THE HISTORY OF LEDGER ART

Ledger art derives from the practice of pictorially narrating events—battles, winter counts, heroic acts—on rocks and buffalo hides by Plains Indians predominantly. As buffalo became scarce in the mid-19th century, discarded pages from the ledger books of white European descendants allowed Native storytelling to continue even under the dismal conditions of boarding schools and reservations. In the 1960s, ledger art became a symbol of resilience, resistance, and the indomitable human spirit, and it is proudly practiced by Indigenous artists today.

The largest collection of ledger art is held at the Newberry, a cultural research institution in Chicago, which describes it as “part of a long tradition of Native people documenting their history on their own terms. Ledger art…counters harmful stereotypes, reasserts cultural continuity and sovereignty, and emphasizes connections through time.”

Click the button below to view ledger works by contemporary Montana-based artists.