Representation, Realism, and Traditional Depictions in Native American Art
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Northern Arizona University will celebrate the life and work of the "Picasso of American Indian art" with a month-long commemorative show honoring R.C. Gorman
"R.C. Gorman: 1931-2005" will open with a reception from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 16 at the NAU Art Museum in Old Main on NAU's north campus. The exhibit will run through Dec. 16.
Representation, Realism, and Traditional Depictions
Native American Art
Many Native American artists are multi-talented and there is a common distinction between two dimensional art (flat, or wall art), and three dimensional art objects. While two dimensional, representational depictions are distinguished by traditional and non-traditional aesthetic styles, the genre as a whole is non-traditional in that paper and commercial paints were not readily available to Native American artists until the later part of the nineteenth century. The idea of art as a commercial enterprise was foreign to the culture prior to first generation modernists; in fact, Native American languages have no term for the word "art".
Evolution of Tradition
Prior to the modern era, paints and dyes were extracted from organic materials (and sometimes still are), and painting was a medium for recording an event or telling a story, providing a sign to travelers, or an intent to draw the attention of a higher being. Objects were painted and decorated, but the element of design was functional or utilitarian, often with religious motive. The artists of the tribes of the Great Plains, for example, left their paper trail for centuries on rocks, cave walls, and buffalo robes or other animal skins. This was the recording of history. After contact with the white man the Native American artists, often by necessity, began to use paper from the ledger books that traders used for record keeping, thus the term "ledger" art. This aesthetic style of recording events, stories, and ceremonies has evolved with the implementation of different mediums in graphics and paintings.
Representation and the Concept of Primitive Art
The drawings were characteristic of the style that had persisted for centuries and culminated with the end of the proto-modern era of the Native American art movement. It was at the end of this era and the beginning of the Modernistic era of the Native American art movement that Dorothy Dunn was teaching at the Santa Fe school. During her tenure she encouraged her students to continue the traditions of their predecessors in the "flat", and what was commonly referred to as "primitive" art style. Here one can cite Dunn's unique concept of primitive, and even more so her concept of primitive art. Setting aside use of the term "primitive" in reference to art, this brings to attention the ambiguity in use of the term "representational", which as a qualifier for the term "art" means that a painting adequately reflects the reality it is meant to depict. As a function of objectivity in aesthetics, representation connotes a likeness or resemblance so that what is depicted is easily recognized by most viewers as a reflection of something from the real world. This may seem to imply that what is representational could exclude certain groups of viewers, or at least prescribe that the term "representational" cannot maintain a function relative to cultural groups. However, as Dorothy Dunn implied when citing Linton's statement - "insistence upon accurate naturalistic representation seems childish to the primitive artist who, although he admires technical skill, feels that it is being expended for trivial ends in an amplification of the obvious", the term "representational" in regard to art may be relative to a cultural group. The art of a culture that may appear as "childlike", or even abstract, may indeed be representational within that culture.
Thus, the terms "representational", or even "realism", may persist as a category and function of objectivity in aesthetics, but in regard to a viewer or group of viewers its relational aspect may be indistinguishable from the absolute sense of "primitive" as Dunn described it. For Dunn, "primitive" was not a description of a certain type of culture, but described individuals and objects indigenous to every culture. The primitive subject was that gifted individual, or "seer", who was able to discern the primitive objects relevant to their culture. Objects were also primitives, and represented the signs, icons, or symbols of a culture. Thus, for Dunn, primitive art was the one to one relationship between the seer and the perceived set of primitive objects of their culture. Primitive was not a certain type of culture, but a certain set of variables occurring in every culture, and primitive art was an event that portrayed the values, or what was of importance in that culture.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Pa'a Ka La'a Animism and Totemism: Contemporary Expressions from an Indigenous Mind opens at Bishop Museum's Vestibule Gallery December 15, 2006 and remains on view through April 22, 2007. The invitational exhibition is curated and presented by the Hale Nauā III Society of Hawaiian Arts of Hilo, Hawaii, in celebration of their 30th anniversary
The exhibition will powerfully illustrate the influences that Animism and Totemism, which are fundamental beliefs of all First Nation People, have on artistic expression. The exhibition will also include rare ?aumakua images from the Bishop Museum's own unrivaled collection.
MONTCLAIR, NJ.- The Montclair Art Museum presents Jaune Quick-to See-Smith: Made in America, on view through January 15, 2007 at its Judy and Josh Weston Exhibition Gallery. Jaune Quick-to-See Smith uses humor and satire to examine myths, stereotypes, and the paradox of American Indian life in contrast to the consumerism of American society.
PORTLAND, IN -- The artistic talents of Native Americans will be on display at Arts Place Nov. 4-Dec. 23.
The show is titled "Out of Tradition: The artwork of the tradition bearers for National Center for Great Lakes Native American Culture."
Museum of New Mexico/Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
Current and Online Exhibitions
Coyote and the Yellow-Jackets - Shasta
People were living at Ihiwe’yax. There was a fish-weir there on the river, and people were drying lots of salmon. Coyote was living at Utci'yagig; and he thought, "I had better go and get some salmon." So he went to get salmon. He came to the fish-weir, and the people gave him a great pile of salmon. So he went back; he lifted the load with difficulty and put it on his back, then he went off.
By and by he thought, "I guess I will rest. There is all day in which to rest. I will take a nap." So he went to sleep. By and by he awoke, and it was still only midday. Without looking, he took his pack of salmon, which he had used as a pillow while he slept, and took a bite. But while he was asleep the Yellow-Jackets had thought of him. "May he sleep soundly!" they said, and he did. Then they blew smoke towards him to work him harm, and took away his pack of salmon that he had carried. In its place they put a bundle of pine bark, tied up. They put this under his head. So when he seized what he thought was salmon in his mouth, his face came against the bark.
He jumped up. "Who is it that has done this?" he said. He looked for tracks, but could not find them. "I'll fix that man, whoever he may be," said Coyote. Then he ran back to the fish-weir. "Coyote is running hither," the people said. "What can be the trouble with him?" He got there, and said, "I rested there at Utci'yagig. I was tired and went to sleep there. When I woke up, I missed something,-missed that that I had carried. Some one took every bit of it away." So he stayed over night; and in the morning they gave him much salmon, as before, and he went away, loaded down.
Again, in the same place, he laid down his pack and rested. '1 wonder what will happen!" he thought. "I wonder who will come!" Then he slept, he feigned sleep. Now the Yellow-Jackets came. He didn't think they were the ones. "They always light on salmon that way," he thought. So they lighted on the salmon, on the pack he was leaning on. They almost lifted it. Coyote was looking at them as they moved it. Then they lifted it up from the ground, and dropped it again. "I wish you would help me!" they said to each other.
They lifted it, they flew away with it. "Not too fast!" said they. They flew away, and took his salmon from him, the salmon he was carrying home. Coyote watched them as they flew, he followed them; but just there he grew tired, and gave out.
Then he went back to tell to the people at the fish-weir all that had happened. "Oh! here comes Coyote again," said they. He got there. "It was an evil being who took it from me, who took the salmon I carried away from here. He went in that direction." Everywhere this was reported among the people. They all gathered together, and heard about it. Then they got ready. Now, again Coyote went off carrying salmon. He rested in the same place; the other people sat about here and there, waiting to see the Yellow-Jackets take the salmon away. While they waited, Turtle came up. Coyote laughed, "He-he-he! Who ever told you to come?" Turtle said nothing, but sat apart by himself. "Why did you come?" said Coyote.
"You ought not to have come," and he laughed at him. But Turtle sat there, and paid no attention to Coyote, who laughed at him.
Now the Yellow-Jackets came. As before, they lifted the load up a little ways and down again; then they just lifted it, it was so heavy, and flew away with it. The people followed them when they flew. They flew in that direction, to where Mount Shasta stands.
Taken from Journal of American Folklore, Vol. XXIII, pages 27-29
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Corn Dance ? Cherokee
source unknown
(selu', "corn.") This is also the proper name of the mistress of corn, known as Corn Woman.
The male singer at one side of the circle has a gourd rattle but no drum. The men sing antiphonic responses to the leader. The woman behind the leader wears turtle leg-rattles.
First movement---While advancing with a shuffling trot behind the leader, the men and women circle counterclockwise around the mortar in the center of the circle, making motions with their hands as though dipping and pouring corn or meal into a basket or bowl held in the other hand.
Second movement---At a change in the song the women separate from the line, led by the woman with turtle leg-rattles. They circle the mortar and dance sideways, facing outward, surrounded by the men's line. The men face the women and, moving sideways, dance around the mortar for two or three turns. All continue the hand motions.
Third movement---The men and women change places and, continuing the hand motions, make two or three circuits.
Fourth movement---The lines of men and women mingle again and repeat the first movement.
In pouring corn from a bowl or "basket of plenty," the dancers express supplication and thanks for abundant corn crops. At one of these dances Will Pheasant took off his hat and, holding it in his left hand, motioned as though ladling corn into it with his other hand. He was one of the rare younger persons who participated in the dances in a creative way.
The Corn Dance is reserved for performance until toward morning in the night series, and is also a part of the night performances during the green corn ceremony in August. It follows the Friendship Dance. It can be celebrated at any time, but it was formerly customary to rehearse it in early spring on the night before planting—the occasion they (the community) are going to plant corn
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Reprinted from this site by permission
Articles by Amerindian Arts
Dorothy Dunn On Primitive Art
(Excerpt)Quoting Alice Corbin Henderson, Dunn states that in an Indian society, art is "possessed in common" and "totally lacking in individualistic concept." Thus, objectivity is enjoined with intentionality as personal accomplishment without a reference to the individual. This would satisfy a pedagogic sense of rationality in that in an Indian society "the surest way to make a prayer effective is to symbolize the matter prayed for" (Bandelier). If the prayer (the art of rhetoric) was effective, then it was handed down from generation to generation and its success justified its rationality.
Bibliography of the Zuni Language
Indian Ledger Art-Resources and Information
Books of Interest
Classic Hopi And Zuni Kachina Figures
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK: THE FIRST 100 YEARS
Fine Indian Jewelry: The Millicent Rogers Museum Collection
AEQ Book Review of
Making Dictionaries: Preserving Indigenous Languages of the Americas .
Frawley, William, Kenneth C. Hill, and Pamela Munro, eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. 450 pp. ISBN 0520229967, $34.95.
© 2004 American Anthropological Association Book Review
of Making Dictionaries: Preserving Indigenous Languages of the Americas .
Reviewed for the Anthropology & Education Quarterly by Catherine S. Fowler
University of Nevada
csfowler@unr.nevada.edu
To Order this book
THE FOURTH WORLD
W. Tussinger has written his first novel which was released in December, 2004.
W. Tussinger is a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma and has lived on several reservations including the Yuroks of Northern California and the Yakamas of Washington State where he attended college.
To Order this book
THE WOMEN/Edward S. Curtis
by Christopher Cardozo; foreword by Louise Erdrich (Bulfinch Press, $35) — Cardozo, who lives in Minneapolis, is the world's foremost expert on, and collector of, photos of American Indians taken by turn-of-the-century photographer Edward S. Curtis. Cardozo went through 1,000 photos to find the 100 sepia-toned images in this book, which show the daily lives of American Indian women at a time when most were already on reservations. Minneapolis novelist and poet Erdrich discusses women's work in her foreword: " … although Edward Curtis believed that he was documenting a vanishing culture, it is in these humble arts that the strength of Native culture lives on."
To Order this book
Literature on Native America
An Overview of Pacific Northwest Native Indian Art
Free downloadable e-book
American Indian Women's Activism in the 1960s and 1970s
by Donna Hightower Langston
Complete article
Linguists Find the Words, and Pocahontas Speaks Again
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Hero, Hawk, and Open Hand, The Book
Early tribal artifacts put in spotlight at the Smithsonian National Museum of
Natural History
"Communing with Bears"
By Sara Wright
Communing with Bears is the story of a joyful encounter between one woman and a black bear.
Literacy in Indigenous Communities by L. David van Broekhuizen, Ph.D. (2000)
HTML Format (70K)
PDF Format(117K)
Literacy in first languages in indigenous communities is a complex
topic that generates lively discussion. This research synthesis
explores the notions of national, mother-tongue, multiple, and
biliteracies. It presents important information pertaining to
threatened languages, language shift, and language loss. Examples of
culturally relevant uses of literacy in indigenous communities and
issues related to first-language literacy instruction are also
provided.
Web Sites:
Native American Links Page
Indigenous Peoples Literature
Native Voice
Wisdom of the Old People
By David Whitney
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation
Inuit film to tell story of last great shaman
My Two Beads Worth: Indigenous News Online
Northern California Indian Development Council
Native Village
Smudge Ceremony
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