In this article the author is concerned with the intersection of two congruent phenomena: (1) an increasing number of references to borders in contemporary Native American art; and (2) an increasing occurrence of border-rights conflicts between Native nations and the governments of the United States and Canada. Focusing on the period roughly 1990 to the present, she acknowledges the shifts in both art and politics after September 11, 2001; however, she does not suggest that tension or even outright conflict around borders is new to Indian Country--indeed, the right to free passage is a basic tenet of American Indian and First Nations sovereignty. She argues that as border-zone frictions "intensified" post-9/11, the visual and philosophical complexity of artworks situated within these zones also increased. The evolving situation at Kawehno:ke and the installation of Alan Michelson's artwork at Massena provide an ideal entry point into this discourse. (Contains 9 figures and 43 notes.)