Beside the Museum of Fine Art staircase in Boston rests a shimmering statue of a Native woman holding an eagle feather fan triumphantly above her head.

The woman is Julia Marden, an Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal member and artist known for her twined basketry. Her statue, along with another depicting Nipmuc tribal member Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines Jr., are part of artist Alan Michelson’s “The Knowledge Keepers” which was unveiled last week. The statues were the first of the museum’s new annual commission series where artists are invited to create works for the Huntington avenue entrance.

As the sun sparkles off the silver, she said she hopes her statue shows passersby that Native culture has persevered through extreme devastation and will continue to flourish in the future.

“It is [an honor] that I was chosen to represent the Wampanoag Nation as one of the knowledge keepers,” Ms. Marden said. “I’m one of many in our nation that could have been chosen for this, and so I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude.”

The two statues will flank the staircase for the next year although Mr. Michelson said there’s potential for them to stay longer.

Mr. Michelson is a Mohawk member of the Six Nations of the Grand River and was nominated by the museum for the commission. He said it was important to him that both subjects for his statues be living, rather than depictions of prominent historical Indigenous people, because he wanted to show that Native people are still present and important in their communities.

He intended for his statues to be in dialogue with Cyrus Dallin’s “Appeal to the Great Spirit” statue, which has stood in front of the MFA entrance since 1912. It depicts a fictional Native man from the Great Plains looking up at the sky, bare-chested with his arms stretched out wide.

Mr. Michelson said the man appears to be in pain and distress. While intended to be sympathetic of Native people, Mr. Michelson said the statue generalizes Indigenous folks under a harmful stereotype. The statue was supposed to be temporarily installed, but since it’s been in front of the MFA for over a century, he said it’s become a staple for Bostonians.

“[The Knowledge Keepers] counters that message of distress and defeat that [Appeal to the Great Spirit] still carries,” Mr. Michelson said. “I think it’s an opportunity for what people call a teachable moment where people see the difference and understand that Massachusetts has a vibrant native community, even if it hasn’t been very visible.”

Mr. Michelson said when researching who would be the subjects for his statues, he was struck by Ms. Marden’s devotion to her Wampanoag culture. She’s been a traditional artist and sharing her knowledge for 35 years and is beloved by the tribe.

When Ms. Marden got the invitation from the museum, she thought it was a joke.

“Not in my wildest dreams would have I ever, so I literally laughed and said out loud, ‘somebody’s messing with me.’” Ms. Marden said.

When she eventually figured out that the project was real and told them she’d participate, Ms. Marden flew to New York where she stood in a steel frame lined with more than 200 cameras that took photos from all different angles simultaneously.

Ms. Marden wore Eastern woodland-style regalia which she said would’ve been worn in the 1800s when Wampanoag people were making traditional clothing out of trade items. It features a wrap-around wool skirt, with matching leggings, and an English-style shift, paired with a traditional sash, a twined-leg garter set, copper ornament wristbands, chevron bead necklaces and moccasins.

The statue was later crafted from bronze and gilded with platinum leaf so the statues would shimmer in the light.

“I wanted them to shine both literally and figuratively…” Mr. Michelson said. “‘Shine’ is actually something that has a metaphorical dimension in northeastern woodland Native cultures. There’s a reverence for materials with luster.”

Ms. Marden said since the statues were unveiled, she’s been overwhelmed by the positive responses. She said she is glad the statues are a small step in a long fight for representation.

“The statues are incredible,” Ms. Marden said. “The detail that they were able to accomplish is just amazing, and it’s been such an overwhelming and surreal experience.”