Late Nights – Words Matter & Untold History with Monacan Indian Nation Elder Victoria Ferguson

Join us for this special night to explore one of the Museum’s newest exhibitions, Words Matter & Untold History.

We’ll be joined by Victoria Ferguson, an enrolled citizen of the Monacan Indian Nation. She will share the lived experiences of her great aunt, Mary Margaret Persinger, who detailed her life in journals from 1910-1912 living in rural Virginia.

Victoria will speak from 6:30-7:30 pm and registration is encouraged. The galleries will be open 5-9 pm.

The evening is free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of our Late Nights sponsors, Foot Levelers, Blue Ridge Beverage, MKB, Realtors, and Lightning Ninja, LLC.

You can access Mary Margaret’s fascinating journals below if you’d like to read them before Vicky’s presentation.

Persinger Family Journal Volume One

Persinger Family Journal Volume Two

About Words Matter & Untold History:

Words Matter underscores the richness and diversity of contemporary Indigenous experiences, highlighting artists who combine text and image.

Indigenous people, regardless of their tribal affiliation, share experiences of cultural oppression, often facilitated through the use of the written word—which was, and continues to be, a powerful weapon used by the federal government and individual authors alike against Indigenous peoples. These works provide a means for chronicling tragedy, and for supplying messages of hope, humor, survival, and prosperity.

Accompanying the Words Matter print exhibition, Untold History highlights Indigenous comic book artists, writers, and illustrators who meld contemporary pop culture with rich heritage and identity within visual storytelling. Creators from tribes across North America create a new space of resistance by adopting and reimagining comics to restore their experiences as told in their own voice.

In presenting this exhibition, the Taubman Museum of Art also acknowledges and amplifies the story of the Monacan Indian Nation, whose past, present, and future are deeply rooted in this region.

The inclusion of contemporary works such as beading, clothing, pottery, and basketry reflects the vitality and resilience of Monacan culture, illustrating both continuity with longstanding traditions and the innovation of artists working today. These works, rich with cultural and personal symbols and motifs, embody a visual language that communicates history, identity, and resilience.

In dialogue with Words Matter and Untold History, these works reinforce the power of text, here expanded to encompass symbols as means of expression. Through these works, the exhibition underscores the enduring presence of the Monacan people and their contributions to the richness of Indigenous art and identity.