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Hang Around the Fort Injun by George Blake

George Blake (Hupa/Yurok, b. 1944), Hang Around the Fort Injun
1993
Wood, paint
39 x 70 x 120 cm
Gift of R. E. Mansfield
26/4315

This sculpture was originally featured in the traveling exhibition Indian Humor, organized by American Indian Contemporary Arts in San Francisco in 1995. George Blake’s interpretation of the iconic wooden Indian of cigar-store fame is based on contemporary stereotypes of Indian politicians. The title Hang Around the Fort Injun was a term used among Indians during the Reservation Era to refer to those who were perceived as spending too much time near military encampments, pandering to the U.S. military and becoming involved in white affairs.

—Kathleen Ash-Milby (Navajo), NMAI

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