Harry Fonseca, The Discovery of Gold in California, 7.7.97, #21
Photograph by Catherine Buchanan

Fonseca's heritage--Nisenan Maidu, Hawaiian, Portuguese--can be viewed, in part, as a product of the Gold Rush. His Nisenan ancestors were the original occupants and caretakers of the land where gold was discovered. In 1839, John Sutter brought ten Native Hawaiians to California, among them Fonseca's ancestors Ioane Keààla O Kaàina and Sam Kapu. Sutter's reliance on these Native Hawaiians and local Nisenan Maidu to build his fort and empire is not to be underestimated. In the end, Sutter lost his fortune, and his native workers lost their land, way of life, and, in some cases, their lives. With the Gold Rush, their world would be changed forever. It is miraculous that California's native peoples, cultures, and environment survived at all. That they did is a testament to their courage, tenacity, resilience, and ingenuity.

Fonseca's artwork enables us to deal with the painful legacy of the California Gold Rush in a thoughtful and embracing way. "Being in the environment in that country, feeling the energy of the land, gave me a chance to work with the subject matter on a different level than before," Fonseca said. "The upheaval that took place on all levels was the catalyst for this body of work. It started with the land and Native American cultures that were disrupted if not destroyed, and evolved into how the Gold Rush affected everybody. The drama just grew and grew."