Julie Buffalohead’s work delves into stories and traditions of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, often depicting the coyote, a mythic symbol of wisdom and cunning. Here, she uses a mirror image of two coyotes to address the politicization of mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to comment on the increasing polarization of American politics. The coyote at right holds up a mask saying “help,” a reference to the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on Native American communities. The opposing coyote brandishes a placard that says “Tone Deaf,” and is covered with American flags—it represents the position that masking limits individual freedoms and rights.

Lithograph, screen print and collage.

Lee M. Friedman Fund. © Julie Buffalohead.

2023.416