Skip to main content

Telling many Magpies, Telling Black Wolf, Telling Hachivi

1989
Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (Native American (Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation), born 1954) Published by Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia
Heap of Birds’s work addresses the stereotyping and appropriation of Native American culture in American society. Through his largely word-based art, the artist seeks to eradicate racist and romantic conceptions of Indians and reveal the more complex realities of contemporary Native American experience. The title of this print refers to the oral history tradition among Native Americans: Many Magpies (manifest here as abstracted bird forms) was the name of the artist’s great-great-grandfather, a Cheyenne chief, also known as Heap of Birds; Black Wolf was the artist’s great-grandfather; and Hachivi (Hock E Aye Vi) is the artist.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.