© 1994 - Tara Prindle
unless otherwise cited.
The 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, Native Americans New England 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 Native Americans 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, Native Americans
found not only a means of individual expression, but they also
discovered a visual way to communicate important cultural symbols.
In New England, some forms of traditional Native American art 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.
Document sources recorded by Europeans in 17th century New England
mention specific divisions of production or labor based
on sex and age. Dutch observed in the 'New Netherlands' (New York) that
older men fashioned fish nets and make wooden bowls and ladles, and that
such labor was uncommon among younger men, with most of the subsistence
activities performed by women. Men were responsible for the manufacture of wooden
bowls, spoons, dishes, and canoes, as well as nets and stone pots and
pipes. Men eventually specialized in the production of wampum, or shell
currency, and other shell artifacts, (although recent research indicates
women may have had a role in wampum production). The husband in New England
was obligated to make his child's cradle board.
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. William Wood noted in the 1600's "In winter time
they [Native American women in New England] are their husbands Caterers,...
They likewise sew their husbands shooes, and weave coates of Turkie
feathers, besides all their ordinary household drudgerie which daily
lies upon them" (New England's Prospect by William Wood,1865).
Today Native Americans continue to pass down unique traditions to the children, though the role
of Native American artists 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 Native American artists have developed over
the centuries and they exist today, coast to coast, across Turtle Island.
Native American
art has become overwhelmingly popular in this decade - a situation that has had both positive
and negative effects on individual artists and Native nations. An international market has
formed which demands the sights and sounds of Native cultures. Though commercial operations
often provide an outlet for Native American artists, the competition from poorly-made, non-Native production
of Native art has injured Native artists and in some case perpetuates hurtful stereotypes of
Native Americans. Many issues of
cultural property have been raised about the production and abuse of Native American art and
images - it is difficult to know where to draw a line in the sand. Federal legislation has failed to protect or accommodate the Native American artist,
mainly because today it is so difficult to define who is - or is not - a Native American artist.
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Text and Graphics
© 1994 - Tara Prindle unless otherwise cited. |