Joe Harjo's "Indian Removal Act III - We are a Wounding" marks the final installment of "Indian Removal Acts I-III," an exhibition series that Harjo describes as "delving into the historical and contemporary issues that have profoundly affected Native American communities, our land, our narratives, and our pursuit of prosperous futures."

The exhibition includes new photography, video, sculpture, prints, text and installation. Harjo considers Manifest Destiny, a 19th-century belief held by many Americans that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

This ideology had a profound and negative impact on Native American people, resulting in land displacement, violent conflicts, loss of cultural heritage, treaty violations, and genocide. Indeed, the title of Harjo’s body of work derives from the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forcibly displaced Native nations, including Harjo’s own, the Muscogee Nation, to "unsettled" lands west of the Mississippi River.

At TCU, Harjo conceives Act III as a reflection on resolution, with a view towards the future. By addressing the current misrepresentations, homogenization, and undervaluation of Native culture, his work brings visibility to and emphasizes Native growth, contributions, resourcefulness, adaptability, and existence of Native people within contemporary spaces.

Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on display through November 15.