Created in partnership with a team of collaborators, A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind) foregrounds the Seneca notion of a “good mind.” Rooted in Rosy Simas’s (Seneca Nation of Indians, Heron clan) intentional practice, this transdisciplinary exhibition weaves together moving image, sound, and sculpture. It combines materials such as treaty cloth, deerskin, and traditional cornhusk-twined bottles into a space for considered contemplation and reflection.

For Simas, the installation serves as both a physical representation of her family and a reflection of Hodinöšyö:nih philosophies. Citing Anishinaabe writer Gerald Vizenor, Simas describes each element of the exhibition as an act of “survivance,” a reflection of the circular patterns of protection between herself and her ancestors. Integrating extensive research with lived experience, A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ cultivates peacemaking and community well-being in a time of deadly politics, racism, and bigotry.

This exhibition is the culmination of Simas’s two-year, cross-disciplinary residency at the Walker. Other components include a major new dance commission premiering in the McGuire Theater in May 2026 and a series of community engagement events throughout the run of the exhibition.