Description

The title of this print refers to the important role of oral history in Native American culture. Many Magpies/Heap of Birds is the artist's great-great-grandfather, and Hachivi (Hock E Aye Vi) is the artist. 

This six-foot-tall work, composed of black text printed on white paper, is filled with contrast: fluttering abstract shapes encircle rows of bold text: most of the words are read left to right, but "NATURAL" is written in reverse. According to Heap of Birds, the dark shapes are magpies in flight.

This print raises many questions. Is it right to take tribal names to promote sports teams or to sell products? Are indigenous cultures and people acknowledged or given the respect they deserve? Are people today living in harmony with each other and with nature? The first and last lines of text suggest what Heap of Birds believes.