JACKSON, Wyo. — A new mural representing the Arapaho lifeway is being unveiled in Garaman Park, titled Yeneini3i’ 3o3outei’i (Four Hills of Life), on Oct. 4, Jackson Hole Public Art announced Friday.
The four-foot by 80-foot mural is in the Garaman underpass and was commissioned by Jackson Hole Community Pathways and Jackson Hole Public Art. Artist Colleen Friday created the mural along with Adrienne Vetter and her fifth and seventh-grade art students from Fremont County School District #38.
The mural is visually divided into four 20-foot sections that reflect Northern Arapaho culture with seasonal and lifeways as interdependent to the buffalo.
“The students did their own sketches about buffalo, water and culture on long strips of paper when we did brainstorming,” Friday said. “When it was time to make one design, the Four Hills of Life made sense because it could encompass almost everything that was in the students’ images. Being able to create a visual of the Four Hills is meaningful because it represents the Hinono’eino’ (Arapaho) lifeway.”
“A beautiful aspect of the process was how much our students enjoyed being part of something so much larger than themselves,” Vetter said. “Murals take the emphasis off the individual artist. It becomes ‘ours’ and about what we can accomplish collectively. Students would come in each day looking forward to see what imagery had been painted by other students and they were excited to see what new part of the mural they would get to paint.”
“Arapaho people understand that culture is embedded in our stories and language and elders are at the center as the holders of all knowledge,” the press release states. “Although this mural is in a linear format to fit the physical Pathways space, the four hills of life–like the seasons– unfold in a circle. Children and elders are seen as close to each other.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the mural is Wednesday at 12 p.m., rain or shine.
Participating students:
- Jessica Amos
- Kimora Antelope
- Ataliya Antonio-Bell
- Hope Armajo
- DaiMira Arthur
- Samantha Arthur
- Roberta Bell
- Dai’Ja Blackburn
- Jacaisha Blackburn
- Joshua Brown
- Kencin Brown
- LeTavian Brown
- Ayannah C’Hair
- MaeLena CrazyThunder
- Elana Daw
- Grayson Daw
- Marlito Duran
- Maylita Duran
- Shyleigh Ghostbear
- Shye Goggles
- Ismael Guzman
- Joseph Headley
- Aliyah Hubbard
- Jasmine James
- Jesse James
- Joesph Jenkins
- Phillip Killsnight
- Terrance Lonebear
- Brett Martel
- Rayliana Means
- Shotenei Monroe
- Kaiden Moss
- Riley Moss
- Kaylum Piper
- Biixonoo Quiver
- Violet Rhodes
- A’mare Shakespeare
- Katrina Shakespeare
- Senika Spoonhunter
- Joel St. Clair
- Preshious SunRhodes
- Christine Tallwhiteman
- Kailyn Timbana
- Tae’Onna Timbana
- Abby Wadda
- Isabelle Wagon
- Cadence Washakie
- Morry White
- Skyla White Antelope
- Danielle WhiteBird
- Amadaius Whiteplume
- Harmony Yellowfox
“We worked on the details and I had fun with my friends,” said Rayliana Means, a fifth-grade student who worked on the mural. “My favorite part is the Milky Way with the rivers and the trees. [In an Arapaho story] the Milky Way was created by the buffalo that took a shortcut across the sky and the dust tracks became stars.”
