Our Stories Our Medicine Archive

ABOUT THE OSOMA PROJECT

In June of 2018, I met with Dr. Beltran to discuss her research project entitled Our Stories, Our Medicine Archives (OSOMA). This project takes an innovative approach to community engagement, health, and healing through archiving the stories of indigenous peoples and documenting each person’s journey through historical trauma. As a Native American artist, I share a kindred desire and need to create art and awareness related to indigenous knowledge, community, land and place. I have spent the last twenty-five years exploring these issues in a variety of mediums in my independent and collaborative art projects. Social inequalities and issues related to health and well-being often emerge through the documentary work I’ve produced, the installations I’ve created, and the methodologies I’ve employed in my own social practice/engagement workshops.

My care and approach to interdisciplinary collaboration continues to serve both the research component of the OSOMA project as well as the creative, both in process and outcomes. We are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Beltran, her team and the University of Denver faculty through the exploration and the unearthing of our collective human experiences.  - Steven J. Yazzie