Ledger Art: Native American Visual Storytelling

Ledger art is pictorial storytelling and an essential expression of Indigenous perspectives at times when their voices were silenced. It gets its name from the discarded ledgers used in the 19th & 20th centuries for illustration. This visual storytelling is a timeless cultural dialogue.

Learn about the history of this art style and try your hand at it. 

About the Presenter:

Mark Denning is enrolled in the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin and his ancestry includes Menominee, Mille Lacs Ojibwe, Stockbridge-Munsee, French and English. His Anishinaabe name is Nodaway Benaise and he is Sturgeon Clan. His experience as an educator, lecturer and curriculum specialist in American Indian history and culture has taken him all over the world, working with people, communities and organizations. As a parent of four children, he was fortunate to serve on the board to bring about Milwaukee’s Indian Community School, a flagship institution of Urban American Indian education. He has served as an advisor on the Gates Millenium Educational Foundation and as a  board member of Indian Summer Festival. Mark lectures at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in the school of continuing education. He works as a consultant and trainer with Boeing Corporation and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

His passion is helping teachers, students and businesses understand and appreciate Native American culture from a historical and contemporary point of view, to create greater understanding, teamwork and communication.