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Mona Cliff: “The title encompasses all aspects of this work and is reflective of the present world we face, where we came from, who we came from, for #Indigenous #Futurism is not just for the future. Our ancestors were Indigenous futurists, we were always in their prayers and now we walk with our future generations in mind, this work is reflective of many aspects of what we face immediately and in the future as well as enfolding past teachings and practices. As a culture bearer I am intimately engaged with the practices and understanding that the women of our people carry. I've practiced these teachings as well as passed them on. Creating regalia, ceremonial items for people is an intimate act. We must ultimately care for those we create for and find their true essence to convey. This is the practice I bring to my art. A woman's hand in creating can never be imitated and the knowledge we carry is precious.”Label
2024, “In This Place: American Dreams”
Mona Cliff’s work often focuses on the future of Native American life, intentionally opposing the mainstream tendency to view Native people as historical relics. Past/Presence/Future II imagines a form Native ceremonial dress could take hundreds of years from now, when a medicine man might find a 20th-century gas mask and recycle it for use as ritual headgear.