This installation features Bi’ nneete (No Water), thirty original drawings made by Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke (Crow)) to form a “corral” of horses, which hold significance in the Northern Plains Native history and cultures. Red Star sketched each horse from historical ledger drawings (narrative drawings) found in museums and archives across the United States.

Red Star’s ancestor, Green Skin, was a holder of a “horse-getting” medicine bundle (medicine bag). The bag contained symbolic items that gave him extraordinary powers derived from the sky (the sun, stars, birds, and meteorological phenomena) to take horses from enemies. This feat, also known as “going on a raid,” required unflinching courage and a willingness to risk death but brought honor, wealth, and greater sustainability for the Tribal Nation. With her own corral of horses in Bi’ nneete (No Water), Red Star asserts her place as a horse-getter in the continuing tradition of Apsáalooke warriors and artists, connecting a vibrant tradition to an ongoing pursuit of history and identity.

Red Star’s installation at MAG also includes two examples of historical ledger drawings from the museum’s permanent collection.