ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, women of the Blackfeet Nation are working to revive a plant pushed to the brink of extinction by the country's expansion. The spread of farming across the West — particularly when tribes were forced to adopt agriculture or risk losing their allotments — transformed the grasslands and waterways that sweetgrass depends on. Today, prolonged drought and changing water systems further threaten the fragile conditions this plant needs to survive.

For the Blackfeet Nation, women have traditionally been the keepers of plant knowledge, passing down skills and teachings through the harvesting of plants. As sweetgrass declined, the cultural practices and ceremonies that rely on this sacred medicinal plant were placed at risk.

The Women's Grass follows a group of Blackfeet women as they work to restore sweetgrass, a plant central to one of their oldest living ceremonies, the Beaver Ceremony. Through practices such as building BDA's (Beaver Dam Mimicry) to slow and restore water to the land and propagating wild sweetgrass to replenish depleted fields, they are reclaiming both the plants and the cultural teachings they carry.

ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

Whitney Snow is a documentary photographer whose work examines the Blackfeet Nation and the various challenges it faces as an Indigenous and rural community. Through her lens, she delves into the intricate aspects of cultural identity, exploring the intersection of tradition and contemporary life. Her photography also emphasizes environmentalism, illustrating the unique relationship between the Blackfeet people and their natural surroundings. Whitney is committed to language revitalization, documenting efforts to preserve and promote the Blackfeet language, which is integral to the community's heritage. By emphasizing these themes, she highlights the importance of preserving knowledge and building resilience in Indigenous communities as they face ongoing challenges.

ArtRage Gallery
505 Hawley Ave., Syracuse

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, women of the Blackfeet Nation are working to revive a plant pushed to the brink of extinction by the country's expansion. The spread of farming across the West — particularly when tribes were forced to adopt agriculture or risk losing their allotments — transformed the grasslands and waterways that sweetgrass depends on. Today, prolonged drought and changing water systems further threaten the fragile conditions this plant needs to survive.

For the Blackfeet Nation, women have traditionally been the keepers of plant knowledge, passing down skills and teachings through the harvesting of plants. As sweetgrass declined, the cultural practices and ceremonies that rely on this sacred medicinal plant were placed at risk.

The Women's Grass follows a group of Blackfeet women as they work to restore sweetgrass, a plant central to one of their oldest living ceremonies, the Beaver Ceremony. Through practices such as building BDA's (Beaver Dam Mimicry) to slow and restore water to the land and propagating wild sweetgrass to replenish depleted fields, they are reclaiming both the plants and the cultural teachings they carry.