Nancy Strickland Fields (Lumbee), director/curator at the Museum of the 
Southeast American Indian at the University of North Carolina, Pembroke. She 
addressed K-12 teachers at a workshop at the Nasher Museum on Sept. 10, 2019.
 
I am always fascinated and employ the power of art to exceed circumstances, that 
are students of all ages and learners of all ages, in ways in which that art can 
connect them and really exceed circumstances and resonate with power of meaning 
and all that good stuff. 

Contemporary Native American Art not only teaches us about Native American 
people from multiple perspectives, but to a degree it also helps the viewer to better 
understand themselves and their connection to the history and humanity, So, letÕs 
talk about Kent Monkman, who has an alter ego, which is Miss Chief Eagle 
Testickle.

The duality, we are seeing a lot of duality in terms of gender issues, even gender 
neutrality being able to embody both perspectives, which is a traditional, actually 
valued Native existence. So, it is wonderful that Kent Monkman, the artist, paints 
Miss Chief Eagle Testicle in his paintings, and she is represented in, I think, all of 
his paintings, in whether the signature style, of course is the thigh-high stiletto 
boots or the red stiletto Louis Vuitton shoes. But, whatÕs great about this painting 
is when you look closer at what is happening, you see that she is painting a ledger 
painting, which is the traditional plain style of documenting history. This is 
actually the name of painting, ŌHistory is Painted by the Victors.Ķ

This is CusterÕs Army, completely emasculated. They are all looking by the water, 
in some very subjective positions, and very feminine. So, by completely 
emasculating CusterÕs Army, Monkman has further removed any power to that 
historical narrative. So, here we are in the 21st century, where we can tell the story 
about Custer and CusterÕs army and the objectives of the battle. So, completely 
taking away any future or existing power that Custer and his army might have, 
creating this counter-narrative to the way the history is told.