Alcohol Enhanced Motorist

Reclaiming Our Power - Shan Goshorn

2014 16” X 16” X 13.5”

Arches watercolor paper splints printed with archival inks, acrylic paint

"The interior of this double-weave basket is woven with high statistics of violence directed at Indian women on tribal lands by non-natives. These facts include: “3 out of 4 Native women will be physically assaulted in their lifetime, Native women are 10 times more likely to be murdered than any other group of women, 1 in 3 native women will be raped in their lifetime, and 88% of crimes against Indian women are by non-natives but tribal courts have ZERO authority to prosecute them.” The paper text is washed with purple, black and blue paint to emphasize the bruising severity of this violence.

The exterior is woven with the language in sections 904, 905, and 910 of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 0f 2013. This language recognizes the inherent right of tribes to protect Indian women who suffer specific abuse by non-natives on tribal lands. Prior to the enactment of this law, non-natives could act without fear of prosecution for these crimes. Many thanks to the brave women and men who worked tirelessly, including their public testimony of personal accounts which convinced the House and Senate of the need for this legislation. Their testimonies are literally what passed the vote.

Loss - Shan Goshorn

2016 11.5” X 4.25” X 4.24”

Arches watercolor paper splints printed with archival inks, acrylic paint, artificial sinew

"The blue, vertical splints on this Cherokee style basket reproduce names from the Carlisle Indian Boarding School official student roster. This institution was the brainchild of Captain Richard H. Pratt and was an attempt to assimilate Indian children into white society by removing them from their homes and teaching government approved lessons. Pratt’s coined phrase “Kill the Indian, save the man” became the unofficial mission statement for this school and others that soon followed. Students were completely denied their traditional culture, including the use of their native tongue. Infractions were frequent and often severe for disobedience such as “acting Indian.”

Also combined in this piece are portions from eight different treaties between the U.S. Government and a vast sampling of Native Nations. They are identified in woven order from top to bottom (two are duplicated): Horse Creek, Canandaigua, Medicine Lodge, California, Navajo, Muscogee, New Echota, Medicine Lodge, Canandaigua, and Ft. Wayne. Generally speaking, these treaties resulted in major land loss and relocation for Indian people.

Imprinted - Shan Goshorn

2015 approx 6” X 6” X 9”

Arches watercolor paper splints printed with archival inks, acrylic paint

"Woven in the shape and style of a Cherokee single-weave basket, the red splints in this piece feature names and tribes of the 10-12,000 students who attended the Carlisle Indian Boarding School. The handwritten text on the beige splints is my mother’s memoir of her boarding school experience, written in her own hand. Handprints are a universal symbol among the Plains tribes to indicate ownership and identity; they are used here to illustrate that despite the government attempt to assimilate these children, their birthright is to remain members of their tribes.

ok im taking my post back then.