The Summer Solstice is an important event connecting the Earth with the celestial movement of the Sun. This image represents elements of my Native heritage. In the image you will find Makwa (the Bear), which is my clan, a yellow background for the Sun, a spiral for the continuation of time, and corn for nourishment. The circles and the colored kernels represent the four directions, the four seasons, and the four races. —Gordon Coons

Gordon Coons is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe of Northern Wisconsin and a descendant of the Ottawa tribe in Michigan. Now living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gordon is a self taught artist, creating and experimenting with a variety of media including linoleum block prints, paintings, pen and ink drawings, and creations in stone, wood, and assembled sculptures. Although his artwork is more contemporary, each piece portrays a unique view of traditional Native stories or is a record or impression of Indigenous history in North America.