Charles Rencountre

Artists
Written By Jason Root

Giiwedinong Museum is proud to announce the May 17th installation of the "Not Afraid to Look" replica sculpture on Giiwedinong’s corner in Park Rapids, 101 2nd Street W., and Highway 71.

We are grateful for the sculptor, Charles Rencountre, and his wife, Alicia, who made the journey from Santa Fe, NM to Giiwedinong. to install this monumental sculpture.

Together, we can ensure that these stories are not forgotten and that Indigenous voices continue to be heard. Your support is crucial to preserving and honoring the history and struggles of Indigenous communities.   

The Water Protector Movement is forever.

Here is the creation of the replica of Not Afraid to Look

The Standing Rock original stands 8 ft. It is still there.

Photo by Ryan Vizzions

Art transforms the world we understand. “Not Afraid to Look” inspires change and represents generations of courage—we are not afraid to look. By shedding light on uncomfortable truths and encouraging honest conversations, this piece serves as a catalyst for positive transformation and healing. Its impact extends far beyond its initial creation, making it a powerful messenger of social change. 

“Not Afraid to Look” can and will be used in an array of global concerns and places to inspire change and progress. By shedding light on uncomfortable truths and encouraging honest conversations, this piece serves as a catalyst for positive transformation and healing. Its impact extends far beyond its initial creation, making it a powerful approach to social change. 

Charles Rencountre is a member of the Sicanġu people, who are from the Lower Brule Reservation in what is South Dakota in the United States today.

Photo is a Collection: 2014-P-025 - Shane Balkowitsch Photograph Collection

Folder: 0015 | Item: 00192 | Title: Medicine Horse | Date: 9/15/2017

Creator: Balkowitsch, Shane B. | Summary: Charles Eugene Rencountre, Kul Wicisa Oyate. Part of “Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective” series.

“Not Afraid to Look” is a sculpture erected at the Sacred Stone Camp on the Missouri River during the Standing Rock resistance gathering.

The sculpture emerged from an “effigy pipe," originally carved and used at the end of the 17th century. 

Charles Rencountre, a well-established Lakota sculptor, began his work with a series of these pipes and then adapted Not Afraid to Look into a large sculpture first installed at the Santa Fe Institute for American Indian Arts. 

Then, during the NO DAPL protests, Charles Rencountre erected a second 8-foot sculpture at Sacred Stone Camp in Standing Rock, which remains the only physical evidence left after the ten-month gathering of the Water Protectors, symbolizing for many the emergence of the Water Protector Movement.

The sculptor, Charles Rencountre, says the piece was:

“When I think of the time I lived at the Oceti Sakowin and the Sacred Stone resistance camps at Standing Rock in 2016. I am reminded of all the Water Protectors from all the nations of the world converging to make peaceful prayers for the water. A Wicasa Wakan once shared with us in an Inipi ceremony as he was dipping a buffalo horn cap into the water and pouring it over the Grandfathers (tukans) that when we return to the spirit world we are all the same color as the water."

The husband-and-wife team envisions Not Afraid to Look becoming a symbol of strength for people fighting to protect natural resources around the world.

Join us in celebrating and embodying resilience and resistance at the museum.

The legacy of the Water Protector Movement endures eternally. Take your place and visit our museum to be a part of the experience.

Here are some photos of the event, and installation.

Miigwech for your support.

  • We are grateful for the volunteers, Ross Karoven, Jerry Lee Chilton, and his team from the Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, who have made the 'Not Afraid to Look' installation possible. Their hard work and dedication are truly inspiring.

  • We would like to acknowledge the City of Park Rapids and the Park Rapids Arts and Culture Commission for their support of Not Afraid to Look's installation.

  • Betty LaDuke

    Susan and David Egloff

    Julia Nerbonne

    Lara Weissblatt

    Krista Cleary

    Bruce Brummitt

    Barbara Ryman

    Penelope Cabot

    Kathryn Lopez

    Carole Zacek

    Lea Goode-Harris

    Katherine Tilton

    Sarah Martins

    Laura Schmidt-Dockter

    Harriott Leland

    Barbara Dockery

    Barbara Trees

    Portia Coyne

    Tim Mathern

    Thomas Nelson

    Karen Obermiller

    David Brisbin

    Lynn Shoemaker

    More continues to be added

You can also mail a check to Giiwedinong Museum at P.O. Box 148, Park Rapids, MN 56470.

Giiwedinong Museum has a 501c(3) status.

We will send you a donation acknowledgment letter for contribution(s) is greater than $250.

Make sure you provide us with a mailing address when you donate.

Jason Root
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Isaac Murdoch