Who Discovered Whom? 2004
Collaboration between Matthew Dehaemers and Karen McCoy
25 color enameled aluminum custom signs, metal fencing posts
Portage des Sioux, Missouri

Created for the National Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. This project was sponsored by the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial ArtsPlan, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with the Missouri Arts Council. The program was administered by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and the New England Foundation for the Arts. Portage des Sioux is a historic small community off the Mississippi River near St. Charles, Missouri.  It was a meeting place for treaties between the United States government and many American Indian groups.  Every year the community hosts an inter tribal pow wow which draws many American Indian dancers of all ages as well thousands of spectators.  There is a one mile stretch of road that runs directly into the town.  After much consideration of the town for a sculpture piece we decided our maxiumum impact would be catching the attention of spectators as they entered the town for the pow wow.  These roadside signs were developed in a collaboration between Matthew Dehaemers and Karen McCoy based in part off of the traditional and famous Burma Shave roadside advertisements of the early twientieth century.  We developed a series of 25 signs that consist of a series of statements and questions.  These statements and questions are meant to make the spectator entering the town for the pow wow to rethink our historical, cultural and social perspectives as they relates to the American Indian story before, during and after the time of Lewis and Clark.  We hope these words will spark further discussion and dialogue about these different perspectives, differing perspectives that I believe can co-exist in a more postive way in the future.