Grand Entry

Mural, Acrylic, 17’ x 60’, Colony, Oklahoma

Contemporary Native social gatherings called pow-wows begin with a grand entry that includes our military veterans, followed by the participants in their various dance categories. Painted on the main street in a small rural Oklahoma town, Grand Entry is both a land acknowledgement and a tribute to Fancy Shawl dancers, the most athletic and fast-paced dance in the female categories. The women seem to float like butterflies to the delight of the crowd.

Curator’s Note: All of Eric’s murals are visual land acknowledgments—an expression of gratitude, appreciation, and recognition of the homeland of the original people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. This acknowledgement encourages people to think about what it means to occupy space on indigenous lands.