Aspen B.

I am a junior in high school with a passion for connecting to my Lakota culture through art, powwow dancing and teaching others about my heritage. I am an athlete, I love to ski, play softball, draw, paint, bead and jingle dance. I have been painting and drawing ever since I was little, and this year, I have focused my art inquiry for my AP drawing class on how I connect past suffering to present healing as I connect to my Indigenous heritage.

This charcoal and chalk pastel piece represents what is most sacred to me, honoring my ancestors on the other side. Their resilience through boarding schools, land loss, stolen culture, and the loss of language has passed down a strength that still guides me. I believe they watch over me and influence the way I move through life. Because of this, I feel a responsibility to carry their stories with integrity, gratitude, and pride. This drawing shows my great aunt Princess Rose, who performed in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, and remembering her helps me keep my ancestors’ spirit alive.