In Episode 22, Jeremy Dennis talks about his ancestral lands and waters, his project “Nothing Happened Here”, what he hopes Shinnecock youth will do with his work and more! Interview starts at 32:42.
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Image Description: Jeremy looks directly in the camera with his arms crossed, wearing a long sleeve gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up on each arm. Behind him is a large print of one of this photography projects hanging in the background in front of a wooden wall.Jeremy Dennis is a contemporary fine art photographer, an enrolled Tribal Member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY, and the founder and lead artist of
Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc., a nonprofit art space and residency program on the Shinnecock Reservation dedicated to uplifting Indigenous and BIPOC artists.His work centers Indigenous identity, culture, and the legacies of colonial assimilation, using photography to stage cinematic, otherworldly narratives rooted in Native oral stories, history, and contemporary experience.Dennis is a
Stony Brook University alumnus (BA ’13) and
Forty Under 40 honoree (2017), and earned his
MFA from Pennsylvania State University (2016). His photographs have been exhibited nationally and internationally, with solo and group exhibitions at
The Armory Show, Expo Chicago, ZONAMACO FOTO in Mexico City, and the
Minneapolis Institute of Art. Notable exhibitions include
Speaking With Light at the Denver Art Museum, and
In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Among his numerous honors are a 2025 NYSCA Grant, Pollock-Krasner Foundation Residency Fellowship, Andy Warhol Visual Arts Residency (2023), Getty Creative Bursary Award, and Running Strong for American Indian Youth Dreamstarter Grants (2016, 2020). Most recently, he was awarded the Artist to Artist Fellowship from the Art Matters Foundation.
Dennis’ creative work often draws on personal and communal histories, tackling themes of identity, resilience, and visibility within Native communities. His major projects include:
On This Site — Native Long Island (2016–ongoing): A photography series and interactive online map that documents culturally significant Native American sites across Long Island. The project also produced a companion book and exhibition, preserving and sharing important Indigenous histories connected to the land.
Rise (2018–ongoing) and Nothing Happened Here: These series use staged photography to confront ideas of belonging, erasure, and colonial violence from an Indigenous perspective. Through haunting, cinematic scenes, Dennis reclaims historical narratives and explores the ongoing impact of colonization.
Stories — Indigenous Oral Stories, Dreams, and Myths (2013–ongoing): Inspired by Native oral traditions, Dennis transforms ancient legends and dreams into contemporary photographs. These works imagine supernatural, otherworldly moments, merging storytelling with visual art to honor and reinterpret Indigenous cosmologies.
His curatorial projects include Shinnecock Speaks at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc., and Eternal Testament at The Church of Sag Harbor.
Dennis has participated in prestigious residencies such as the Andy Warhol Visual Arts Program (2023), Santa Fe Art Institute (2021), Yaddo (2019), Watermill Center (2017), and the Vermont Studio Center/Harpo Foundation Residency (2016).
He currently serves on the advisory boards of The Boys & Girls Club of the Shinnecock Nation, The Bridgehampton Musem, The Church of Sag Harbor, WNET Group’s THIRTEEN/WLIW Community Advisory Board, and Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc.
Jeremy Dennis lives and works in Southampton, NY, on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
What we talk about:
The Shinnecock Indian Nation
Some of Jeremy’s memories growing up on his ancestral lands
What Jeremy would love to see in his community that could improve quality of life and income for tribal members, and tribes in the Northeast overall
His time at the Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA)
Native Origin/Creation stories (i.e. Sky Woman)
The possibilities and fears around the Land Back Movement in the Hamptons
What word Jeremy thinks is important when talking about the Land Back Movement
What stolen Indigenous land has made possible
His project “Nothing Happened Here”
The trauma the nation is carrying related to how the country was formed
Inheriting historical traumas
Guidance from the past
What history warrants awareness, respect, care and protection
Learning about the local histories where we live
Living in historic times right now
What Jeremy hopes Shinnecock youth will do with what he’s working on
Why Ma’s House is red! + much more!
RESOURCES:
Website: Jeremy Dennis
Instagram: @jeremynative
Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio Inc. + Ma’s House Podcast
Ma’s House Documentary via Reciprocity Project
ADDITIONAL MENTIONS:
HOW TO SUPPORT JEREMY’S WORK:
Subscribe to his Patreon!
Follow the podcast on Instagram @throughlinepodcast
The intro music on this podcast is sourced from PixaBay, a vibrant community of creatives, sharing royalty-free images, videos, audio and other media.
To access the transcript: please click the “transcript” button below the title of the podcast next to the “share button”
