Tyler Read, American
How the Protectors Defeated the Black Snake, 2016
Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, Tyler Read’s mural is a call for action as he represents the prophecy of the Black Snake and its connections to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Read’s work demonstrates the environmental injustices the Pipeline poses as native nations work together to fight against capitalism, greed, and white supremacy. Foremost, Read depicts a great Black Snake, Zuzeca Sapa, a prophecy of doom. In this case, Zuzeca Sapa also represents native groups uniting, protecting their people from the hazards the Pipeline will cause, including polluted waterways and the destruction of ancestral land. As indigenous people put their lives on the line to protect their health and culture, artists such as Read, who created public art in a time of violence, represent hope, unity, and strength. Label by Clarissa Cantacuzene