history

there's tremendous energies here in the desert, we're surrounded by 19 pueblos, there's history here and shedding of blood and the tribes pushing against each other and the Spanish who came in and then the Mexicans and there's bad blood and murder and deceit of the white men who lied,broke treaties and killed the Apache. the Apache warring against the Mexicans, and then hiding out as their lands were taken and then forced into the high country and the trail of tears is long and blood soaked and these are the lands i live on. who knows who passed by my house going on a war party headed into Mexico to steal and plunder. the Aztecs were supposed to have traded this far and the pottery in the area tells of tribes coming and going and skulls tell of warfare and violence. no wonder i feel so much, the whole spirit of the land echoes a violent turbulent past and we should remember it and maybe someday in the coffee shop when we're all huddled together talking about art and the lack of sales, i'll stand up and shout we're surrounded by a violent history, the tribe's bones are under our houses, and carlos whiteagle with his long hair and red head band will join in and second me, he being the only Indian in this part of the country, a tall striking Apache in full regalia, fringed jacket and conchos. whatever is here, all the old ways, the spirits rushing together, this energy i harness when i paint, i dip my brush in it as surely as i do my reds and blues and ochres and blacks and whites. the ghosts of the tribes, the blood of the trail, the harsh times, the people, this is what i want in my paintings. here let me paint the past, let me paint the sorrows, the long trail south, the wanting times, the ghost dance, the old ways and again the people. jgk