This piece is a take from the Benjamin Franklin Join, or Die image produced in 1754. Franklin depicted a snake cut into 8 pieces and was a call to action for the 13 colonies to rise up against the French.
In this piece I used an Uktena cut into 8 pieces to represent the 8 different states tribes traveled through on the Trail of Tears. The Uktena has 5 buttons (rattles) to symbolize the 5 tribes being removed from their homelands.
The backdrop of the piece is the different routes taken by tribes all in Cherokee Syllabary. And lastly Andrew Jackson is at the head of the snake because he is the snake. The Cherokee's obtained signatures and went to court to have the removal thrown out, and won. But Andrew Jackson carried out the removal anyway. The title speaks for itself. Relocate and Die, Relocate or Die. Regardless of the choice the end result was not good.
Materials: Adobe Illustrator.
Size: 22" x 28" x 1"