Artist for the 6th Annual Repatriation Conference

GEORGE CURTIS LEVI
Ledger Art

George Curtis Levi is a member of the Southern Cheyenne Tribe of Oklahoma. He is also Southern Arapaho. He was raised in the Western Oklahoma communities of El Reno, Concho, and Geary.

George is a member of the Cheyenne Kitfox Warrior Society and has done extensive research and work on the Sand Creek Massacre and White Buttes Massacre in Colorado. These events directly affected the Cheyenne People in Colorado. He feels it is imperative to educate the people of Colorado about the history of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Peoples and their role in Colorado history.

George specializes in Cheyenne-style ledger art, and also acrylic and watercolor paintings as well as custom beadwork and parfleche work. The art and history of the Cheyenne people motivate him in his art. He is influenced by Cheyenne and Arapaho artists of the past. ​​

​Art Story for Ledger Piece. The ledger art piece is done on an antique mining document from Montana that dates from the 1890s. India ink and liquid acrylic paints were used. The dimensions are 8.5" x 11".

As a Cheyenne with historical ties to the state of Colorado, George drew a Medicine Wheel with two people inside of the wheel. It shows a museum curator showing a Cheyenne Woman a Cheyenne lattice cradleboard. George also included a desk with a Cheyenne parfleche box and a Cheyenne Headdress. The woman is wearing a red dress to show support for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Peoples Movement. 

The colors used for the Medicine Wheel start with yellow, red, black and white. A young Cheyenne girl with a doll is drawn with yellow color representing new life, innocence and spring. The figure with red color represents the coming of age, summer and protection. This is a Cheyenne Elk Horn Scaper Warrior Society Man. Cheyenne People have Warrior Societies that are composed of the Elk Horn Scrapers Society, Bow String Society, Crazy Dog Society, Kit Fox Warrior Society, and Dog Soldier Society. They are the traditional protectors of the Tribe. 

The black color represents adulthood, maturity and fall. The figure is a Cheyenne Chief. The Cheyenne has a Chiefs Society of 44 Chiefs. They are the decision makers for the Tribe. The white color represents knowledge, old age and winter. The figure is an older Cheyenne woman with her digging stick. Women are considered as Sacred Beings by the Cheyenne People. 

Cheyenne call themselves Tsistsistas and live in Northwestern Oklahoma and in Southeastern Montana.

You can contact George Curtis Levi at ​[email protected]
 or (405) 301-1956