ledger art

Ink and colored pencil on antique paper. Ledger art is a Plains Native storytelling style that grew out of the tradition of painting winter counts on buffalo hides: as the buffalo were systematically erased and my ancestors who depended on them for survival removed and starved, we switched to recounting our stories on already-filled ledgers from settler traders and missionaries. In 1874, many Plains warriors were imprisoned at Fort Marion in St Augustine, Florida, and while they were held they made a great quantity of ledger art, bringing more attention to the style. Common subjects include battles, ceremonies, cultural practices, and events to be recorded. My own take on ledger art is more contemporary. By inscribing an image on a ledger I draw on this storytelling tradition, saying: here is something worth remembering. Here is something that happened, in one way or another. Here is something that made an impact.