I am a quilter both by heritage and choice, so I chose to work in the medium I know. I selected icons from tribal communities we may look to for examples in examining what justice means – or could mean – in the United States today. Drawing inspiration from Native American tribes, as well as tribal communities around the globe, I selected five symbols to represent the various cultural approaches to justice: the broken arrow, the Mpatapo, the bear, the Koru, and the Acatl. I matched these symbols with fabrics designed from the same cultural heritages or inspired by them, and juxtaposed the icons and fabric squares into a quilt to bind them all together into a quilt, which to me represents warmth, sharing, craft, heritage, and a shared tradition often rooted in family and community. In reimagining justice for today, I think examining our relationship and connections to the past is a critical step in being able to move forward. Additionally, the old saying “a stitch in time saves nine” came to mind in that our efforts to reimagine the justice system by using ancient techniques to remedy wrongs will hopefully save us all time and pain.

LOCATION: USA