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DIGNITY: TRIBES IN TRANSITION

A Collection of Iconic Photographs by Dana Gluckstein Honors Native American Heritage Month

In Association with Amnesty International - A Campaign to End Sexual Assaults and Discrimination of Native American Women

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In honor of Native American Heritage Month, photographer, Dana Gluckstein, in association with Amnesty International, announce the U.S. tour of DIGNITY: Tribes in Transition, an award-winning photography exhibition, honoring Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Photographs from the exhibition will be shared on social media throughout the month of November in advance of the exhibition opening at Boston University Art Gallery on January 29, 2015.

Nobel Peace Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, states in the DIGNITY exhibition text, “The Indigenous Peoples have a gift to give that the world needs desperately, this reminder that we are made for harmony, for interdependence. If we are ever to prosper, it will only be together.”

By sharing the exquisite portraits, viewers can urge President Obama to enforce the Indian Health Services to implement Standardized Sexual Assault Protocols which were adopted in The Tribal Law and Order Act, passed in 2010. The protocols include full and equal access to emergency contraception, rape kits, including prophylactic medications against sexually transmitted infections and immunizations, when appropriate. The lack of implementation of standardized sexual assault protocols is leaving Indigenous women at risk and contributes to violations of their human right to health and non-discrimination.

DIGNITY’s power, artistry, and impassioned call to action create a historic exhibition in support of Indigenous Peoples—who comprise six percent of the global population and are amongst its most impoverished and oppressed inhabitants. Indigenous women suffer disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence. Data collected by the U.S. Department of Justice indicates that Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the U.S. in general

DIGNITY presented at the United Nations in Geneva in 2011 following the U.S. adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Gluckstein addressed the World Economic Forum, in 2013, in Davos, Switzerland on how art can impact the state of the world. DIGNITY begins its U.S. tour at the Boston University of Art Gallery after several years of touring museums in Europe. Future exhibition locations and dates expected soon.

Proceeds from the exhibition’s associated book, DIGNITY: In Honor of The Rights of Indigenous Peoples, (insert link to AIUSA shop to purchase book) support Amnesty International USA.

This November, tune in to Twitter and Instagram @DanaGluckstein to view Gluckstein’s work and learn more about the campaign.

Dana Gluckstein has photographed iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu, and Muhammad Ali, as well as award-winning advertising campaigns for clients like Apple and Toyota. Her book, DIGNITY: In Honor of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the associated international museum exhibition, DIGNITY: Tribes in Transition have received international acclaim and awards. (www.danagluckstein.com)

Gluckstein graduated from Stanford University, where she studied psychology, painting, and photography, and realized the power of images to shape consciousness. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his nonviolent resistance to apartheid. As an Anglican priest, he served as General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches and Archbishop of Cape Town. In 1995, President Mandela appointed him chairman of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission where he brought to light the atrocities of apartheid. In 2009, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honor. He now serves as Chair of The Elders, a group of eminent global leaders working to support peace and address causes of human suffering.

The Boston University Art Gallery at the Stone Gallery is located at 855 Commonwealth Avenue, inside the College of Fine Arts. The gallery is located on the Boston University campus (BU West T stop on the “B” Green Line). Gallery hours are Tuesday–Friday from 11am–5pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 1pm–5pm. (Closed Mondays and Holidays). For more information, visit bu.edu/art.

Boston University, founded in 1839, is an internationally recognized private research university with more than 30,000 students participating in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. BU consists of 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school's research and teaching mission. The Boston University College of Fine Arts was created in 1954 to bring together the School of Music, the School of Theatre, and the School of Visual Arts.

 

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