Ordinary Presence:

The Everyday of Ikčé

Artists and co-curators Molina Two Bulls (Oglala Lakota), Graci Horne (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Hunkpapa Lakota/Dakota), Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota), Clementine Bordeaux (Sicangu Oglala Lakota), and mary v. bordeaux (Sicangu Oglala Lakota)

Curatorial Statement

What does it mean to be ikčé - to be common/ordinary?  In Lakota and Dakota thoughts, this term is often invoked to express humility, interconnectedness, and the foundation of everyday life. Yet, its meaning shifts depending on context, relationships, and individual experience. This exhibition emerges from a community curatorial practice shaped by conversations with Lakota and Dakota people who reflect on the depth and responsibilities of being ikčé today.

Artists and co-curators Molina Two Bulls (Oglala Lakota), Graci Horne (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Hunkpapa Lakota/Dakota), Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota), Clementine Bordeaux (Sicangu Oglala Lakota), and mary v. bordeaux (Sicangu Oglala Lakota) have engaged in dialogue with relatives, elders, culture bearers, and peers, gathering stories and insights that shape their creative responses. Through these discussions, ikčé reveals itself as more than an expression of modesty—it is a way of being deeply tied to leadership, caregiving, accountability, and the ongoing work of cultural continuity.

These conversations surface a shared understanding that humility is often performed publicly yet felt most deeply in everyday relationships. The idea of being ikčé emerges through acts of service, quiet generosity, and maintaining responsibility to one’s family and community. For some, it is a guiding force in leadership, not in authority but in care and authenticity. For others, it is a reflection of balance and responsibility, a way to navigate historical trauma while centering cultural knowledge.

Many spoke of the role of small, everyday gestures, such as offering coffee to visitors, treating others with care, and listening without needing to be centered. The knowledge embedded in these acts is often not explicitly taught but absorbed through observation, passed down in the simplicity of a grandmother’s hospitality, the resilience of men who move through life with grace, and the accountability modeled by women and children. Being ikčé is not just about individual humility; it is about collective well-being, reciprocity, and carrying oneself with wholeness.

The works in this exhibition are shaped by these dialogues, carrying forward the voices, histories, and lived experiences shared with us. This project is not just about representation; it is an active engagement with community knowledge, a reflection on the responsibilities of being ikčé today, and an invitation to consider how we each embody this understanding in our own lives.

Special acknowledgement and gratitude for the community that shared their knowledge and time with us.

Sina Bear Eagle (Oglala Lakota), Jhon Goes In Center (Oglala Lakota), Dawn E. Lebeau (Cheyenne River Lakota Nation), Wade Patton (Oglala Lakota), Daisy Trudell Mills (Xicana, European and Dakota descent), Tara Evonne Trudell (Santee Sioux/Rarámuri/Xicana), and Gwen Westerman (Dakota).

As well as our grandmas, aunties, moms, and relatives that showed us through their actions, love and care everyday what is means to be ikčé.

Hear more from the artists and co-curators on “In the Moment” with Lori Walsh on South Dakota Public Broadcasting