George Flett: Ledger Art is the first portfolio collection of the artist's work—and the first book ever devoted to the work of a Spokane tribal artist.

The book features an introductory essay by Spokane writer and educator Scott M. Thompson, an authority on ledger painting.

Flett draws upon ledger painting, a major tradition of Native American art, to record the significant aspects of the history, traditions and culture of his Spokane people.

In the nineteenth century, Native artists chronicled on buffalo hides the heroic deeds of warriors. As buffalo herds were decimated the forts and towns proliferated, hides became scarce and a new medium emerged: business ledger books. These ledgers, once used by bookkeepers to record business transactions, were obtained in trade or captured in battle and became “canvas” for Plains and Plateau tribal artists.

Flett’s works—produced on ledger pages, telegrams, maps and other ephemera—depict not only military encounters but also spiritual ones. Collectively his ledger art presents a panorama of Spokane tribal culture and tradition.

The sumptuously produced volume—12 x 12 inches in size and housed in a cloth-covered, inlaid slipcover—has been produced in a limited edition of 1,200, of which only 1,100 are being released for public sale.