Artwork copyright G. Peter Jemison. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Ongwehonwehka, 1993

G. Peter Jemison
American Haudenosaunee Confederacy Seneca (born 1945)

Location: University of Washington, Seattle

About the Artwork

Ongwehonwehka is a photocopied collage created by artist G. Peter Jemison. He notes that the title is a Seneca word: "Ongwekonwehkaa means 'our Indian way of life' which includes traditional teachings, language, law, songs, ceremonies, art, craft, medicinal knowledge, and much more.” He also notes, "The work of art can be read as a prayer from bottom to top, it is a way of giving thanks for gifts that the Creator has provided. It is also a history of the Seneca people and the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). We are one of the five original nations. The other nations today are the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora. The images depict some of our leaders who are now gone, and others who are still working to keep our way of life intact. Included on the left are my parents, as they looked when they first were married sixty-one years ago. As times have changed our people have adapted to these changes, but the core of our traditional beliefs and customs has survived until today. Those of us who follow our traditional way of life are called 'Longhouse followers'. By maintaining our language and ceremonies, we are looking out for the generations yet unborn. We are committed to continuing our Ongwehonwehka."

This artwork is part of the Contemporary Native American Artwork Collection, on view at the University of Washington Gallagher Law Library in Seattle. The collection was proposed by artist John Feodorov, who selected the eight represented artists for their rich and forward-thinking cultural expression. Speaking to the contemporary nature of this collection, Feodorov notes “since art, like law, is an ever evolving process, it cannot rely on nostalgia if it is to remain relevant."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with University of Washington.

About the Artist

Jemison is based in Upstate New York. He is an active member of the Heron Clan of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Jemison studied art at the University of Siena in Italy, before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Arts Education from Buffalo State College, as well as an Honorary Doctorate. He is an authority on Haudenosaunee history and repatriation.