Painter, muralist, and USD grad Reyna Hernandez (Yankton Sioux) is deeply connected to her homelands and Indigenous roots. Through mixed media she investigates cultural/identity hybridity in relation to her Indigenous bloodlines and Western influences. Her art examines the complexities of her relationship to culture and place. She explores Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota traditions and symbolism and the ways that Western civilization has impacted Indigenous expression. Reyna’s work spans the Midwest.

“One of my first experiences of making a mural; we're painting this Native breastfeeding woman on this giant wall outside a theater…and I see this Native guy walk up from across the parking lot, and it was my first experience working that publicly and that visibly, so you get nervous about what people are going to say. So I was like, ‘Oh, no, I hope he doesn't say anything bad.’ But he came up and he was just like, ‘Hell yeah.’ And so, you know, he felt seen in this brown woman.” Reyna Hernandez

“Going to the public arts sphere—working with members of varied communities and seeing what they're interested and talking about; having so much more in common than we do differences—was completely eye-opening. The more we started doing this work the more it became clear to me; the universal nature of the human condition, when talked about through creative expression and making something together. Community based art continues to blow my mind.” Reyna Hernandez on the Sioux City Art Center Mural

River T. Garza (Tongva) is an Indigenous interdisciplinary visual artist based out of Los Angeles, CA. He draws on traditional Indigenous aesthetics, Southern California Indigenous maritime culture, graffiti, skateboarding, and low-rider art. Garza's work can be found in private and permanent collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art (collectors of this piece), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Autry Museum of the American West, and the IAIA Museum of American Indian Arts.

“My trajectory began as a teenager, dabbling with graffiti and stencil making. Seeing all my friends; seeing them be creative and take their work to the streets. I think it was artwork that was accessible. Having markers, spray paint, making stencils, a piece of cardboard and an X-Acto knife; utilizing the materials that were around us, but also drawing influence from the punk scene, skateboarding; I think graffiti and street art and all that really intersects those subcultures.” River T. Garza

“I come from a working-class, blue collar background. So the traditional fine art studio spaces were not always accessible. And maybe it's my own narcissistic side, but getting that little juice of, yeah, people get to see my work in the streets—people don't have to pay for it. I love being able to visit our sacred sites to see petroglyphs, pictographs, these ancient forms of public art that are still accessible now.” River T. Garza Indian Alley hosts a changing collage of Indigenous mural art.

Melissa Govea, a.k.a. Tochtlita, (Purépecha) is a multidisciplinary creative raised in Yangna-occupied Tongva territory, a.k.a South Central L.A. She specializes in traditional sign painting (as seen at this LA bodega) and screen printing rooted in her culture and lived experiences. Trained under journeyman sign painter Doc Guthrie at Los Angeles Trade Tech, Govea leads multigenerational workshops emphasizing social movements and applying mediums such as lettering, muralism, and screen printing.

“Accessibility was a big thing growing up. It wasn't even an option to go to art school. But when I started seeing access to public art spaces, to walls, and I can invite the family to pull-up, and the community—I just saw the beauty of that, that I probably wouldn't get in art school. I think I subconsciously always just wanted to stay on the public art realm just because I don't want to compromise what we're about. I think there's more good damage to be done with public art.” Tochtlita

“People get flown in from the East Coast to L.A. to do a mural, and they're getting this big chunk of change. And locals are like, “Well, what about us?” I see myself having to fight for a seat at the table. It's really important for us to step up and get our walls and have our stories heard. There's this authenticity that you can't buy. I feel very strongly about gentrification, and that's why I'm more fueled to get more walls and more spaces.” Tochtlita Fuerza De Mi Madre for El Pollo Loco

Delve deeper into the experiences of the three Indigenous Artists featured in this Guide by watching their episode of our webinar series Youth in Action: Conversations about Our Future, an online series hosted by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. These moderated panel discussions serve as a national platform to amplify the efforts of Native changemakers from across the Western Hemisphere who are engaged in civic and social justice work for Indigenous peoples.