Indigenous Artists in Sacramento Reclaim Culture and Visibility Through Art and Advocacy
Indigenous artists in the Sacramento region are employing a diverse range of creative mediums – from mural painting and tattooing to documentary filmmaking – to revitalize cultural practices, challenge historical erasure, and advocate for issues impacting Native communities. These artists are driven by a shared desire to raise awareness of their heritage and ensure their stories are told.
Reclaiming Cultural Practices Through Artistic Expression
Deerstine Suehead, a tattoo artist based in Sacramento, emphasizes the importance of cultural visibility in her work. “I’m very grateful to bear that responsibility and gift, to give back to my people,” she says. Suehead, who grew up on Nisenan and Maidu land in Nevada County, practices traditional hand-poke tattooing, a method predating modern machine tattooing. This practice, including facial tattoos, was suppressed for decades, becoming legal again with the passage of the American Indian Religious Act in the 1970s.
Suehead views the resurgence of hand-poke tattooing as a powerful act of cultural reawakening, though one burdened by a painful history. “It’s really a shame that more people don’t know and understand all the ins and outs of what happened to my people because it’s so hidden,” she explains. She hopes to foster greater awareness and respect for local Native people and advocates for increased hiring of Native artists in the Sacramento area. Suehead is also a vocal supporter of the Land Back movement, aiming to remind people of the Indigenous roots of the land they inhabit.
Similarly, Sorren Richards, a muralist based in Hoopa, integrates traditional designs into his street art. Richards, who identifies as Hoopa, Yurok, and Shoshone, has created artwork in Sacramento and currently teaches art classes in Redding. He notes a disheartening lack of awareness surrounding local tribes, recounting instances where people mistakenly believe Native people are extinct. “Being Native, you already have your story and people don’t know that story which should be known,” Richards states.
Documenting Food Sovereignty and Healing
Beyond visual arts, documentary filmmaking is also being utilized to champion Native causes. Jaime Tafoya, whose great-grandfather was Northern Arapaho, recently completed a documentary, “Stroke – The Circle of Healing,” focusing on holistic health resources at the Sacramento Native American Health Center.
Tafoya is now working on “Reclaiming the Harvest,” a film exploring Native American food sovereignty – the right of Indigenous communities to control their food systems. He interviewed chef Sean Sherman and representatives from Three Sisters Garden in West Sacramento for the project. Tafoya highlights the devastating impact of government policies, such as the Indian Appropriations Act of 1851, which disrupted traditional food practices and contributed to health crises within Native communities.
“They started providing us with government rations like lard and sugar and flour,” Tafoya explains, “Then 150 years later, we’re dealing with rampant diabetes and heart disease… because we basically got away from how we used to eat.” “Reclaiming the Harvest” aims to showcase the revitalization of ancestral food practices for contemporary life.
These artists, through their diverse and impactful work, are not only preserving and celebrating Indigenous culture but also actively shaping a more informed and equitable future.
This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Hmong Daily News, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
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