Contemporary Indigeneity

The University of Nebraska is a land-grant institution with campuses and programs on the past, present, and future homelands of the Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe-Missouria, Omaha, Dakota, Lakota, Kaw, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples, as well as those of the relocated Ho-Chunk, Sac and Fox, and Iowa Peoples.

September 6–December 21, 2024

For the fifth iteration of Contemporary Indigeneity, the Great Plains Art Museum sought Native American artists addressing any issues and themes relevant to the contemporary Indigenous experience on the Great Plains. A panel of Native American art professionals reviewed the submitted work and made selections based on the artwork’s aesthetic merit and contribution to the field of contemporary art.

The museum and its parent organization, the Center for Great Plains Studies, are committed to increasing the representation of and providing a platform for Native artists in their collections, exhibitions, and educational programs. Contemporary Indigeneity plays a key role in that initiative.

The Center for Great Plains Studies loosely defines the Great Plains as a region that stretches westward from the Missouri River at Omaha and Kansas City to the Rocky Mountains and northward from the Texas Panhandle into the Canadian Prairie Provinces.

Selected Artists