their ancestral land plots. It strikes to the viewer as social injustice and poking at the neglect by the laws. This piece works like mythology as it serves a social purpose by telling the tales of who owned the lands before these laws took place and the displacement factor. These artists connect to my self-portrait because they look at their culture and the aspect of social justice, it’s something to consider when doing a portrait—looking at your culture and displaying it through your art. I’m not completely sold on the idea of using mythology in my portrait but maybe in a metaphorical sense, it’ll come into play through my work.