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Overview
In the 1960s and 1970s, Fritz Scholder focused on contemporary issues of
Indigenous peoples and produced the Indigenous peoples series. Indian Power draws visual parallels to the image of athletic stars Tommy Smith and John
Carlos with gloved fists raised in the air after receiving their gold and bronze
metals during the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. This symbol of “Black
Power” resonated beyond the Black community.
Indian Power was extensively reproduced in the 1970s. It could be found in
the homes and offices of Indigenous peoples across the country and became
a visual symbol of Indigenous self-determination and activism.
However, the whereabouts of this iconic painting were unknown. Fortunately,
the painting appeared one day in the front window of an art gallery in Denver
and was purchased by a museum patron and later donated to the Denver Art
Museum.