Native American Artists
The Role Of Native American Artists
In Tribal History
Native American Artists
This
role of artists is defined by the society they are a part of. Before
European contact, the basic social or political unit for Native Americans
living in New England was the 'tribe', a group of allied people living in
separate 'bands', sets of family clans, or communities, in which one or
two bands were sometimes distinguished. The time people can spend 'just
being an artist', in creative pursuits, is often limited by the way their
society organizes itself - or just how much bureaucracy there is. With a
livelihood of hunting and gathering or horticulture, a specialized craft
is a luxury that takes energy away from the daily food/subsistence quest.
Specialized craft and other types of full-time professions are not
economically practical when every member of society has to devote
time to daily subsistence activities. So, hundreds of years ago, without
the role of craft specialization, the artist often finds their creative
outlet, or expression, within the realm of everyday life, based on their
daily experiences.
In the past, tribes living in what is now the Eastern States, sometimes
had to make scheduled moves of their settlements in response to various
abundant or depleted resources (salmon runs or perhaps a lack of firewood
for example). Hence, the older art of tribes of southern New England often
involved the ornamentation of utilitarian objects, which were carried
along, left for later use, traded away, or buried with the deceased.
Through the perfection and embellishment of these items, each tribe found
not only a means of individual expression, but they also discovered a
visual way to communicate important cultural symbols.
In the Eastern States, some forms of traditional Indian crafts are
produced mainly by women, while other kinds of art are generally executed
by men; a few types of traditional art are produced by both men and women.
Men's and women's art can be different because their daily routines are
different. Before European contact, there were many tools and materials
that were exclusive to either men's or women's tasks; this exclusiveness
can be seen in the art produced by men and women.
Most early 17th century European accounts note that pottery was made by
women, though some references allude to men manufacturing clay pipes.
Women were responsible for making most of the woven mats, baskets, and
containers of birch bark pails. In addition to their domestic activities,
women (and probably older men) were responsible for the manufacture and
embroidery of their own and their family's clothing.
Today Indians continue to pass down unique traditions to the children,
though the role of craftsmen changes dramatically. Reliance upon the
convenience of 20th century ways of getting food does indeed allow more
room, more time, for craft specialization. Men and women have equal access
to materials and tools, but traditions of many Nations still dictate the
creation of some forms of art. Specialized guilds of pottery, basketry,
quill working, metalworking and other Indian crafts have developed over
the centuries and they exist today, coast to coast, across Turtle Island.
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