Description

"Nez-Perce Native" is an oil pastel portrait inspired by the 1899 public records photograph taken by Frank La Roche, featuring an individual known as Wa-Nik-Noote, a member of the Nez-Perce tribe. My distant family lived in Walla Walla, the homeland of the Nez Perce, before the government abrogated the Treaty of Walla Walla, which compelled the tribe to relocate. This artwork integrates traditional Nez Perce geometric patterns that I designed, painted, and cut to reflect the motifs present in Wa-Nik-Noote's blanket. This creation serves as a tribute to my deep respect and admiration for the Nez Perce Tribe.