TVLSE, Okla. – The University of Tulsa’s Oklahoma Center for the Humanities was home to “Work of Sovereignty” which ran March 3 through April 22.
“Work of Sovereignty” was an art exhibition dealing with the historical and artistic ramifications of the McGirt decision on Indian Country.
The exhibition was part of a law symposium held by The University of Tulsa College of Law, the Cherokee Nation and the Chickasaw Nation March 30 through April 1.
Mvskoke citizen Carly Treece co-curated the exhibition with Center Director Sean Latham. She also participated in the exhibition with her own works.
“The exhibit is for the Work of Sovereignty symposium that TU is putting on and that was a law symposium. I was a fellow in the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities for 2022 and 2023, and I just asked them, I had this idea about doing a show over the 13 counties and then it just kind of grew to this collaborative show to go along with the symposium.” Treece said. “It’s to showcase the ties that Oklahoma has with sovereign Native Nations, showing the thirteen counties that are named after the Native Nations.”
According the Treece, the exhibition was well received.
“Everyone really loved it, there was a lot of positive feedback. There were a lot of people here like bigger names, Sterlin Harjo came through, Yatika Fields, you know people like that that you really admire and that are up there.” she said.
Works featured in the exhibition were for sale with 10 percent of the proceeds of all works sold going to the Northeastern Indigenous Safety and Education Foundation.