Harvey Pratt was born in Oklahoma in 1941. He was born a member of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Tribes and a descendant of American frontiersman, William Bent. His life has been intersectional from his birth. He served in the Marines and is one of the Cheyenne Peace Chiefs. He served in law enforcement as a composite drawing and a soft tissue reconstruction specialist while also preserving the craft of indigenous art. Through all of these roles he has gained master status as an artist exhibiting in major museums and galleries. From this status he was chosen to design the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was dedicated in 2022.

In The Little Chief we can see the “both and” of Harvey Pratt’s life.  An indigenous mother and child, a Mary and Jesus, look to us surrounded by crosses, a dream catcher, a star. The child holds a peace pipe and signals to us of something beyond ourselves. It seems an image of loving, hopeful cooperation between cultures and a special image, an icon, of just such a reality.

We give thanks for the work of Harvey Pratt. May he be an inspiration to all of us as we find a third way through the intersections of our own lives.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church