Pale warrior

Tony's father was Indian. Tony traced it as Onondaga Cherokee: North Eastern Cherokee. He was proud of this heritage as being part of one of the five civilized tribes. Of course his mother was 'mixed European'. He was fair skinned, as a kid had black but curly hair and dark eyes and an elongated face with high and pronounced cheekbones. He used to tell the story that when he was in the Indian orphanage in Lawrence Hall for Boys the 'do-gooder' ladies would come by and sometimes whisper among themselves to end up pointing at him saying: "See that light one, he could be one of us". That haunted him the rest of his life. This painting is about him being a pale warrior, after some unpleasant remarks by Indians and by non-Indians. Here he claims his place: Wait pale warrior waiting. Then a space and the message goes on: Accept me.
That probably was about his painting.