Indigenous Visions for a Shared Future: A Conversation with Crystal Bridges’ Jordan Poorman Cocker

Indigenous Futurism, Place, and Kinship: An Interview with Crystal Bridges’ Jordan Poorman Cocker

Jordan Poorman Cocker is the curator of Indigenous art and NAGPRA officer at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She recently co-curated the exhibition “American Sunrise: Indigenous Art at Crystal Bridges,” which explores the beauty and intricacy of Indigenous art.

The show, which runs through March 23, 2025, features work by thirty prominent artists from what is now known as the United States and Canada, spanning 150 years. The exhibit highlights the diverse range of innovative mediums, including basketry, beadwork, paintings, photography, and pottery.

A New Perspective on Indigenous Art

One of the mistakes museums have made in the past is to frame Indigenous art and material culture through the settler-colonial lens of erasure or historicism. This exhibition upends the racialized stereotype of Indigenous people existing only in America’s history. By curating with artworks from across time periods, communities, and a range of mediums, the stories represented are closer to the reality of Indigenous Nations’ continuity and resilience.

Indigenous Futurism: A New Approach

The title “American Sunrise” was inspired by the 2019 novel of the same name by Joy Harjo, the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States. Harjo’s poetry opens a dialogue with American history through the lens of Indigenous Nations’ relationships to the land through past, present, and future timelines. The exhibition celebrates the historical and ongoing relationships between Indigenous peoples and the land, as well as intergenerational artistic expressions.

A Holistic Context for Indigenous Art

The exhibition is an extension of Cocker’s curatorial work over the last nine years, which has been informed by Indigenous research methodologies. This approach focuses on how Indigenous communities perceive art across generations and through time, creating a more holistic and truthful context for Indigenous art within the U.S.

The Rise of Indigenous Art

It feels like we’re seeing more and more Indigenous art being shown at high-profile venues like the Venice Biennale. To what would you attribute this? As the United States reckons with its very brief history and identity—which is rooted in settler colonialism—we will continue to see Indigenous art and artists celebrated internationally and nationally as they should be.

The Importance of Representation

What’s something that everyone gets wrong about Indigenous art? Failing to include Indigenous art and stories. This neglect perpetuates the racialized stereotype of Indigenous people existing only in America’s history, rather than recognizing their continuity and resilience.

In her TEDx talk, Cocker said, “We are the latest version of our ancestors.” She explained that this statement is rooted in Kiowa epistemology, which measures time not by linear Western standards but in generations and the cycle of seasons. This approach recognizes the interconnectedness of past, present, and future, as well as the importance of honoring one’s ancestors.

A New Era for Indigenous Art

As Cocker continues to build the collection and curate exhibitions at Crystal Bridges, she is committed to upholding national and international best practices, including federal policies such as the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act. Her work is part of a larger movement to recognize and celebrate Indigenous art and artists internationally and nationally.