An Instagram Guide to Rock Art in the West

Published October 1, 2024 at 5:12 PM MDT

In the early 2000s, Matt Relkin, an artist from Florida, was living in New York City, where he took in fine art at galleries and museums. But when he visited southern Utah on the advice of a friend, and saw the ancient petroglyphs in Sego Canyon, his love for nature collided with his passion for art, and he was instantly hooked.

Relkin has since made numerous extended journeys to the Southwest , visiting rock art sites and sharing his findings with a growing number of followers on his Instagram account. But he treads very carefully. After all, Relkin is white, and he’s keenly aware of the optics of a guy like him sharing the often hallowed relics of Indigenous culture with a largely white audience. We’ll also hear from Otâkwan Acahkos Iskwîw, a Native anthropologist, about the importance of Native stewardship for sacred sites.

GUESTS –

Otâkwan Acahkos Iskwîw (Evening Star Woman) |Anthropologist and model. Traditional Métisse from the Métis Nation (Otipemisiwak) of St. Louis, Saskatchewan
Matt Relkin | Photographer and artist. His Instagram page is nolonelyroads.

Airdate: Thur., Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. and Sat. Oct. 5 at 11 a.m.