Black Snake Killaz: A Retrospective on the Indigenous-Led Movement at Standing Rock featuring works by photographer Tonita Cervantes

October 2 - December 4, 2025



Artist Talk on Nov 15 from 2pm-3pm at PNCA: Free RSVP!


Black Snake Killaz: A Retrospective of the Indigenous-Led Movement at Standing Rock honors the courage, resilience, and unity of the Indigenous water protectors who stood against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Through powerful imagery, Cervantes’ collection of work bears witness to the historic movement that has continued to spark global calls for environmental justice and Indigenous sovereignty. This exhibit invites reflection, remembrance, and solidarity with those who continue to defend the sacred — the land, the water, and the future generations.

Email info@theblackgallerypdx.com to schedule your visit Thursdays through Sundays until December 4 from 12 to 5pm.


About Tonita Cervantes
Tonita’s work highlights the common threads that connect people from all walks of life. Their sorrows, joys, and dreams for a better future reflect the essence of humanity. As a social documentary photojournalist, she takes an aggressive boots-on-the-ground approach. In her childhood, she was always drawn to the underdog and the invisible—perhaps because of her strong feeling of not belonging. Her artistic goal is to capture the unguarded moment by focusing on the window to the soul - their eyes. 

Today, the country is rapidly barreling at an accelerated pace toward a dangerous and uncertain future filled with unimaginable challenges. However, prophecies from ancient ancestors urge us not to give up, to have faith in the Creator, and to continue the fight for a sustainable future. In 1877, Chief Crazy Horse of the Lakota people, a mystic and fierce warrior, had a vision: "I see a time of seven generations, when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred tree of life and the whole earth will become one circle again.” Website: https://www.cervantesnomad.photography
All Rights Reserved - The Black Gallery, 2025