EDITOR ' S GREETING
THIS MONOTYPE PRINT
by Juanita Pahdopony-Mithlo ( Comanche , 1947 – 2020 ) hangs in the First American Art Magazine office , as a reminder of why this publication exists . We need to mark our times and share our knowledge . Juanita , who walked on this summer , did both .
I met Juanita in the 1990s when she was teaching at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha . My father hoped she would be able to take over the American Indian studies program there when he retired , but the school had other ideas . Instead , Juanita served her own community as the dean and interim president of the Comanche Nation College . heather ahtone shares more of Juanita ’ s incredible accomplishments in her memorial piece on page 96 . While Juanita was best known for her writing skills and her advocacy for fellow Indigenous authors through the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers , I first knew her as a visual artist . heather , Tony Tiger , and I were able to co-curate her artwork in H2OK : Native Response to Water Issues in Oklahoma . I invited her to participate in Savages and Princesses : The Persistence of Native American Stereotypes , which is now a traveling exhibition featuring Juanita ’ s humorous sendups on a painful subject . Currently on view at the Seminole Nation Museum in Wewoka , Oklahoma , the show will continue traveling coast to coast through 2024 .
Juanita was a contributing writer to FAAM . Last issue when an emerging Comanche photographer , Ben Norberto III , approached us about publishing his photo essay on the annual Comanche Homecoming , Juanita readily agreed to write the accompanying text and shared her poem “ Dirty Dancing in Sultan Park ” which was perfect for the piece . She praised Ben for his photography and encouraged him to continue photographing their shared community .
Previously she tackled the challenge of critiquing Indigenous exhibitions , such as Enter the Matrix : Indigenous Printmakers
above Juanita Pahdopony-Mithlo ( Comanche , 1947 – 2020 ), Now is the time to write our own histories …, 1996 , monotype on paper , 10½ × 14 in .
with her friend Eva Williams , Chase Kahwinhut Earles : Ancestral Caddo Pottery , and Re-Riding History : From the Southern Plains to the Matanzas Bay . With every project she was involved in , she made new connections and enduring friendships .
A consummate storyteller , Juanita often received stories from her dreams , as her husband Henry Mithlo told me . She kept many of us rapt by her accounts of an orphaned calf from the couple ’ s herd . She bottle-fed Little Red Bull by hand , and Henry says he ’ s doing fine and still comes when called for chin scratches .
Last summer Juanita and I both participated in a contentious meeting . I felt horrible for snapping at her and called her that evening to apologize . She told me she thought nothing of it and just knew I was passionate about the subject . Her kindness , patience , and generosity touched me and served to remind me to emulate her more moving forward . Too often , through a scarcity mentality , the art world or academia encourages people to fight over crumbs . Juanita was one of our leaders who saw the big picture and who freely lifted up her fellow writers , artists , and teachers — knowing that the scarcity of opportunities is an illusion .
Juanita showed up . She brought friends with her to meetings , artist talks , parties , and gatherings of all types , as she naturally strengthened our communities . Fred Fodder , her nephew , said : “ Juanita loved writing and the arts . She basically devoted her life to it .” Always generous in sharing her knowledge of Comanche culture and history with her fellow Comanches , Juanita ’ s writings will live on . A new book of Juanita ’ s poetry is in the works at That Painted Horse Press , so we have that to look forward to .
Yesterday , I visited with Henry Mithlo on the phone while I was walking my dog in a large field . While talking to Henry , I spied a bill , which turned out to be a $ 100 bill . I asked him if his family had chosen a cause to donate to in Juanita ’ s memory . Henry said that donations can be made to the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton , Oklahoma . Juanita had served on that museum ’ s board . They can be reached at info @ discovermgp . org . So , of course , I ’ m sending them my unexpected windfall .
Thank you , Juanita , for your generosity . These are dark times , filled with sorrow and loss . We can take inspiration from Juanita and share our blessings with some of her humor and wisdom , and together we can strive to make these times a little brighter . — America Meredith
( Cherokee Nation )
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