This artwork created by Aly McKnight (Shoshone-Bannock) in support of the Red Road to DC journey is dedicated to the Snake River journey stop, where the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are calling for the removal of the four lower Snake River dams and the return of the salmon,.
From the artist: “The inspiration for this piece came from the peaceful relationship between Indigenous peoples and animals but more specifically, salmon that you could once find in abundance throughout the Snake River. Because of the dams and colonial organizations that continue to destroy and deflect responsibility for keeping balance in nature, the salmon population is diminishing quickly and their extinction impacts the sustainability of many tribes that depend on the salmon. This is a call to colonizers that have forcefully taken control of the land and all living things within to reflect on the connection our people have with nature.”
Portrait of an Indigenous Womxn Imagining A Return to Unfiltered Life” by Aly McKnight
18×24”, Arches watercolor paper, watercolor paint, pencil (2021)
