06/04/2026
The artwork for Sovereignty Symposium ###VIII was created by Cheyenne and Arapaho artist Gordon Yellowman. Yellowman incorporates the Old Cheyenne and Arapaho ledger art style into his unique contemporary ledger art style.
"Inter-Tribal Ladies of Justice" was designed as a parallel of the Lady Justice statue. Lady Justice is a timeless personification of the legal system, typically a robed woman holding scales and a sword, and often blindfolded to signify impartial judgment. Yellowman uses that same symbolism in this piece.
The four women depicted represent different eras of tribal women's attire: the Ghost Dance Dress, Buckskin Dress, Jingle Dress, and finally the Ribbon Skirt, which is marked with handprints representing missing and murdered indigenous women.
The Symposium theme "250 Years Later: Sovereignty, Survival, and Self-Determination" influenced Yellowman's design with elements incorporated to show the parallels of independence and sovereignty. Yellowman notes, "Protecting our sovereignty is the central core of our sacred way of life."