Land of Memories
Artist Statement:
Land of Memories is an art piece made in collaboration with Dakota elders, Dakota youth, and other creatives. It honors the past, celebrates the present, and creates a welcoming place for all as communities move toward the future.
Dakota people roamed the land of Mahkato/Mankato, Minnesota until the U.S. government forcefully removed them in 1863. Indigenous and settlers lives were lost. President Abraham Lincoln on December 26, 1862 approved the largest one-day mass execution of American Indian people in United States history.
We cannot erase our past. We can chose to forgive. Our collective future will be shared by everyone.
About Gregory T. Wilkins
Gregory T. Wilkins (BA Warren Wilson College; MS Florida International University) is a self-taught artist who has worked with indigenous people across one-third of Earth. Wilkins’ focus is on social justice and collaborates with others different from himself. He is an engaged participant who transcends nation states while exploring “otherness” though art, activism, and community engagement. He has received multiple grants from the State of Minnesota Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment, and he served on the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council Executive Board (2010-16). He is a panelist (2019-21) for the Minnesota Artist Exhibition Program, a curatorial program on Minneapolis Institute of Art.