Surviving the Long Wars: Residues and Rebellions

The “Indian Wars” of the 18th and 19th centuries and the “Global War on Terror” of the 21st century are two of the longest military conflicts in US history. Although rarely considered in relation to one another, these “long wars” are endlessly intertwined through similar military strategy and the persistence of anti-colonial resistance. The residues of these entanglements are visible in the creative responses to these long wars by Indigenous, Black, and South Asian artists, some of whom are veterans.

Surviving the Long Wars: Residues and Rebellions highlighted intimate connections across vast differences in time, geography, and medium to propose uncommon alliances that can serve as a foundation for solidarity.

Historic works from the Newberry's Edward E. Ayer Collection including the Black Horse Ledger (Cheyenne), Kiowa Indian ledger drawings, and ink and watercolor drawings by Frederick Gokliz (Apache) were paired with contemporary artworks to reclaim visible yet overlooked strategies of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) survival and resistance. From ledger art and collage to beadwork and portraiture, the featured works recorded community history, redirected the colonial gaze, and recycled the technologies of US militarism to open up alternative ways of knowing, sensing, and living in the long wars.

Featured Artists

• Miridith Campbell (Kiowa)
• Mahwish Chishty
• Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III (Standing Rock Sioux)
• Rodney Ewing
• Darrell Wayne Fair
• Frederick Gokliz (Apache)
• Terran Last Gun (Piikani)
• Monty Little (Diné)

Corresponding Exhibitions and Summit

Residues and Rebellions was one of the three featured exhibitions of the second Veteran Art Triennial, SURVIVING THE LONG WARS. From the US “American Indian Wars” to the “Global War on Terror,” SURVIVING THE LONG WARS explored the multiple, overlapping histories that shape our understanding of warfare, as well as alternative visions of peace, healing, and justice generated by diverse and entangled communities impacted by war.

• Veteran Art Summit: March 16 - March 19, 2023

• Hyde Park Art Center Exhibition: March 16 - July 9, 2023; Opening Program: March 17, 2023

• Chicago Cultural Center Exhibition: March 4 - June 4, 2023; Opening Program: March 18, 2023

A Closer Look

• Surviving the Long Wars: Exhibition Close-Up and Reading