The Eugene Standingbear collection is being shown in conjunction with the traveling exhibit RACE: Are We So Different?—on view at the History Colorado Center now through January 4.  Among the drawings is one that clearly speaks to Standingbear’s life in two worlds. In the drawing, Eugene divides himself in two: half of him wears traditional Indian clothing and is surrounded by images reflecting his life as a Sioux Indian, while half of him wears an Anglo man’s suit, with images of his experiences outside the reservation.  Even without knowing the details of Standingbear’s life, one can see that his identity was shaped by race and two very different cultures that were often conflicted.

The conflicts were many and resulted in long-lasting scars and impact on the lives of Native Americans.  In 1876, when Eugene’s father was a little boy, his people were confined to Sioux reservations.  Other changes followed:  the disappearance of the buffalo (replaced in time by cattle); the push to make American Indians farmers rather than nomadic hunters, which resulted in a change from eating what nature provided to eating what the U.S. government provided (including flour, sugar, and alcohol); agency police and the establishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; government support of missionaries and the outlawing of the traditional Sun Dance; and government education programs aimed to rid Indians of the old ways and assimilate them into Anglo culture.

The blending of cultures on the reservation was a serious challenge, as many American Indians in those days resisted the changes forced upon them – viewing the Anglo ways and those who adopted them with skepticism.  By the time Eugene came along, Indians returning to the reservation often found themselves between the two cultures, never fully accepted by either.

“We are coming up on the 150^th anniversary of the Sand Creek Massacre on November 29, which for Coloradans, shines a spotlight on painful nature of Anglo-Native American relations in the 19^th, 20^th and now the 21^stcenturies,” says Alisa Zahler, curator of the Standingbear exhibit at History Colorado.  “The Standingbear collection is on display to encourage candid, public discussion about the inner turmoil many people of color, not just African Americans, experience around race. We hope they will join us in taking a look at how Standingbear’s life and art illustrate the impact of race on identity."

A self-taught artist, Eugene Standingbear began drawing in his youth.  Pen and paper in hand, he sketched at his mother’s side while she did beadwork. Eugene also painted, sang, acted and danced.  In his lifetime these art forms kept him connected to his American Indian heritage.  They also reflected his life experiences – the joyful and the sorrowful.

Admission to the Standingbear lecture is $4 for members and $5 for nonmembers. Call 303-866-2394, or register online at www.historycolorado.org.