Mary’s Pence celebrated the Saint Paul Spring Art Crawl with a pop-up exhibition grounded in a central question: How do we honor the ancestors who guide our work today? Framed by the concept of tiwhe — family and those who came before — the weekend was more than an art showcase; it was a truly meaningful cultural experience. The exhibition highlighted the work of celebrated artists, contemporary surrealist painter Stäcy Smith, multidisciplinary artist hclou, and dear guest from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Edison Ritchie, representing current Mary’s Pence grantee, Kind Hearted Women’s Society.
Edison Ritchie and his Powerful Artist Talk
Wacapi Yuha Mani (Walks With the Stars), whose government name is Edison Ritchie, is an artist and art historian from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. On Sunday, April 19th, he gave an artist talk about his work as a steward of traditional Lakota arts and culture. During his presentation, Edison described his research as an historian of 1800s Indian Arts and shared stories about his ancestors with our guests.
Edison recounted the story of High Back Wolf, a great-grandfather and Cheyenne warrior who famously fought at Sand Creek. He also shared about She Who Bathes Her Knees, a great-grandmother who served as a warrior and was painted by George Carlin in 1832. His family’s legacy extends to the American Indian Movement; he highlighted Geraldine Janis, his maternal grandmother and an important organizer in the movement, as well as the broader role his family has played in liberation struggles for the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island.
This rich, revolutionary legacy has led Edison to practice the arts today. His work ranges from traditional Lakota parfleche and costume design for film to the preservation of Ledger Art. The Oglala Lakota have always identified as relatives of the Pte Oyate, the Buffalo Nation, as the bison were a core part of their way of life. Painting on bison hide was a primary method of history-keeping and art-making in the tribe. After the decimation of the buffalo, Lakota artists sought alternative canvases from natural sources.
During Deadwood, South Dakota’s gold rush period (1876–79), paper ledgers were commonly used to document transactions for supplies and payments for gold extracted from the Black Hills, a site sacred to the Lakota people. Over time, ledger paper became an important artistic medium for Plains Indigenous communities, contributing to the tradition now known as Ledger Art. Edison generously shared this history with us and demonstrated rare original examples of Ledger Art.
The Power of Connections and Community Building
Cante Waunsilpi Wi Ta Ominiciye (Kind Hearted Women Society) is a Mary’s Pence grantee based in Rapid City, South Dakota. Led by Caylee Martinez White Eagle of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the organization creates a space where young Indigenous women can return to themselves and reconnect with their indigenous roots by nurturing self-respect and cultural pride through traditional practices and critical conversations. Using mentorship and culturally relevant programs that uplift, young indigenous women are encouraged to lead and embrace their heritage together.
Mary’s Pence relationship with the Kind Hearted Women Society reflects a commitment that goes beyond funding. It is built through presence, listening, and trust. That commitment came to life when Grants Program Manager Erin Williams Rodriguez attended the American Indian Movement’s Liberation Wacipi, commemorating the anniversary of the 1973 Wounded Knee Incident. Invited by the organization, she joined not as a distant observer, but as a partner — there to witness, learn, and build a connection.
During that gathering, Erin met young women involved in the program, heard their visions for projects like community gardens and land stewardship, and experienced firsthand how cultural practice and leadership development are deeply intertwined. It was also in this shared space of community and relationship that she met Edison Ritchie.
Kind Hearted Women Society’s work is closely tied to advocacy around Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), a crisis that continues to affect Indigenous communities across North America. Recognized on May 5, this day of awareness honors lives lost and calls for justice and systemic change. With support from Mary’s Pence, Caylee traveled to New York for last year’s UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, contributing to the knowledge and justice struggles of indigenous women globally.