Conversation
Tekαkαpimək (As Far As One Can See): Indigenous Art, Cultural Authority, and Community Resilience

Join a delegation of Wabanaki artists, cultural leaders, and partners for an evening of visual storytelling and conversation about Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, situated in the traditional and present day homeland of the Penobscot Nation. Tekαkαpimək serves as an Indigenous-led model for place-based interpretation, cultural continuity, and the role of contemporary art in sustaining community resilience. Speakers will address how long-term relationships, community authority, and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) frameworks make it possible to share language, stories, and site-specific knowledge within a permanent public space.

Presented in conjunction with the Grey Art Museum’s exhibition of contemporary Aboriginal painting from Papunya Tula, this program considers how Indigenous art and cultural practice can support self-determination, community resilience, and kinship relationships across time.

Speakers:

• James Eric Francis Sr. (Penobscot), Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Penobscot Nation
• Nick Francis (Penobscot), Executive Director, Wabanaki Community Foundation
• Gabriel Frey (Passamaquoddy), basketmaker and artist
• Suzanne Greenlaw (Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians), ecologist, artist, and writer
• Jennifer Sapiel Neptune (Penobscot), basketmaker and writer
• Lucas St. Clair, President, Elliotsville Foundation

Moderated by Prof. Jane Anderson (Anthropology and Museum Studies, New York University), co-founder of Local Contexts and Indigenous Intellectual and Cultural Property (ICIP) consultant.

Visitor Access & Registration

Registration begins March 11 at 12 pm.  For attendance without an active NYU ID card, RSVP by Tuesday, April 7 to guarantee building access.

Arrive early to view Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu before the conversation—the exhibition will be open from 11 am to 8 pm on April 8.

NYU’s Grey Art Museum provides reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Requests for accommodations should be submitted at least two weeks in advance. Please email greyartmuseum@nyu.edu or call (212) 998-6780 for assistance.

Co-sponsored by NYU Liberal Studies; the Graduate Program in Museum Studies, NYU; and the Department of Anthropology, NYU.

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Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu is organized by the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia in partnership with Papunya Tula Artists.