Suitcase 1880 - 1910

This suitcase was made with beads and hide by the artist Nellie Two Bear Gates, a member of the Lakota (Sioux) tribe. The suitcase itself is a sign of cross-cultural exchange, since it is a western object decorated with Indigenous symbology. The pictorial narratives adorning the suitcase offer insight into Lakota life. We can see scenes of daily life: figures in traditional clothing, tipis, horses, and even a depiction of what seems to be meat drying on a rack. In the late 19th century, the US government instituted policies of forced assimilation, sending Indigenous children to boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their language or practice their customs. This suitcase, therefore, could represent an act of cultural preservation and resistance. When we examine an artwork like this, we can look to historical archives, ethnographies, and other primary source materials to understand it better. In so doing, we can learn about the complex social and political context in which it was created.