Artwork copyright Lillian Pitt. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Wanapum She Who Watches, 1994

Lillian Pitt
(American | Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, born 1943)

Location: Puyallup School District, Puyallup

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Wanapum She Who Watches is part of artist Lillian Pitt's body of sculptural masks. The artist's Warm Springs, Wasco, and Yakama ancestry influenced the imagery and subjects of her masks. These works are often named after historic Northwest tribes and pay respect to the natural world. She notes, "'She Who Watches' is a pictograph overlooking the Columbia River where my great grandparents lived. She is an important figure of the Columbia River legends. Originally a woman chief, she taught her people how to live well. She wanted to watch over her people forever, so Coyote, the changer, changed her into a rock. Under her watchful gaze, we remember her as the last woman chief of the Columbia River people."

The original “She Who Watches” pictograph is located just west of the now-flooded Celilo Falls, above the site of Pitt’s paternal grandmother’s home village. It can be seen at Columbia Hills State Park's Temani Pesh-wa, the Walk of the Petroglyphs, in Southern Washington on the Columbia River. The park contains a significant and unique collection of Native American pictographs and petroglyphs, some on the native rimrock and others rescued from the rising waters behind The Dalles and John Day Dams.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Puyallup School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Northwest Native American artist Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama) creates masks, sculptures, jewelry, prints, public art, and more. She uses a variety of materials including clay, bronze, and glass. Her art reflects and celebrates her Warm Springs, Yakama, and Wasco heritage. In Pitt's own words: “Everything I do, regardless of the medium, is directly related to honoring my ancestors and giving voice to the people, the environment and the animals. It’s all about maintaining a link with tradition, and about honoring the many contributions my ancestors have made to this world.” She was honored with a Governor’s Award of the Oregon Arts Commission in 1990.