Representing the Whole: An Interview with Dennis RedMoon Darkeem

INTERVIEWED BY PILAR JEFFERSON

Flag, 2018. Dennis RedMoon Darkeem.

One of the most thought-provoking pieces to share and discuss with visitors since Urban Indian: Native New York Now opened at the Museum of the City of New York in late September has been “Flag” by Dennis RedMoon Darkeem. Hanging in the center of the north wall of the gallery, it sits a little apart from the posters and flyers around it, and the bold colors and patterns of the large rectangular work draw viewers in. The quilted fabric pieces that form the work create visually engaging aesthetic contrasts, and those same colors and patterns draw questions of deeper meaning from the viewer. Are the blue stars on a white background an inversion of the American flag? What is the source of the strip of checked green, yellow, orange, and black fabric that cuts across the piece, bisecting it? 

The only person who knows the answers to those questions is Darkeem himself, and he’s made it a goal since he started creating art professionally in the early 2000s to use his work to share his perspective on the nuances of Native American and indigenous life today. In this way his work aligns well with the through-line of the exhibition: to let the indigenous people who are represented in the gallery through photos, videos, and artwork speak for themselves. This was a purposeful choice for the curators, Rebecca Jacobs and Jason Lujan, and has been a hard-fought battle by indigenous people throughout the long history of indigenous representation in museums.

Dennis is a member of the Wind clan of the Creek-Yamassee-Seminole and self-describes on his website as a “mixed-blood Native American and African American artist living in the South Bronx.” He is quoted on the label for “Flag” saying, “In society’s binaries of Black and White, where race is a social construct, most non-Black people’s claim to Indigeneity is never questioned. I often find myself having to define and prove my ‘Native-ness’ because people cannot get over my Black skin. Whereas, one who is white is just called ‘Native’ or ‘Indigenous,’ I am often called ‘Black Native’ or ‘Black Indian.’”

This powerful statement is not meant to directly answer all of the questions a viewer might have, as art also speaks for itself, but after reading the quote and looking at “Flag” again the lines and colors and their combinations are thrown into sharper focus. Dennis’s words illuminate a greater landscape of indigenous identity beyond his artwork. I was able to speak with Dennis about being a part of the exhibition and how his work evokes meaning and possibility for indigenous people today.

What’s your New York story? The subtitle of the exhibition is “Native New York Now;” what does that mean to you?

My New York story is that I was born and raised in the Bronx, went to high school in Midtown Manhattan and went to college in Brooklyn. I was able to experience different diversities. Through these experiences, I began to realize the lack of knowledge of indigenous identity in New York City. Through my art, I create discussions around cultural awareness, and identity versus ethnicity in a big city like New York. I strive to engage and educate indigenous and non-indigenous people the difference between American history and Indigenous history.

In Urban Indian, art, personal objects, and ephemera like posters and flyers are hung together purposefully, to break down the categories that museums usually use to “define” these things for Native people. How do you think this purposeful collapse of categories might change perceptions of your work?

I believe my work adds to the categories of diverse narratives of indigenous voices. My goal with my work is to be a voice for indigenous art on the East Coast in a market overpopulated with West Coast indigenous identity which sometimes forces a narrative for indigenous people on the East Coast.

That makes sense. From my experience when non-Indigenous people think about indigenous art they often describe turquoise and silver and pottery styles that are emblematic of the Southwest and West Coast. I can imagine that stereotype is hard to come up against as a working artist and East Coast indigenous person. What are some assumptions people make about your work when they see it?

That my work is made by a woman or that I would look like some stereotype from television of an indigenous person. That the best time for me to show my work is either in February for Black History Month is November for indigenous peoples month.

How are aesthetics and identity connected in your work?

My work is a reflection of my everyday interactions and childhood memories. My work builds on an identity that can get lost or gentrified if not preserved. My work is a lens as well as a resource for those who find familiar symbols in the storytelling of my work. This recognizable identity is important because it's something that is deeply rooted in our blood. My work is to acknowledge the stories, legacies, and traditions of my ancestors and allow their voices never-to-be-forgotten in the efforts of survival.

Are there any questions you’re really tired of answering about your art? And these can definitely include questions that I’m asking!

“How are you Indian?”  Hate it.

Outside of your own artistic practice you also work with students. What perceptions of Native people do they bring with them, and do you use your educational work to debunk Native stereotypes? 

In the last three years, I have strongly advocated for the correct stories of indigenous people to be told in history classrooms. Debunking the myths that all indigenous people were killed off and that all slaves were brought from Africa to America, and challenging the racist language that is used to represent and describe people of color in America. Many of the social issues concerning indigenous people, especially on the East Coast, are associated with what is taught in schools and written in textbooks. These stories are written by Europeans to silence the native voice and true history. I use my power of art and educating young people to be aware and to research whose narrative they are believing.

What is inspiring you right now? What projects are you working on currently?

This is a very interesting question because at this time I'm working on a workbook for educators teaching indigenous and black history to young children in urban areas. As an educator teaching young people I realize in this day and age race is a very important and touchy topic. This workbook is a resource to give tips and stories of things to do and not to do when teaching children of color their history. I'm also working on two other projects. I’m working on a new body of sculptures, paintings, and drawings inspired by the connections between Indigenous, Celtic, Mayan and African symbols and explorer travel routes of the 1600s, and the visibility of these interactions in today's society. My Forefathers’ Language is a project that I will start early 2020; it is a video and painting project of the connection between Cherokee, Wampanoag and Creek indigenous languages to ancient Hebrew.

I’m excited to see where these new paths take you. Thank you for sharing your story with me!

Pilar Jefferson is a graduate of Vassar College with a degree in Art History focused on early 20th-century Native American art and cultural resilience. She is currently an Education Coordinator at the Museum of the City of New York.

Dennis RedMoon Darkeem’s work can be seen in Urban Indian: Native New York Now at the Museum of the City of New York through February 2020. For more information about his other work and upcoming exhibitions visit https://www.dennisredmoondarkeem.com/.