The heart of our work as an inter-tribal circle will
transform the deficient representation of contemporary Native artists and culture
bearers in public institutions. This is the intentional work of encouraging art galleries, museums, collectors and
other organizations to engage and support the diverse talent among our
communities.
Why it Matters
Inherit in our work is the collective vision to support our communities and the lands we are connected to. Hundreds of years of forced removal and violence has selectively disenfranchised Native people for generations. Unyielding resilience has enabled us to continue the practice of collective care and cultural survival.
90%
of state-level history standards for K-12 education failed to cover Native history past the year 1900.
In television and film, less than 0.4 percent of media content includes representation of Native American characters.
2%
of the collection at The National Museum of the American Indian represents Modern and Contemporary arts
55% of the collection is archaeological, 43% ethnographic, suggesting The lens with which America views Native people is one that originates as primitive and studied from an antiquated perspective.
0 .51%
of the population in the Northeast is Native American
according to the 2020 census. Data on Native populations lead to policies that do not adequately address the challenges faced by our communities. Exhibiting Native artists represented by major art museums on the East Coast is approximated to be in the single digits.
The Artists, Organizers & Knowledge Keepers
Meet the creative and dedicated individuals driving Cedar Nation forward.
Brooke Waldron (Seaconke Wampanoag/Narragansett)
Founding Director, Artist, Curator
Brooke has worked extensively in the tribal non-profit sector and as a consultant strategist for other arts-based organizations. She has served in several roles to national committees and traveled to Washington DC several times to support efforts protecting tribal funding legislation. Brooke has exhibited her paintings and sculptural work at several galleries, and has been an award recipient and commissioned for purchase and inclusion in permanent public collection.
She is the lead curator for Ascending: The Liberation of Native Art. She was prompted to develop this exhibition after repeated instances of Native narratives and art being mischaracterized or distorted in mainstream art spaces. Through the founding of Cedar Nation, she hopes to elevate and build relationships that will create lasting impact for Native expression.
Brooke’s work is consistent with expressing identity, nature and vibrant use of color in her creative practice. Her work represents and honors her sincere love for wildlife, the four-legged relatives.
Kathy Atkins (Tuscarora)
Artist, Knowledge Keeper, Advisor
Kathy has over 30 years of experience at the executive level in Native American community and tribal engagement and has served several appointments for the National Indian and Native American Employment and Training Council for the Dept of Labor.
Kathy is a master Haudenosaunee beader, the traditional beadwork of her community predates European contact and is passed down through generations. Her work features traditional details of Haudenosaunee beading and stitching, while incorporating her own expressive style. Her family’s beadwork has been featured and awarded recognition at the prestigious Sante Fe Indian Market.
She is a loving mother, grandmother, and a talented cultural practitioner representing her communities of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Christine Campbell (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)
Knowledge Keeper, Advisor
Christine is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Wolfe clan and the seventh generation granddaughter of NAN YE HI who became GHIGAU, she is also a direct descendent of Chief Lewis Downing. Christine retired in June 2022 after 41 years at the American Indian Council. She served for 26 years on the American Indian Advisory Council to the US Department of Labor Division of Native American programs
She credits growing up during the 60s/70s during a dangerous time for Native communities, and has been a relentless life-long advocate. Christine is a well-respected knowledge keeper and was cofounder of a successful 10 year annual American Indian symposium organizing collaboration with Native leaders such as First Woman Principle Chief of Cherokee Nation Wilma ManKiller, Billy Mills American Olympic, and Susan Shown Harjo, American advocate for Native American rights. She is a loving mother, grandmother and auntie who serves as a fierce, respected advocate for the Native community.
Josh Carter (Mashantucket Pequot)
Artist, Knowledge Keeper, Advisor
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Felicia Bartley (Isleta Pueblo)
Curator, Speaker, Archivist
Felicia received her BA in Art History from the University of Colorado Boulder, and MA from Brown University. She previously worked as the Associate Curator of Native American and Indigenous History at History Colorado and is currently the Tribal Archivist under the Cultural & Historic Preservation at Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico. Felicia has authored several publications including “Scorched Memories of the Abandoned Albuquerque Indian School” in 2021 and “Versace’s Native American: A Colonized Body in the Name of Aesthetic and Dynastic Glory” in 2019. Felicia’s expansive knowledge in public relations and the dynamic between Tribal Communities and Public Museums, reflects her position as the chosen keynote speaker for a planned lecture on the role of art and museum institutions in decolonization and what it means to be a good relative.
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