ENATE
“In the beginning . . .” implies both what I seek (the genesis of Indigenous culture in the Americas) and what I reject (a patriarchal foundation).
Enate is an exposition of the numbers of Native American women who are sexually assaulted each year, presented as material volume - 6,956 silk taffeta female figures.
The silhouettes, dyed with cochineal, are motifs from the earliest (4,000 - 3,500 BCE) images of females in the Americas.
6,956 is the average reported number of Native American women sexually assaulted each year.
Native women are three times more likely to be assaulted than other women in the United States and the majority of the assaults are by non-Native men.
These figures are layered in threes. Each trio forms a cluster, resembling feathers, and is attached to the cloak, metaphorically unifying the women into a solid mantle of protection and empowerment.
Photo credit: Addison Doty
Enate, installation/performance, 2017, Portland Art Museum