Description
In the Sacredness of Hills series, staged photographs represent the disturbance of Indigenous burial sites in Shinnecock Hills, land of deep ancestral and spiritual significance to the Shinnecock Indian Nation on the East End of Long Island. The photographs respond to an ongoing pattern of desecration driven by private development and unchecked real estate expansion. Once widely recognized as part of the Shinnecock Reservation lands before 1859, the area was unlawfully taken through the arrival of the railroad and a series of fraudulent land transfers that led to forced dispossession. Today, sites such as Sugar Loaf Hill contain the remains of more than 10,000 Shinnecock ancestors, laid to rest in largely unmarked graves. The work is rooted in a specific violation from August 13, 2018, when human remains were uncovered during residential construction on Hawthorne Road, and, rather than being protected, the sacred ground was further disturbed under the false assumption that it held no historic value.
The series confronts this legacy through two visual approaches: images of contemporary Shinnecock people in regalia standing in defiant protection of the land, their bodies serving as the last line of defense, and photographs of figures in regalia cast aside, echoing the treatment of ancestors whose graves have been dug up or paved over. In the absence of tombstones or formal markers, the photographs function as both memorial and presence, asserting that these are not empty lands but sacred resting places. While grounded in a specific site, the work speaks to the global importance of Indigenous stewardship over sacred lands and natural resources, reflected in community-led efforts such as the Niamuck Land Trust, established to reclaim and protect stolen lands through direct purchase. Dennis invites viewers to consider the histories beneath the places they inhabit and to pursue more ethical, informed, and respectful relationships with the Indigenous communities whose lands they occupy.
Artwork Details
Title: Witness
Year: 2020
Medium: Metal Print
Size: 20 x 30 inches
Edition: 1/10
