Danielle SeeWalker's new exhibition seeks to challenge stereotypes

The big picture: SeeWalker, who's from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota, tells us her latest show, "Danielle SeeWalker: But We Have Something to Say," offers a contemporary presentation of native artwork.

• It uses a combination of vibrant and pastel colors, which she says is "far" from more traditional native works, which often depict a person in a headdress or on a horse overlooking a canyon.

Between the lines: SeeWalker pulled items from History Colorado's permanent collection to showcase alongside her pieces, including old flour bags.

• It's filled with history when viewed from an Indigenous lens: These bags were provided by the federal government to Native Americans as food rations after people were forced to live on reservations.
• They often included flour, sugar, and lard — all foods SeeWalker said most native people had never consumed. Despite not receiving these specific staples, she says she also benefited from the federal program."

What they're saying: "I was inspired to sort of tell that story and uncover it and kind of bring that story alive to the forefront," SeeWalker tells us.

The fine print: A unique feature will be the text panels on her work, which will include language written in Lakota — something she says she hasn't seen at any other museum.

• "It was really, really important for me to have the Lakota language be at the forefront of this exhibition," she tells us.
• She hopes the panels can be used as tools for schools in the area teaching the language.

The bottom line: Since moving to Denver six years ago — drawn by the city's burgeoning art scene and native community — SeeWalker has completed multiple public art projects.

• She recently finished a mural inside Empower Field at Mile High, and has painted works outside the Denver Indian Center and Four Winds American Indian Council building.

What's next: The exhibition runs through Sept. 15. Admission is $15