Reception And Representation Microform The Western Vision Of Native American Performance On The Northwest Coast

Featuring over two hundred illustrations of Northwest Coast Native American art, examines the chronology shown by changes in design forms and traces style developments from the prehistoric era to the present day.

Compelling photographs of Northwest Indian art—and images of the stunning landscape vistas that have shaped it—fill this gorgeous new volume for fans of these increasingly popular, collectable artifacts, as well as for the many travelers to the Pacific Northwest. Throughout Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, and as far north as Glacier Bay, Alaska, the totem poles, ceremonial masks, decorative blankets, canoes, and other elaborate items crafted by Native Americans reflect the resources and geological diversity of their abundant environment. Over 130 full-color photographs and a fascinating text reveal the details of this strikingly beautiful region and the rich artistic heritage of its inhabitants. An exciting companion to Spirit Faces: Contemporary Native American Masks from the Northwest (Chronicle Books, Spring 1995), this evocative book will be both an essential acquisition and a memorable souvenir.

Native American sports team mascots represent a contemporary problem for modern Native American people. The ideas embedded in the mascot representations, however, are as old as the ideas constructed about the Indian since contact between the peoples of Western and the Eastern hemispheres. Such ideas conceived about Native Americans go hand-in-hand with the machinations of colonialism and conquest of these people. This research looks at how such ideas inform the construction of identity of white males from historic experiences with Native Americans. Notions of “playing Indian” and of “going Native” are precipitated from these historic contexts such that in the contemporary sense of considering Native Americans, popular culture ideas dress Native Americans in feathers and buckskin in order to satisfy stereotypic expectations of Indian-ness.

It is apparent that there was, on the Northwest Coast, a highly developed system for the organization of form and space in two-dimensional design as an adjunct to the well-known symbolism. Design ranging from nearly realistic representation to abstraction resulted from the application of the principles of this system.--from Northwest Coast Indian Art "A genuinely analytical study of the basic elements of form which characterizes a particular aboriginal art... . The text is clear and brings truly fresh understanding and appreciation to a complex art; it also contributes a concept of analysis which should be applied to other areas. The book is well designed and very well illustrated."--Choice

Artifacts and images associated with Northwest Coast Natives have intrigued visitors to this coastal region for centuries. Who has not been awed by the spectacle of Thunderbird, magnificent wings outstretched, atop a totem pole, or felt the power of the image of Sisiutl, the two-headed supernatural serpent? Until now, no resource guide has existed to inform visitors, as well as those who live in western Washington, about the rich heritage of Native arts, traditional and contemporary, that is a major feature of the area. Northwest Coast Native and Native-Style Art is designed to meet the need for such information. The guidebook covers sites from the Oregon line to the Canadian border and from the western slope of the Cascades to the Pacific coast. It embraces an art tradition that displays significant cultural continuity from the mouth of the Columbia River to Yakutat Bay and features art by Native and non-Native artists alike. The authors’ goal was to include every publicly accessible art object located within western Washington, whether the cultural tradition it represents originates in western Washington, British Columbia, or southeastern Alaska—the region customarily defined as the Northwest Coast. In separate chapters based on five geographic zones, each accompanied by a map showing the sites to be discussed, the authors locate objects in public places; describe museum collections and tribal displays; identify retail outlets—both private galleries and museum shops—that sell Northwest Coast Native and Native-style art; provide information about recognized artists who are at work in western Washington, British Columbia, and southeastern Alaska; locate educational courses and programs designed to enhance understanding of regional arts; and list opportunities to see the art in use, for example, at powwows and in museum programs. This informative, illustrated, and easy-to-use guide will be a valuable resource for those interested in the arts and cultures of the region—from students at all levels of expertise to collectors and artists. It is a book that is long overdue and that will be a welcome addition to the library of anyone who loves the arts of the Native peoples of the Northwest Coast.

What makes Northwest Coast Native American art authentic? And why,when most of art history is a history of the avant-garde, is traditionso deeply valued by contemporary Native American artists and theirpatrons? In Privileging the Past Judith Ostrowitz approachesthese questions through a careful consideration of replicas,reproductions, and creative translations of past forms of NorthwestCoast dances, ceremonies, masks, painted screens, and houses. Ostrowitzexamines several different art forms -- two very differentarchitectural constructions, a dance performance, and modern sculpturesand dance paraphernalia -- considering their relations to arts of thepast. Ostrowitz draws on an extensive body of interviews she conductedwith tribal leaders, artists, and artisans long known and highlyrespected in both Native and non-Native venues. Throughout the book, wehear their voices -- members of the Alfred, Cranmer, Hunt, Tallio andWebster families, and many other individuals -- as they relate theirresponses to the modern adaptation of their cultural heritage. Privileging the Past explores intellectual issues raised bypostmodern theory, supported by detailed studies of projects that willinterest a boad audience of students, historians, museum-goers, andthose intrigued by Native American art and cultural history.