Painted Arrow Studio Talking Water Productions / Deborah Spears Moorehead

Tribal affiliation: Wampanoag

How to purchase:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaintedArrow-Studio-Talking-Water-Productions-1...
Youtube video: https://youtu.be/icznthi8P3Y

Email: paintedarrow2@yahoo.com, dspearsmoorehead@gmail.com
Phone number: +1 401-301-3691

Bio:

I am Deborah Spears Moorehead ,a Conceptual Fine Artist, Illustrator Muralist,Traditional Cultural Bearer, Storyteller Author, Song Writer, Performer. I belong to the Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag Tribal Nation, of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I have a Masters in Arts in Culturally Sustainability 2013 from Goucher College and aBachelors of Fine Arts from Swain School of Design 1981. I descend from Massasoit, who was the Supreme Sachem of the Wampanoags backin 1620. This year being 2020, commemorates 400 years since European Lirst contact with Wampanoags. Massasoit befriended and saved the lives of the Pilgrims from starvation upon their Lirst arrival to our homelands.. Massasoit and the Pilgrims stayed friends for over Lifty years until his death. Throughout his entire life he honored the peace treaty they made together. These Colonist that Massasoit saved their lives ,were the beginning participants of the forming of the United States. Today the United States government recognizes two tribes of the Wampanoag Nation, however, my tribe within the Wampanoag Nation is the family of Massasoit . We are the Seaconke Pokanoket Wamapnoag Tribe. My tribe is not, to this day, Federally Recognized because of our centuries of silence to be able to survive the genocide on killing Native people in our homeland. .I authored the book "Finding Balance The Oral and Written History and Genealogy of Massasoit's People" published by Blue Hand Books. It's available at amazon.com to document a Wampanoag's perspective on what truly happened to us. Massasoit also saved the life of Roger Williams Roger who later became the founder of Rhode Island. Williams challenged the Massachussets Bay Colony because he thought the Colonist were being deceptive to the Wampanoags in order to steal Wampanoag homelands right out from under their feet. Williams also believed in religious freedom which also challenged the Massachussets Bay Colonist authority . . My people did not leave this land, however, they survived through centuries of genocide becoming invisible, through ethnic cleansing and forced assimilation. They made treaties and agreements that we have honored, but the United States Government has not. My ancestors never gave up. They made an agreement with Benjamin Church at the end of Metacomert's Rebellion aka King Phillip's War . This agreement was what protected and kept my ancestors in the location of Seaconke, Massachusetts. I also descend from the Pequot Sachem, Sassacus, John Sassamon, a Harvard educated Massachusetts Indian and I also have ancestry from the Narragansett, Mohawk, Cherokee and Nipmuc Nations.

I was taught as a curious child that children were to be seen and not heard. When I asked too many questions my mother and grandmother gave me a pencil and paper and directed me to draw. On both sides of my family there were Professional Artist. My mother and grandmother encouraged me to express myself through visual and performing arts. My sister, and I as children, often had an audience to sing to, when guest visited our family home. I had particular questions that I wanted answers to; I certainly did not know how to articulate what I was feeling through language. What I wanted to know was, "Where were the rest of the families who looked like mine and what happened on this land that no one would speak of? " I felt the same way about public school history lessons .The Wampanoag history lesson addressed only the Thanksgiving holiday, and then stated that Eastern Woodland Indians were gone.; lesson over. That lesson never sat very well with me, since I knew it was a lie. Now, as a Traditional Cultural Bearer my creative work, lectures and performances serve to educate , assert, promote , value and validate the identity of the past , present, and future generations of the Eastern Woodland Tribal Nations.

My Art is homeland based and every piece has a unique story. I am interested in the values, strength, and beauty of indigenous people, and our ability to thrive into the future through adversity. Dispelling negative stereotypes of Native Americans , as well as promoting awareness, and dialogue on the subjects of social and economic inequities, are one of my goals through art My work's focus is on the contemporary cultural existence of Eastern Woodland Native American communities and the Cultural Sustainability of our Traditional Bearers and Environmental Knowledge Keepers. Creation, Oral Tradition, and stories of resistance, resilience and fortitude, inspire me. I am an Emic observer immersed in my culture and community ; my paintbrush captures the beauty of my people through portraits. I also paint land and seascapes.. I own Painted Arrow Studio, Talking Water Productions, where I teach, and create original Art, for gallery exhibits, museums, murals prints, illustrations and greeting cards. I also design tee shirts, fragrances, soaps, roast and distribute coffee, write books and compose songs and make music cd's and jewelry. Presently I am working on a commission to illustrate the front and back cover of the book .called 'Shirt Wearer." I recently collaborated with Sculptor, Alison Newsome , on a piece called "Three Sisters ". It is currently on display at the Empire Plaza in Providence through October 2020. In September 2019, I created a 16 foot "Land Acknowledgement Mural" on Cypress Street bridge through a grant from The Alliance for Community Health. In August of 2019 the Providence Preservation Society, awarded me a grant to paint amural depicting the many uses of Providence River and the historic land base along the bank. The mural depicts four centuries on four panels. "The Providence River Mural "will be on display at Providence City Hall in January 2021. Lastly, I am also working on a grant through Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, teaching traditional music and song writing . In 2017, my art was selected as the winner of the contest for the National Congress of American Indian. My piece called "Whoosh" was utilized for the marketing of their conference and graced the cover of their brochures. In 2015 the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts honored me with a "Community Leadership Award "for my pioneering work in creating the "First Ever" State Native American Art Exhibit. Also in 2013-14 my painting "Good Energy "was displayed in Congressman David Ciciline's ofLice. In 2012 the University of Rhode Island honored me as a "Woman of Distinction." In 2005, I won the "Youth Mural Award "from the National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian Institute.In 1992, I co-founded Nettukkusqk( my sister) an all woman Native American traditional healing., learning , teaching and music performing group. We are available to sing at your event.