Kaw, Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (born 1954)

This sign is part of the “Native Hosts” series by University of Kansas alum Edgar Heap of Birds. It names one of the five Indigenous tribes with connections to the region that is now called Kansas. The colonial name is printed backwards while the name of the land’s original occupants is printed forwards. The visual tension reminds viewers of the displacement of Native Americans from their homelands. This work is one of five signs created specifically for the Spencer Museum of Art to display on the Museum’s front lawn.