Flag Set, Broken Bones Baskets (2002)

“When you think about it, it’s all broken up and you have to put it back together. That’s the idea,” says Joann Johnson of her flag series Broken Bones. Inspired by a design created by Diné (Navajo) graphic artist Damian Jim, Joann portrays the tragedy of 9/11 through the imagery of a tattered and waving American flag in four segments. To honor those who died, the Navajo Nation proclaimed October 15, 2001 as Navajo Nation Remembrance Day for the Victims of Terrorist Attacks on America. The flag has long been a prominent theme in Native American art with artists incorporating it into beadwork and textiles. Now basketry is part of this tradition.