My Aunt Viola is a symbol of the modern day Native American who is living in two worlds. Lowry uses her aunt Viola as this symbol by dressing her in Plains Indian clothing and wearing a headdress with ermine ties. This depicts how Native Americans are viewed by society, the stereotypes that are created based on how their culture is represented in media and texts to the public.
Sacrifice: June 21, 1936; the little girl is one of Lowry’s relative who died an unfortunate death at the Indian Health Service Hospital from being over-anesthetized by an intoxicated white doctor. It is a personal painful survival memory on when California Indians were forced to live on Spanish missions as slaves. This was also the point where Native Americans were denied the freedom of expression in both religious and cultural aspects, and those who refused were killed.
Weh-Pom and the Star Sisters is one of Judith Lowry’s family stories and oral traditions of her people she depicted through a series of pictures. This is where Weh-Pom, a coyote, travels to the heavens in pursuit of the five star sisters who simply dance around him in traditional regalia.
Judith Lowry is one of the most recognized Native American artists whose work depicts Native American people in contemporary culture. She did not attend college until she was in her thirties. She attended Humboldt State University, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts, and later went to Chico State University to receive her Master of Fine Arts. Her vibrant works, centered around family stories, California Native oral traditions, and more and really integrating her family history is what made her so renowned. She tells the untold history of the Native Americans, really showing the truth behind Native American culture and the lives of the people.
The Untold History of Native Americans in the Gold Rush 