“You are not just visitors to this land anymore—you are also stewards who carry responsibility for its safekeeping.” – Meyo Marrufo, artist participant in the [Placeholder: Swallowtail] class project
Meaningful Connections
In the Fall of 2024, thirty-five students in a senior Photography class at CSU Sacramento embarked on a novel artistic collaboration, entitled [Placeholder: Swallowtail]. Over the three months of the semester, they immersed themselves in creative research to explore themes of land and belonging at two local State Historic Parks: the State Indian Museum and Sutter's Fort.
The students studied the details of the parks' present-day landscapes, examined archival documents preserving park history, and gained a deep appreciation for the interrelationship of land and community through engagements with Native artists and Traditional Ecological Knowledge specialists. The students then responded to these experiences through art making; they scanned plant cuttings from the site, identified native and non-native plant species in "yard portraits," and made environmental portraits of people who move through the park, from strangers to staff.
The [Placeholder: Swallowtail] project offered students an invaluable opportunity to engage with timely, real-world issues as well as a space to forge a new relationship to the land on which they live.
The class culminated in a exhibit at the end of the semester, which was on display in the State Indian Museum's temporary gallery as well as at Verge Center for the Arts, a local contemporary art space. The public was encouraged to visit both locations.
This digital exhibit offers a window into the [Placeholder: Swallowtail] project and presents the students' final artwork as it was displayed in the galleries.
Academic Encouragement
Professors Eliza Gregory and Amy Elkins led the students in this innovative, site-specific project. This class is the latest iteration in Gregory’s [Placeholder] project, a multifaceted artwork that seeks to recognize the damaged relationship between people and the land they live on, and search for pathways toward repair.
Elkins, who was brought on to co-teach the course, has been making photographic work about her family’s complex history in California in relationship to her cultural identity and the land for the past several years. She shared her research and art practice methods with students in this class.
State Parks Support
Over the course of the semester, students spent time on-site at the State Indian Museum, Sutter's Fort, and the Statewide Museum Collections Center. Their studies were guided by State Parks staff with varying expertise: from knowledgeable talks identifying endemic trees at the Parks, to advice on best practices for conducting archival research.
Artists and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Specialists in Dialogue
Another crucial aspect of the class was students’ engagement with practicing artists and Traditional Ecological Knowledge specialists.
A group of artists who have been involved with the Native community and State Parks for many years contributed to students’ educational support and guidance over the course of the semester. Digital artist and curator Meyo Marrufo, Karuk Tribe cultural practitioner and traditional basket weaver Dixie Rogers, and flautist and author Al Striplen met with students throughout the fall and provided crucial guidance on the developing art projects.
Sound artist Amy Melissa Reed led a class session, guiding students in an exercise where they wore headphones and used special microphones to listen to the pond, the trees, the plants and the walls of the Fort.
Dixie Rogers (left) and Meyo Marrufo (right) offering introductions on-site at the State Indian Museum on the first day of the semester
Jacky Calanchini (Curator of Collections) and Petee Ramirez (Senior Tribal Ecological Knowledge Specialist) from the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Cultural Resources Department, also participated in multiple class sessions. They presented a land-based history of the region, followed by a class at the State Indian Museum where students benefited from a tour of Native plants on-site and had the opportunity to create tule cordage, as seen in the image below.
[Placeholder: Swallowtail] Final Art Exhibit
November to December, 2024
Over 150 people attended the concurrent receptions for the exhibit of student artwork at the State Indian Museum and Verge Center for the Arts. At the receptions, students represented the culmination of their hard work and their experience in the class as a whole.
To see more of the project's process, check out the [Placeholder: Swallowtail] Short Film in the video above
Student Work
Sabrina Achiro
As the oldest tree on the Sutter’s Fort site, the valley oak tree (Quercus lobata) is culturally significant to the land and people. As a keystone species endemic to California, the valley oak only grows in California and supports a diverse ecosystem. This collage highlights each element of a valley oak tree – the leaves, bark, oak galls, and acorns. The acorns are significant to the Native American communities as a vital food source, providing essential nutrients that sustain generations. The woven photographs of a willow and a redbud tree pay homage to the Maidu and their intricately woven baskets crafted from these plants and used for cooking acorns. The plant scans and cyanotypes highlight the unique leaf shapes of the valley oak and are toned using the tannins from the oak galls. This collection of photographs preserves the cultural and ecological role of the valley oak on the site of Sutter's Fort, emphasizing the significance of trees to nature and people.
Yvonne Alanis
The photograph of the landscape shows the State Indian Museum. The photograph behind the landscape is of western blue-eyed grass, a native grass from western California. The tree is to represent a valley oak tree. Valley oak trees and acorns have an important role in the Native community. The leaves of my tree are made of photographs taken of the ground. This is to represent how the land has transformed. The design of the tree was inspired by the motion of cording tule when creating boats or other tools. The silhouette on the tree is of the plow. The original plow is a physical object that represents the complexities of this site, such as the coercion and exploitation of Native people and profound alteration of the land and people’s relationships to it. The names written on the ground is from the “PB Reading List.” The list is a document recorded for Sutter’s Fort. It was to document the Native Americans who worked at Sutter’s when it was in use. There are many layers to the history of Native Americans at Sutter’s fort. Many names were never recorded and have been lost to time. This art piece was made to give these names, and any other names not recorded, a form to be memorialized. They shaped the land at Sutter’s Fort, and they should be remembered.
Alex Apcar
Throughout the course of this semester, I have deepened my understanding of Native cultures, traditions, and their enduring connection to the land. This learning process has fostered a personal appreciation for the land we stand on today, which I strive to honor and reflect in my work. The collage represents my interpretation of these lessons, as well as the themes of displacement, loss, and transformation that have shaped Native American history. My focus is on the ways in which the land was altered when John Sutter arrived in the early 19th century, seeking profit and expansion. To illustrate this, I have incorporated images from different historical periods—from before the 1800s to the present day—showcasing the drastic shifts that have taken place over time. By organizing these images in a non-linear, undated manner, I intend to invite the viewer to interpret and connect the shifts in the land without being anchored to a specific historical timeline.
Elina Arzate, Journey Ferguson, & Brianna Perez
'Restoring History' is a series that showcases the positive impact of strengthening one’s relationship to land. Tim White, Alison Parks, and Maria Berry are a part of the State Parks staff. Prior to being photographed, they were interviewed about their relationship to Sutter’s Fort and the State Indian Museum. Each of them described how they are working towards being more transparent about Native history. Tim White discussed how he has done a lot of archival work to restore the structures at these sites. As depicted in the landscape image beside Tim, he recently worked to repair the stairs in the Fort to emulate the staircase’s original design. Maria Berry felt most connected to the State Indian Museum, as it is a place where she is able to share Native history and stories explicitly. Alison Parks explained how history affects not just people but also the surrounding landscape, which is why she felt the entirety of the park is special to her. The landscapes beside their portraits were each taken at a location they felt the most connected to.
Different tribes have different relationships to this land, had different relationships to Sutter himself...These days, we're exploring a lot more of that nuance and complexity, and really trying to open up the story and tell more than just the pioneer experience.
- Alison Parks, District Interpreter at Sutter's Fort SHP & the State Indian Museum
Kevin Azcueta
Building a Relationship with the Land is an interactive zine that allows viewers to engage with the land that surrounds the State Indian Museum and Sutter’s Fort. The zine encapsulates the artist’s interactions and experiences with the land and allows holders of the zine to create their own relationships to it by drawing, coloring, and writing within the pages. In the workbook-styled zine, viewers will be able to document their findings or details about certain plants or trees that they find interesting as a way to begin to understand the land that surrounds us. This zine is about acknowledging the land that we stand on so that we avoid becoming strangers to it and instead take on the responsibility of looking after it.
Jay Booker & Brandon Flores
We investigated the slough that is now a pond outside of the State Indian Museum. We decided to take pictures of each of the different plants that surround the pond and find out the given name for each of them. We aim to show you how the pond has changed over time and gesture toward the significance of those native plants for Indigenous Americans.
Jordan Burkart
As one of the only Native students in Sacramento State's photography program, I felt a great responsibility to accurately and authentically represent my community through art making. Since its introduction to the West, photography has been weaponized against Indigenous peoples and used as a tool to reinforce colonization. The photograph has been used to promote Manifest Destiny or the idea that European colonists were destined by the Christian God to expand westward across North America to possess the land and its resources, committing genocide against anyone who would stand in the way. I hope to reclaim the photograph by using cyanotypes to honor my culture. In this work, I am taking an instrument of control and conquest and transforming it into a medium of empowerment for Native women. Through this ribbon skirt, I want to reclaim the portrayal of Native women in media, using photography not to capture or conquer, but to celebrate and protect our stories, lands, and people.
Curtis Filter
People of the Park explores the contemporary use of the land surrounding Sutter’s Fort and State Indian Museum. The people who visit the park and walk its paths are a large part of its use and represent the Park's significance to the community. When you go to the Park, you are one of them. The people in each image were asked if they would like to pose for a portrait wherever they happened to be at that moment. Included with each portrait is a brief quotation, taken during the photographer’s interaction with the subject. These quotations do not define the person, or even help to clarify who they are. They merely add another layer to the visual information so that we can begin to imagine who they are.
Sofiya Gladysh & Cait Nelson
We often forget that the ability to view is powerful: in looking we examine, judge, and construct narratives around those who fall under our gaze. This sometimes transpires without the permission of the person being viewed. Native people have often been exploited and othered by non-Native photographers. The black and white portraits presented here are of Native people belonging to the Karuk, Pomo, and Amah Mutsun-Ohlone tribes. Each face is intentionally obscured—protected—by a plant that has a strong relationship to that tribe. While every face is obscured, not every eye is, to preserve a sense of humanity and accountability. In placing these collaged images onto display, the artists’ aim is to steer the power of the gaze away from the viewer and place it back into the hands of the viewed.
Imani Jack
I’ve created a zine for fourth graders to interact and get educated about the State Indian Museum and Sutter’s Fort. Throughout the [Placeholder] project I’ve learned about my own relationship to land and changed my perspective on history and how it is being taught. I want to pass this on, as well. My relationship to land has changed since the start of the semester because I’ve become more aware of where I am. I think that the State Indian Museum being on the same land as Sutter’s Fort is very powerful. It takes away the attention from Sutter, and puts it back on Native culture.
Mary Kaplenkova
This work explores the transformation of the Sacramento Valley with a particular focus on the area surrounding Sutter’s Fort. By magnifying the plants and trees essential to the region’s history, the project highlights the cultural significance of these species, many of which remain vital to the Native tribes who continue to call this land home. The five images are composed of archival photographs, drawings, paintings, and postcards, each documenting the land's transformation over time. The final image, a photograph taken by the artist, represents the land as it exists today at Sutter’s Fort Park. Through the lens of these plants and trees, the project expands into a broader reflection on how knowledge of the land shapes our ongoing relationship with it. The work emphasizes the landscape’s continuous transformation, providing context about the plants that inhabit it and highlighting their role within the larger environmental narrative. As one’s understanding of the land deepens, so too does the responsibility to care for and preserve it.
Yoselyn Can Mendoza
Many people walk around the pond located in between the State Indian Museum and Sutter’s Fort. To some people it might be a regular park because they do not know the history of it. Seeing the small details is important, as they hold the history of the land that we live on. The land has provided us with so many benefits. Some plants have learned to adapt to the changes that this world is making, and Native people use the majority of the plants that surround the pond in their daily lives. Native Americans utilize plants for a wide variety of purposes including food, clothing, tools, medicine, shelter, and ceremonial practices; depending on the specific plant and tribe, they use different parts like leaves, roots, berries, bark, and fibers to create everything from baskets and houses, to remedies and dyes. We are so fortunate to have some of the plants that they use at the pond to make a connection. Make a connection with everything that surrounds us. Stop for a second, close your eyes, take a big breath, and listen to what the world is giving us.
Sephine Milan
This 3-D collage makes the viewer question the “flat” nature of photography. It emphasizes the difference between a 2-D image of a tree and the tree itself. Some of the plants in this 3-D collage are native to Sacramento. Some are native to California, but are not native to the Sacramento area specifically. Other plants are not native to California at all, though not all non-native plants are invasive. Thus, some are harmful to the environment, while others aren’t.
Evin Monico
This project is a trivia zine about the history surrounding Sutter’s Fort, aimed towards educating children. It describes various aspects of history that surrounds the Fort while acknowledging the mistreatment of Native people. This includes aspects such as materials used in construction and agriculture of the Fort as well as the roles played by the people occupying it. Other information includes the rooms of the Fort and their dedicated purpose. In between this information, there are activities such as a maze and puzzles, along with pages for children to draw and help them stay engaged with the information provided in the book. The aim of the project is to help educate the children about history while also acknowledging harsh truths that often go overlooked.
Catcher Moody
The main goal of this piece is to advertise Sutter’s Fort State Park in Sacramento. I am taking a flyer/poster-like approach to this to make it feel like a more organic process. I highlight the “normality” of the park by displaying native wildlife and plants as well as some features of the State Park such as the pond ecosystem and the Fort in which it was constructed. I am displaying this to show off the park in hopes of getting people to visit, and for them to see what it has to offer not only in nice scenery but to also listen to the conversation the ecosystem has to convey. This way, people can earn a closer relation to the environment and the land they live on.
Sabrina Ochoa
My audio tour encompasses both factual history and imaginative story telling. It consists of seven stations throughout the outside and inside of the Fort. I wanted to make sure I got even information on both outside and inside the grounds to show an unbiased opinion on both areas. With the different voices in the tour itself, I hope to convey the celebration of different cultures. Overall, this tour aims to bring knowledge to people and have them walk away with the feeling of a better understanding of the grounds.
Alex Otomo
This project captures the evolving landscape of the Sutter’s Fort pond across several distinct eras, each illustrating a unique moment in the pond’s history. While each time period offers insight, the eras before 1850 and beyond today are less documented, reflecting both the limits of the historical record and the unpredictability of the future. The selected periods highlight key transformations, focusing on moments with the most lasting impact on the pond's ecology and role within the community. Through these scenes, the work invites viewers to ponder the interplay between nature and human influence, revealing how a natural slough transformed into an urban pond to endure across generations. This evolving green space serves as both a historical relic and a living presence in Sacramento’s urban story.
Jesus Pinedo
Trees are one of the most important aspects of nature, they help us live and breathe. These images initiate a process of getting to know the trees at the State Indian Museum and Sutter’s Fort, in order to enter into a more conscious relationship with them.
Lorena Sanchez
When it comes to trees, soil is the root of it all. Soil plays a critical role in the lives of trees, which is often overlooked. When the soil lacks nutrients, the leaves are the first to show it. Due to urbanization and constant movement of soil, many of the native trees have been diminished, or have been affected by this. Within my work, I am exploring my relationship to trees and the soil at the State Indian Museum. For this site-specific installation I chose to honor one of the oldest living trees still rooted in the land there—the valley oak.
Marian Schutz
The American River, known to Native American tribes as No'to Mo'm, has been a vital force shaping the land and lives of the people who have called this region home for thousands of years. The river and its surrounding wetlands, including Burns Slough (now Lake Kiesel), and the pond between Sutter's Fort and the State Indian Museum, played a central role in sustaining Indigenous communities. This collage tells the story of the water’s flow through time, highlighting the constant ebb and flow of the river and its impact on the community. Through a layered exploration, this work examines how the American River has shaped not only the land but also the history of this area, marking a transition from its natural, dynamic state to a dramatically altered landscape of human-engineered control. The images capture both the past and present, reflecting the intersection of human history with the forces of nature.
Celeste Sotelo
After getting inspired by the use of natural remedies by Indigenous people, 'Healing Through Nature' illustrates some of the common plants at Sutter's Fort and the importance they bring to the human body physically. In my art pieces, I focused on four specific plants: rosehip, redbud, western redbud, and elderberry. As an artist, I decided to use the plant itself with a black background to emphasize how it's being portrayed through its natural colors and form to describe the many different ways these native plants are put to use. I also decided to incorporate the plants’ names in the Karuk language, in credit to Dixie Rogers, who came from the Karuk tribe and used this specific language to name these essential plants.
Katelyn Vengersammy
This zine invites young readers to explore the natural and cultural world that surrounds the State Indian Museum in Sacramento. Focusing on adjacent plants, animals, and the traditional Native American ways of living, it provides an engaging and interactive experience that connects students to the region's ecology. The process to create this work included multiple rounds of design work, experimentation, and problem-solving when it came to communicating the museum's essence through a photo book and activity guide. The zine encourages fourth graders to connect with the area's natural environment and cultural significance, instilling early appreciation for an Indigenous past, present, and future.
Ashley Walsh
This artwork focuses on how certain trees are culturally significant to Native Americans. Each tree provides a resource for basket weaving, whether it’s the actual weaving material or the dyes used for the baskets. In the State Indian Museum, certain baskets displayed use materials from these three trees found around the property. These practices are still alive and well—yet another reason we must take care of the environment around us, so this historic livelihood lives on for future generations. Pictured here are leaves from the trees that make up the material of some of the baskets in the State Indian Museum gallery. Go visit them, and immerse yourself in their splendor.
Kylie Welch
My goal is to create something that has real, tangible, and practical value for the people visiting and working at the park. Part of what makes photography important to me is not just documentation or esoteric purposes, but generating utilitarian services that are created in an aesthetic way. These sign mockups use photos of native plants to enable the audience to identify which plant they are viewing, as well as add valuable information that can contribute to the richness of their experience.
Tonallo Colon and Ruby Juchau
[Placeholder: Swallowtail] – The Student’s Journey is a celebration of the creative efforts of the Photography Seniors from California State University Sacramento. This book showcases the students' photographic works created throughout the semester, focusing on our collaboration with California State Parks and California Native Elders Al Striplen, Dixie Rogers, and Meyo Marrufo. Together, we explored the concept of "nativeness" and examined the historical and cultural connections between Sutter’s Fort and the State Indian Museum. The project provided an opportunity for students to engage with the land, its history, and its Indigenous communities—gaining insight from the Elders who shared their knowledge and wisdom with us.
Please click on the photographs to read student reflections on the project
Acknowledgments
[Placeholder: Swallowtail] would like to acknowledge the many individuals who supported student learning during this project: Meyo Marrufo, Amy Melissa Reed, Dixie Rogers, and Al Striplen; the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Cultural Resources Department including Jacky Calanchini (Curator of Collections) and Petee Ramirez (Senior Tribal Ecological Knowledge Specialist); and staff from the Capital District of California State Parks.
[Placeholder: Swallowtail] is supported in part by the Arts in California Parks initiative, which is a partnership between California State Parks, Parks California, and the California Arts Council, by the donors of the Photography Special Projects Fund at Sacramento State, and by the California Indian Heritage Center Foundation.