Artist's Statement

While attending a community meeting regarding a debate over a local high school's "Indian" mascot, many non-Indian and Indian people spoke passionately and eloquently about their feelings... for several hours. Then a young woman, a Stanford American Indian Law student spoke. Her words have stayed with me and guided me in this artistic endeavor:

"In a recent report from the Stanford University Medical Center's Department of Socio-Psychology, it was found: 'When an individual or group states 'This causes pain,' and that pain is ignored, here is the beginning of racism."

When is "pain" ignored? When we purchase products whose marketing utilizes corrupted images of our Peoples. When we support sports teams and condone caricatures of so-called "Indian" mascots and references. Even when we consider Indian artists being limited to clay, beads, leather, and feathers.

McLuen once wrote (of black and white photography) "with contrast comes clarity." The juxtaposed images in "Honor and Pain" provide that clarity, if only on moral and philosophical levels.

Diane Way