Bicentennial Indian, from the “Spirit of Independence: Kent Bicentennial Portfolio”

Fritz Scholder often identified himself as a “non-Indian Indian,” an artist born of Native descent but determined to broaden understanding of what and who defines Native American art. The print’s title refers to the year in which this piece was created, during the 200th anniversary of the United States. Scholder depicts a Native warrior wrapped in an American flag sitting portrait-style on a 19th-century chair. He wears the regalia of Plains men from the late 19th and early 20th century. The warrior holds a fan of eagle feathers upright, an enduring symbol of Native presence, strength, and survival.