Dominique Daye Hunter
Ancestry: Black / Saponi / Nansemond
Based In: Phoenix, AZ
Email: ddayehunter@gmail.com
Social Media: @ddayehunterdesigns
Website: ddayehunter.com
About the Art
”Seeds: the Exhibition” is a rare glimpse into the world of those often forgotten and intentionally excluded. Through visual and written storytelling, Daye Hunter illustrated the complex yet rich stories at the intersection of Black Indigenous identities and communities.
About the Artist
Dominique Daye Hunter (she/her) is a Black Indigenous (Saponi/Nansemond) author, performing artist, and the CEO of D. Daye Hunter Designs. She has performed with Cornerstone Theatre Company (2019) and ASU Gammage (2020).
With 16 years of storytelling experience and her undergraduate degree in Nonprofit Leadership Management from Arizona State University, Dominique utilizes the power of storytelling to create safe spaces where the voices of Black Indigenous Women of Color and communities are acknowledged and celebrated.
Dedicated to My Afro Indigenous Sisters
She raises her arms
Against the backdrop
of Mesa cliffs
And amongst sheep herds
And amongst her people, standing staring
She stands out amongst them
To their eye
because her hair is like wool
She stands out amongst them
To the ancestors’ eyes
because she is unafraid
To speak the truth
And slay modern monsters
She stands tall
amongst cedar trees
And amongst her ancestors
Who stand on The Ivory Coast
And amongst her ancestors
Who stand on Carolina river shores
Skin ebony as she stands there
Hand in hand with the moon
As tides come in
A bow at her power
Bowing with fins and claws
She is Saponi
She is Black Indigenous
She lays her head along her arms
Counting fire ants and
Making stories
Her long wavy hair
Being gently combed
As it glides back and forth
With the current of the river
She steps out
Her ancestral copper skin and
Her mommas grin
Too melanated for most
She reflects the past
And all the potential
Of her ancestors
And the generation to come
She sits on her stool
Choosing and chopping
Herbs and flowers
Which will become medicine
For hearts and for hands
For skin and for fear
Her cocoa skin
Like the beautiful shade
of the Earth
Beneath her feet
Her aura glowing
Against the backdrop
Of the windswept prairie
This artwork was commissioned by yəhaw̓.