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Pine Ridge (We Are Still Here)
By Shepard Fairey, Los Angeles CA
 
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BlackCommentator.com Art:  Pine Ridge (We Are Still Here) By Shepard Fairey, Los Angeles CA

Signed by Shepard Fairey and Aaron Huey

Artist's Statement: I made this image based on a photograph by Aaron Huey (National Geographic photographer) in support of this project. Proceeds go to Pine Ridge Indian Reservations

To hear the whole story check out Aaron’s 2010 TED talk on the Lakota and their fight to get back the Black Hills of South Dakota.

A few facts about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation:

In 1980 the Supreme Court ruled upon the longest running court case in US History, the United States vs Sioux Nation. The court determined that the treaties with the Sioux had been violated when they were resettled onto P.O.W. camps, and 7 million acres of their land were opened up to prospectors and homesteaders. These camps are now called “reservations”.

The grim statistics on Native Reservations today are the equivalent to that of a 3rd world country, revealing the legacy of colonization and treaty violations. Unemployment on the Reservation fluctuates between 80-90%. Many are homeless, and those with homes are packed into rotting buildings with up to 5 families. More than 90% of the population lives below the federal poverty line. The life expectancy for men is 47 years old – roughly the same as Afghanistan and Somalia.

Aaron’s ever-evolving Pine Ridge project gives voice to social injustice and a forgotten history. It empowers the Lakota and other tribes who fight for recognition of the past in order to help give them a chance to move forward.

The sales of this print will go directly to pay for a campaign to educate the American public about the issues that face not only the Lakota, but every indigenous tribe in the US. Your involvement will help raise the visibility of these images by paying for advertising that will take the story straight to the public—to the sides of buses, subway tunnels, and billboards, ultimately benefiting grassroots non-profits working on Reservations across the US. Help remind the world that the Lakota and other Native people are still here and demand to be heard. With your help the message will be so loud that it cannot be ignored.

 
 
Shepard Fairey is a contemporary artist, graphic designer, and illustrator. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic super market tabloid Weekly World News. His work became more widely known in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, specifically his Barack Obama "HOPE" poster. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston calls him one of today's best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Click here to contact Mr. Fairey.
 
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May 12, 2011 - Issue 426
is published every Thursday
Est. April 5, 2002
Executive Editor:
David A. Love, JD
Managing Editor:
Nancy Littlefield, MBA
Publisher:
Peter Gamble
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