We’re really excited to share the cover of our next issue of NDQ 90.3/4 this week. The last of the proof edits go back to our publishing partners at University of Nebraska Press and, with any luck, it should be winging its way to our subscribers and contributors with the holiday mail!

We’re absolutely thrilled to share the cover featuring art is by Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy.

Check out some of his work here and his bio below:

Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III, Ta Sunka Gi’ hetchia (Chameleon Horse) is a Hunkpapa Lakota enrolled at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. He began his own art education at an early age by studying “How to draw books” as well as learning art from his father, an artist and architect. Public recognition of his talents soon followed as his talent grew and his logo design for the Standing Rock Community High School was chosen in 1995, which really sparked his flame to pursue his art. After graduating from high school, in 1998 he enrolled in the Art/Art Marketing Program at United Tribes Technical College where he was introduced to the world of computer graphics.

Upon graduating with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in the fall of 2000 in Art Marketing Gilbert took time off from art to take an active role in raising his sons. The desire to be a full-time artist however never diminished. He returned to United Tribes Technical College in 2004 and enrolled in the Small Business Management Program and graduated with an AAS degree in December 2005. While attending UTTC he was a member of the crew of Art/Art Marketing interns and staff who created a 14 foot (H) X 18 foot X 18 foot (D) sculpture titled “Thunderbirds” that was commissioned by the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District, Bismarck, North Dakota.

Around this time his business did not have a name yet and that following summer he received his Lakota name which is, Chameleon Horse, a name he got from his great-grandfather Chief Leon Kills Pretty Enemy, that involved him running so fast during a buffalo hunt that onlookers swore he was running and at times riding a Brown Horse, even though he was just running and the dust was making it hard to see. After receiving his Lakota name Gilbert finally had a name to call his business, so he decided to name it, “Chameleon Horse Art & Design” and from that point has been producing artwork under that name.

After graduation Gilbert began experimenting with other media such as painting, wood burning, etching, and tattooing. Armed with his experience in graphic arts he began designing custom logos and shirt designs. His business was growing and Gilbert decided he was ready to move back home to Bear Soldier (McLaughlin), SD to continue his business venture. Gilbert now creates logos, graphic design, paints buffalo skulls, custom tattoo designs, Custom shirt designs, portraits, wood burning, acrylic painting, traditional arts, screen printing, vinyl cutting and Ledger art.

Throughout the years Gilbert has entered many art contests and has won many awards and contests, such as two first place awards and a second place at the 2013 American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Also in 2013 he created three poster designs for “The Lakota Peoples Law Project” ,won an honorable mention in the FALL 2013 issue of “Tribal College Journal”, and won a cover contest in the Native Entertainment Magazine. In 2015 Gilbert joined First Peoples Fund and became an Artist in Business Leadership Fellow. He has also created a lot of Art for the #NoDAPL movement which has been seen worldwide and most recently been seen in Time Square in New York and also currently in Europe.

Currently Gilbert has got involved in the Ledger art scene and began creating his own Hunkpapa Lakota Ledger art combined with the “old school” as he calls it with his comic book illustration styles to create a whole new style of Ledger art which is has helped him win the 2020 United Tribes Technical College Pow wow poster contest. With his style of Ledger Art he goes to local schools and teaches the youth in hopes that he can spark the flame to help bring back this style of art to his homelands on Standing Rock.

Chameleon Horse Art & Design is now on its thirteenth year in business and continues to evolve each year. Gilbert’s art journey has been a long and uphill battle with many obstacles placed in his path, yet despite these obstacles he is always creating and teaching himself new ways to create his art, ever transforming, changing his art like a chameleon, with the strength of a horse that drives him.

90.3/4