Re(Mapping) a Rez Metal Sonic ReZistance

Metal musician performing on stage

Photo courtesy of Viki Eagle.

Rez Metal Project

Viki Eagle’s Rez Metal project investigates how Native artists have challenged and reclaimed dominant historical narratives through the sounds of heavy metal music. Her work focuses on how Rez Metal musicians express an Indigenous sonic resistance by bringing awareness to language loss, land dispossession, cultural reclamation, environmental impacts, MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women), and on-and-off-the-Rez politics. This space explores how the sights and sounds of Rez Metal reconfigure place-making and re-map Indigenous experiences.

Rez Metal T-Shirt Wall

Listen and learn more about the bands included on the Rez Metal t-shirt wall.

Row 1 (top to bottom, left to right):

Row 2:

Row 3:

  • OXDX Shirt, Native Americans Discovered Columbus, Jared Yazzie (Navajo Nation ). Learn more.
  • M.I.S Merciless Indian Savages (Diné, Hopi, Akimel O’odham, Unangax̂), front. Listen on Spotify.
  • M.I.S Merciless Indian Savages (Diné, Hopi, Akimel O’odham, Unangax̂), back. Listen on Spotify.
  • OXDX Shirt, Cheii (grandpa) Anarchy Tee, Jared Yazzie (Navajo Nation). Learn more.
  • OXDX Shirt, Death to White Supremacy, Jared Yazzie (Navajo Nation). Learn more.

Row 4:

Row 5:

  • M.I.S Merciless Indian Savages (Diné, Hopi, Akimel O’odham, Unangax̂). Listen on Spotify.
  • Sage Cornelius (Oneida, Navajo, Potawatomi). Listen on Spotify.
  • Navajo Nation Metal Fest 22, Rancid Savage productions (Navajo Nation). Learn more.
  • Navajo Nation Metal Fest 21, Rancid Savage productions (Navajo Nation). Learn more.
  • Shadow Remain (Diné, Navajo Nation). Listen on SoundCloud.

Rez Metal CD Wall

Listen and learn more about the bands included on the Rez Metal CD wall.

From left to right:

  • Amongst (Diné, Navajo Nation).
  • Mutilated Tyrant (Diné, Navajo Nation). Listen on Spotify.
  • Shadow Return (Diné, Navajo Nation). Listen on SoundCloud.
  • Reckless Heroes (Diné, Navajo Nation).
  • Rei Gurren (Diné, Navajo Nation). Learn more.
  • Poison Insanity (Diné, Navajo Nation). Learn more.
Native Heavy logo

Logo by Chris Smith of Grey Aria Design Studio.

Native Heavy Playlist

Native Heavy was started by Winston Jose, the lead vocalist of Ocean Harvest. He created this playlist with his Facebook and Instagram page “Native Heavy” to help grow the Rez Metal scene and to "show non-Native people we do exist." The playlist features over 5 hours of song samples from different Rez Metal bands, many of which featured in the t-shirt and CD walls, that have been added by fans and listeners. This playlist is a great collection of Rez Metal in the Spotify realm that contributes to the circulation of soundwaves and music from the southwest New Mexico and Arizona.

Preview the music below or on the DAM's Spotify account. Please aware some of the music contains explicit lyrics and is NSFW.

View of images on the archive Instagram account

The Indigenous Punx Archives

Music fans interested in learning more can visit the Indigenous Punx Archive, a digital archive on Instagram for Indigenous and American Indian punk and subcultural scenes from the 1980s to today. The archive documents the many contributions and histories of Indigenous early rock ‘n’ roll and punk rock music through D.I.Y., flyers, sounds, and space making. It seeks to showcase bands from the past, and those presently writing music, creating their own venues, making zines, merch, art, creating alternative fashion, and using skateboarding to tell their stories.

Indigenous punk fans and musicians in various scenes can connect, support, promote their music, and interact on this archive, which is maintained by Kristy Martinez (Yaqui/Xicanx) of the UCLA Musicology department and musician Cass Gregg (Tsilhqot'in/Scottish).

Viki Eagle holding her camera outside at a sunset

About the Residency

Viki Eagle (Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta) is the DAM's 2023 Native Arts Artist-in-Residency. Meet her learn more about her current photography project, Re(Mapping) a Rez Metal Sonic ReZistance, at Open Studio Hours on Thursday afternoons through June 29, 2023.