Teters' artistic journey is rooted in a desire to use visual media as a tool for social justice.
Following her graduation, Teters continued to teach and create art. She has served as a faculty member at IAIA, sharing her vision with a new generation of Native artists. charlene teters
This act was not merely a protest; it was a reclamation of space. At the time, the mascot was beloved by alumni and the local community, making Teters’ stance incredibly controversial. She faced hostility, ridicule, and isolation, yet she persisted. Her unyielding presence forced the university and the nation to confront an uncomfortable question: Can a people be honored while they are simultaneously being mocked? Teters' artistic journey is rooted in a desire
Through her art, lecturing, and persistence, Charlene Teters has ensured that the "conqueror’s" story is no longer the only one being told, achieving a national shift in perception. This act was not merely a protest; it
Her activism helped shift the perception of Native people from being viewed as "objects" or people "trapped in the past tense" to being recognized as living, twenty-first-century, human beings.
