‘Native culture is so beautiful’

In a powerful convergence of tradition and contemporary expression, the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s exhibition “Redefining Indigenous” achieved something extraordinary — it turned an art gallery into a space where cultural barriers dissolved and connections flourished, challenging stereotypes while celebrating tradition and innovation.

The exhibition, which opened on Nov. 1, 2024, featured 28 artists from over 11 different tribes across North America. The display of Indigenous art evolved into a celebration of the shared human experience.

“I wanted people to feel at home when they walked around and saw that their feeling of home is the same feeling that they share with the Native American community,” reflected curator John Whittemore, a Fayetteville resident and member of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina. “We wanted visitors to recognize the shared human experiences that connect them to Native American communities.”

This exhibit challenged the misconception that Native American cultures exist only in the past. It showcased how Native Americans actively shape contemporary American society while maintaining their unique tribal identities. Visitors witnessed the ongoing fight against prejudice and how different Native American nations preserve and evolve their cultural heritage in present-day America.

Breaking down stereotypes

The vision of evoking a feeling of home manifested in unexpected ways, from traditional craftwork to contemporary pieces that challenged stereotypes, including artwork incorporating the Wu-Tang Clan logo — a deliberate demonstration of how Indigenous artists weave modern influences into their cultural expression.

“When people think of Native Americans, they think about people who can speak to animals, or are serious and reverent about everything, or pretty much stuff they see from Hollywood,” John said. “Most people’s insight to Native Americans is through media.”

Through careful curation, John aimed to show that Indigenous people are modern citizens who “work nine to five” while maintaining their cultural heritage.

The show actively challenged preconceptions about Indigenous art and identity. Mixed-media pieces and contemporary interpretations stood alongside traditional craftwork, demonstrating the evolution and adaptability of Native American artistic expression.

This exhibition was a juried show, judged by a panel of artists and cultural experts. The top award was the first-place Gold Award of Excellence, and the winner, Sophia Gerbert, received special recognition and a cash award of $500.

Sophia, who is half Native American, points out the lack of representation of Native American culture.

“A lot of contemporary art is very much white-centric, European-centric,” Sophia said, “and especially in popular media, Native American culture is very drowned out and not represented enough.”

The exhibition’s timing during Native American Heritage Month brings additional layers of meaning to these connections.

“We’re not trying to say you’re nothing like us,” John emphasized. “We’re grateful to have a month dedicated to us. We’re taking it back and saying, ‘No, this is Indigenous peoples month. This is a month to celebrate us.’ We’re trying to say you’re just like us. There’s no boundary here.”

Cross-cultural themes

For Sophia, the exhibition became a deeply personal tribute to family bonds. Her winning painting, completed after she lost her grandfather, “Papa,” to leukemia, captured a tender moment of love and loss that resonated universally, transcending cultural boundaries to touch viewers’ hearts.

“Papa was an artist himself,” Sophia shared, reverence evident in her voice. “He’s always been kind of a muse of some sort for me.”

While Sophia traces her ancestry to the federally recognized Cherokee Nation, many Native nations in southeastern North Carolina have a different status. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina — which spans across four counties, including Cumberland County — holds state recognition, and has sought federal recognition for more than a century.

According to the North Carolina Department of Administration, other state-recognized Native nations in our region include the Coharie Tribe, located in Harnett and Sampson counties; the Waccamaw Siouan Indian Tribe, found in Bladen and Columbus counties; and the Lumbee Tribe, situated in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, and Scotland counties.

The exhibition’s impact was perhaps most visible during its opening, where cultural barriers melted away as visitors of all backgrounds joined in Native dances and strangers quickly became friends. The two featured Native dances were Women’s Jingle, a rhythmic dance where women with metal rolls make a jingle sound, and Women’s Fancy, where women wear a shawl around the arms, said to represent a butterfly.

“There were all types of people there, and that’s what I think we need more of,” Sophia reflected. “Native culture is so beautiful, and I think that there’s something in it for everyone.”

For many visitors, the exhibition sparked profound moments of recognition. Sophia’s painting of her grandfather with a watermelon from his farm resonated with exhibition coordinator Collyn Strother’s own memories.

“When you leave the show, you think, I’ve seen stuff like this everywhere in my culture, so there’s a sense of connectivity and appreciation,” he said.

Collyn witnessed how thoughtful artwork placement created meaningful dialogues between pieces and viewers.

“You might go compare this contemporary piece beside a more traditional piece,” he explained, “and say, ‘Oh, well, I can see where both of these pieces relate to each other.’

These juxtapositions invited visitors to discover connections between different cultural expressions and their own experiences. Collyn observed that the exhibition revealed unexpected parallels between communities.

Flourishing connections

Perhaps the exhibition’s most powerful legacy was its ability to create lasting connections. Some visitors discovered family ties they never knew existed. Others found their preconceptions about Indigenous art and culture transformed.

“I think that the accepting atmosphere, that’s the energy that we need to educate all sorts of people about cultures of all different types,” Sophia said,

John Whittemore encouraged people to participate in learning about Native cultures.

“We want people to come to our events. We want people to indulge in our culture,” John said. “It’s not a private kind of thing.”

This welcoming approach has resulted in unexpected connections, with some visitors discovering shared cultural practices and Sophia even met some family members she didn’t know she had.

The exhibition showcased how art can bridge divides and reveal our shared humanity. Through paintings, craftwork, and interactive experiences, “Redefining Indigenous” created a space where cultural exchange felt natural and barriers disappeared.

This exhibition stands as a testament to the power of art to create meaningful dialogue and foster understanding between communities. Arts Council staff invite visitors to participate in a broader conversation about identity, tradition, and the evolving nature of Indigenous art.

Sarah Busman, director of community engagement, said the Arts Council’s vision for this exhibition was “to be a space where our diverse community feels invited to tell their stories with our full support, helping their vision come to life.”

Through art, the exhibition intends to remind the community that despite having different backgrounds, people share common experiences of family, love, loss, and creativity that bind individuals together as human beings.

Read CityView magazine’s “New Year New You” January 2025 e-edition here.