The renowned Deaf artist Nancy Rourke has been working on a mural on the west wall of the National Deaf Life Museum space in Chapel Hall since early June. This mural, measuring about 19 feet tall and 56 feet wide, is the largest she has ever worked on.

The eight-panel mural will depict seven Indigenous figures, representing the two tribes from the Washington, D.C. area, the Piscataway and the Nacotchtank. The seven figures are using Indigenous signs, acknowledging that the land on which Gallaudet sits was originally the home of these two peoples.  

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Rourke is herself an enrolled member of the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians in California. 

According to Museum staff, Rourke fills in sections of the mural, one section at a time. Using a hydraulic lift, she starts at the top, 25 feet up, and works her way down.  Once a section is completed, the lift is repositioned, and the process begins again. 

The mural is part of the larger 鈥淲e, Native Deaf People, Are Still Here!鈥� exhibition, which is led by Indigenous Deaf curators. It will be formally dedicated on October 17, in conjunction with a healing ceremony at which Building 103 will be renamed. The healing and renaming ceremony will be led by Turtle Island Hand Talk (TIHT).

The mural will be on display for at least two years.  A smaller piece of artwork, above the Chapel Hall stage, will be a permanent result of this project.

The National Deaf Life Museum also is preparing to accept temporary donated belongings and artwork relevant to the exhibit. The second floor of the Gate House will serve as a staging area for new arrivals, documenting, and processing, while the building鈥檚 basement will serve as a workshop for other exhibit materials. 

According to Museum staff, 鈥淚n museum and archival fields, items being preserved in an archive or displayed in a museum are usually referred to as objects or artifacts. While they may come with information, they are 鈥榗linically detached鈥� from their original owners.  In many Native American cultures, these objects, especially those with active religious significance, are considered belongings, though some objects that are passed down can be considered artifacts.鈥�  In recognition of the preferences of the Indigenous Deaf community, NDLM will use the term 鈥渂elongings鈥� as they process loans for the exhibit.

Tabitha Jacques, 鈥�06, Director of Placemaking, recently completed all requirements for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture鈥檚 Ethical Interpretation Workshop. This training, which included a capstone project, has greatly informed her work with the 鈥淲e, Native Deaf People, Are Still Here!鈥� exhibition. 

Some of the information in this article originally appeared in the National Deaf Life Museum Newsletter, and is used with permission.

The 鈥淲e, Native Deaf People, Are Still Here!鈥� exhibition was funded in part by HumanitiesDC.聽