The Maps of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a Native American artist died a few weeks ago. Her artwork highlighted a Native worldview juxtaposed with American pop culture and included many maps.

-via Center for Public Art History

In State Names (2000) paint drips obscure the European derived names as well as state and national boundaries.

Maps such as Memory Map (2000) highlight experiences over delineation of geographic boundaries.

-via Whitney Museum of American Art

Here is a detail from State Names Map: Cahokia (2023)

-via St Louis Art Museum.

The message from Smoke Signals Map (2021) is quite clear.

You can see much more of her work on her web site. I will end with Adios Map (2021), showing different ways to say goodbye - to lives lost in pandemic, land destroyed by climate change among other goodbyes.