Song of Sorrow

Shan Goshorn wrote Navajo, Lakota, and Kaw prayers of healing and well-being onto the brilliant blue splints of this basket. She intended the prayers for the generations of Native boarding school victims—children who were forcibly separated from their families and cultures to live in prison-like facilities. Notable are the words to a Cherokee memorial song: “We will remember your sacrifices. You will not be forgotten.”

Goshorn also includes anti-Indigenous language that is woven into American culture. For example, the center white splints contain violent lyrics of the children’s song “Ten Little Indians.” Together, the juxtaposed messages form a resolute basket that carry Goshorn’s call for empathy, accountability, and amends.

This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022