Telling Many Magpies, Telling Black Wolf, Telling Hachivi
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds
- 1989
- Screenprint
- Image/sheets (two joined), approximately: 72 15/16 x 45 1/8" (183.7 x 114.4 cm)
- 2009-61-35a,b
About the Print
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, a Cheyenne chief. Black Wolf is the artist’s 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 contrasts: 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 sport 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. What do you think?
“Before any truly sweeping social justice for Natives in America can be forthcoming, a stunning reality must be projected of the true existence of Native Americans.”
– Hocke Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds
Let's Look
- Read all the words in the print. What is the artist saying?
- Now look at how the artist has written the words and what he has surrounded them with. Why has he written "natural" in reverse and "living people" so large?
- Dark, abstract shapes, which the artist calls "magpies," fly in and around the text. What feelings do they add to the image? What sounds would these birds make?
- This print is six feet tall. Why might the artist have chosen to make it so large?
- What do you think Heap of Birds believes about the popular use of tribal names today? What do you think?
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds
Native American (Cheyenne) Born Wichita, Kansas, 1954
Photograph courtesy of the artist
About the Artist
Native American artist Edgar Heap of Birds (Hock E Aye Vi) was born in Wichita, KS. He earned a BFA from the University of Kansas, Lawrence; studied at the Royal College of Art, London; and earned an MFA from the Tyler School of Art & Architecture at Temple University, Philadelphia. His work includes multidisciplinary forms of public art messages, large scale drawings, acrylic paintings, prints, works in glass, and monumental porcelain enamel on steel outdoor sculpture.
He has exhibited his work at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Nations, Concho, OK; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; the Documenta contemporary-art exhibition, Kassel, Germany; Orchard Gallery, Derry, Northern Ireland; Berkeley Art Museum, California; Association for Visual Arts, Cape Town, South Africa; Hong Kong Arts Centre, China; Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia; Grand Palais, Paris; Nanyang Technological University Centre for Contemporary Art, Singapore; and the Venice Biennale, Italy.
In 2012, Heap of Birds was named a United States Artists Fellow and Distinguished Alumni of the University of Kansas in 2014. He has received honorary doctor of fine arts and letters degrees by the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, in 2008; Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, Canada in 2017; and California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, in 2018.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
Curriculum Connections
Suggested Topics for Art Projects, Group Discussion, and Independent Writing
Art
Express Yourself!
Use the power of art to speak out and express your opinion or point of view about an issue in your school or community. Plan and design a poster with text that creatively conveys a message. Use traditional media or graphic design software to create your poster using design principles.
Calligram (Shaped Poem)
Draw the outline of a symbol, map, or object that you associate with your ancestry. Fill in the silhouette shape with words or phrases that you associate with that object. Keep design principles in mind as you develop the text.
Language Arts
Mythology
Research the Cheyenne creation story of the magpie and buffalo race. Compare the Cheyenne myth with a creation story from a different place, such as China or Africa. What main points are common to both? Track your findings on a Venn diagram.
In Your Opinion
"Before any truly sweeping social justice for Natives in America can be forthcoming, a stunning reality must be projected of the true existence of Native Americans."
Consider Heap of Birds's quote about his artwork. In your opinion, does Telling Many Magpies, Telling Black Wolf, Telling Hachivi reflect the spirit of his words? How? If not, why not?
Social Studies
The United States-Dakota Conflict
Research the historical event that occurred between the United States military and the Dakota nation in 1862. Who was Chaska, and why is he still remembered today? Express your opinion about the incident in a persuasive essay, or make a poster to express your opinion. Heap of Birds remembered the Dakota with his artwork Building Minnesota (1990). Research the work, and present your findings to the class.