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Never forget our language
Artist: Nanibah Chacon, United States, b. 1980.
Professional-grade acrylic paint on aluminum panel, 2024.
Chacon collaborated with Eastern Shoshone leaders including Shoshone language preservationist, who wrote the following about the artwork:
This mural serves as a conceptual billboard, reclaiming space for the Shoshone people, whose ancestors called this region home. By incorporating Shoshone language, the mural connects the land, culture, and people, emphasizing their deep-rooted relationship. This public display is a powerful act of language preservation for the Eastern Shoshone community.
The number of Eastern Shoshone language speakers continues to decrease dramatically. This mural illuminates the challenges of developing a written language for people who have historically relied on oral traditions. It acknowledges the colonial violence of forced English language learning and the delicate balance of working with community members to create a space for meaningful dialogue about language preservation. As the Eastern Shoshone community faces a critical juncture in its linguistic history, this mural serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of honoring and revitalizing its ancestral language.
Artist Nanibah chacon
Nanibah āNaniā Chacon is a Dine (Navajo) and Chicana artist, most recognized as a painter and muralist. Chacon was born in Gallup, New Mexico and raised on the Navajo reservation and in New Mexico. She is currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chaconās most notable works have been within the public arts sector, in which she has a cumulative experience of over twenty years. Her practice includes other mediums and a developed aptitude in painting, illustration, installation, and design. Chaconās public works facilitate social engagement and community-based integration, elevating her personal philosophy that art should be accessible and a meaningful catalyst for social change.
Thank you to all who supported the mural
Thank you! Mary Armour, Petria and Scott Fossel, Leslye and David Hardie, Kate Jensen, Carrie F. Kirkpatrick DA Fund of CFJH, Marshall and Veronique Parke, Katrina and Brandon Ryan, Christy Walton.
Nanibah Chacon’s mural was co-produced by Jackson Hole Public Art and History Jackson Hole with initial curation support provided by Erin Joyce projects, funded in part with a grant from the NEA. The mural is included in JHPA’s multi-location exhibit titledĀ LandSignals, designedĀ to envision a future that more authentically includes Indigenous voices and traditional ecological knowledge to help us better steward the natural resources and cultural heritage of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
