Description
In The Piety, Jeremy Dennis reinterprets the iconic 16th-century sculpture Pietà by Giovanni della Robbia, in which Mary holds the body of Christ in a physically impossible and gravity-defying pose after the crucifixion. Dennis replaces the central figures with three Native American individuals who now bear the fallen Christ-like figure, drawing a parallel between the historical suffering of Indigenous peoples and the themes of sacrifice and redemption. The shift in this reimagining goes beyond religious symbolism and serves as a powerful commentary on the Land Back movement.
By invoking the image of sacrifice, Dennis turns the narrative on its head. In his version, it is not Native people who are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice, but rather Americans — particularly those who benefit from living on stolen Native lands. The act of "sacrificing" their homes is presented as part of a moral reckoning, where the true path to redemption lies in returning land to its rightful stewards, in this case, Indigenous peoples. Dennis subtly critiques the American understanding of Christianity by suggesting that, in order to be true to the values of sacrifice and justice, Americans must confront the realities of land theft and make amends by returning what was wrongfully taken. The Piety challenges viewers to consider the price of reconciliation — not in terms of symbolic gestures, but in the real-world sacrifices that must be made for true justice to be served.
