The invisibility that they have been exposed to motivates his creation of fine art. That is why he has always been compelled to create art that captures our story today. This is where my art has originated from: The pursuit of true identity, and the need to share this identity with the world” (Hawk, 1). I was always fascinated by the duality of the two worlds, and the juxtaposition of culture and identity. As he mentions in his interviews: ''Growing up in a non-Indian world, I was constantly faced with the responsibility of defining my identity as a Pawnee/Yakama Indian.
Indians lost their Western land because of the occupation by Europeans and, for Bunky, this is an important spark of his art. At this point, art begins to do its responsibility. Thus, Indians need the proper source in order to let people see them as contemporary human beings. For Bunky, there is a vibrant Indian community that a lot of people fail to see. Everybody has a general idea about Native people, the way they look, dress, sing, and they do not want to see more out of the picture. He uses the themes of liberty, suffering, and survival in his work of art, furthermore wants to bring the original West image in his art in a modern way. Bunky Echo-Hawk presents the imagination of his tribe's ignored history. Tuttle highlights in The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism: ‘’The individual artist is at liberty to do anything or express anything that happens to come into his head’’ (Tuttle, 45). It is a tool for him to revive his background. Hence the expression of his thoughts with the help of art is a crucial part of his life. Part of the West was taken from their hands. They lost their land, and their customs due to expanding hunting and agriculture. He mentions that the Indians no longer had any possessions after the Whites took over their land. He advocates raising awareness in order to boost and spread equality and empathy. His artworks handle the social issues that Natives constantly face in American society.
Bunky Echo-Hawk is an Indian fine artist that promotes the invisible side of Indians within his arts.
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