The Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) at Vermont Law School invites the public to visit “Project 562,” an exhibit by Native American photographer and activist Matika Wilbur. Located in the gallery space adjacent to the Julien and Virginia Cornell Library on the VLS campus, the free exhibit will remain open until Jan. 1, 2019.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Wilbur is a member of the Swinomish and Tulalip tribes of coastal Washington. She created Project 562 to photograph portraits and collect stories of members from each of the more than 562 federally recognized Native American tribes across the United States, and spent years traveling and living in an RV to complete the series. Before her, no one has set out to photograph all known tribes since the early 1900s, when Edward Curtis, a white man, wanted to capture images of “the vanishing race.”
Wilbur’s project serves not only to show that tribal members are surviving and thriving all over the U.S., but also to dispel misconceptions surrounding the indigenous people of America. When she visits a tribe, Wilbur’s subjects pose voluntarily, and she asks how they would like to be photographed. Some wear ceremonial dress, while others wear a favorite T-shirt. Each portrait is accompanied by a narrative about the subject
“Showing the Project 562 exhibit on the Vermont Law School campus is an incredible opportunity, bringing both education and understanding of the unique perspective of Native Americans today,” said NALSA President Samantha Doyle JD’19.
Music by Native American artists will accompany the exhibit at VLS through the end of November. For more information about Project 562, visit project562.com.
The Native American Law Students Association aims to raise awareness about Native American cultures and legal issues, and strives to inform Native American communities about Vermont Law School’s mission and programs. For more information about NALSA, follow on Facebook @VLSNALSA or email SamanthaDoyle@vermontlaw.edu.
###
Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, is home to the nation’s largest and deepest environmental law program. VLS offers a juris doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; four master’s degrees—Master of Environmental Law and Policy, Master of Energy Regulation and Law, Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy, and Master of Arts in Restorative Justice; and four post-JD degrees —LLM in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LLM in Energy Law, LLM in Environmental Law, and LLM in Food and Agriculture Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, Center for Applied Human Rights, and Center for Justice Reform. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.