GHOST DANCE
40" x 48"
Acrylic on Canvas - 1997

The Ghost Dance (1889) was the Indian peoples last gasp at returning to the life they had once known for thousands of years. They felt by chanting and dancing the Ghost Dance they would bring back the buffalo, resurrect long dead warriors and make the white man disappear from the land. This dance was misinterpreted by the US Army as a preparation for war. It lead to the infamous slaughter of Indians at Wounded Knee. In the painting the little girl chants, dances and conjures up images of long dead warriors. The original of this work hangs at the California State Capitol Building, Members Lounge.