Cante Eagle Horse
Mural Location: 2590 Walnut St Boulder, CO 80302 (Dairy Arts Center)
Cheyenne River Lakota and Meskwaki artist Cante Eagle Horse painted this massive mural at the Dairy Arts Center during the 2022 festival. Cante created a vibrant mural “that shares some of the positive things Indigenous communities have done or have been doing for generations to protect the land.”
The artist sought to illustrate how Indigenous peoples take action to fight the climate crisis, paying homage to activists, water protectors, and everyday actions of Indigenous communities. Cante illustrates Indigenous people working together to keep the land and water clean. An Indigenous woman wearing her hair in braids and a mask holds a protest sign that reads “Honor the Earth.” She raises her fist upwards as a sign of protest against colonist powers that degrade and exploit the land and its Indigenous protectors.
A group of Native Americans rides horseback alongside buffalo as they shoot arrows at an ugly black snake. The snake is cut into pieces, representing oil pipelines that cross illegally through tribal lands and threaten to pollute water supplies. White teepees, historically used as shelter by Indigenous peoples in the Great Plains region, appear on a hilltop. Native flora and fauna spring along the edges of the mural, including corn and Colorado blue columbines, emphasizing what gifts the Earth has to offer when we treat her with care and respect.
During Indigenous Peoples’ Day Weekend, Apache Crown Dancers from McNary, Arizona performed a ceremony to honor and dedicate the mural. Scroll through the post to see a video of their performance! Shout out to JayCee Beyale for organizing the dedication.
The Dairy is also the home of Creative Nations, a permanent establishment for Indigenous artists. Creative Nations seeks to create a space for creation and collaboration and foster opportunities for Indigenous artists to thrive. The Creative Nations Sacred Space, a permanent, dedicated space for Indigenous artists at the Dairy, opened last year. Thank you to the Dairy and Creative Nations for all of their support on this project!
About the Artist: