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Audio Transcript: The Small Mother
Ida Olney Underwood, my great-great-grandmother here with my great uncle Woodrow and sitting for his own portrait — my great grandfather John. These photos are likely from 1920. Ida would pass away while my grandpa John was at indian residential school in Oregon. I loved hearing stories about her because she was incredibly small in stature (shorter than all of her adult children) but also a true matriarch, loving, witty, and whip-smart. She was from a large and powerful Yakama family and made sure her kids knew the greatness of their bloodline. This work represents my ancestors as constellations, exploring the physical locations where they lived throughout their lives. These locations on the land are then mirrored in the sky. With this series, I am seeking the direction of my ancestors, creating my own set of constellations to guide me, starting with Ida. |