Native Art

Traditional Native Art: Native peoples have decorated their personal possessions and created sacred and ceremonial objects for thousands of years They embroidered their clothing, carved designs in bowls and utensils, and created elaborate basketry Spiritual beliefs were expressed in finely crafted pipes and masks These objects were a direct reflection of their culture and everyday lives Dene dress made from moosehide, velveteen, beads, and pieces of tin

Mi’kmaq quillwork boxes Mi’kmaq women crafted boxes, dishes, and baskets out of porcupine quills.

Iroquois “False Face” Masks During healing ceremonies, a carved wooden mask is worn to represent the spirits.

Wampum Belts Shell beads were woven into patterned belts and used to record important events, ideas, contracts, or treaties among nations.

Traditional Native Art: In the past, the majority of Native artworks could be carried or worn, since most people lived in small family groups that moved around their territories with the seasons A Lakota (Sioux) peace pipe stem, without the pipe bowl, displayed at the United States Library of Congress

West Coast Art: On the West Coast, Native people were more settled because of an abundance of food all year round This led to the creation of large artworks, such as totem poles, canoes, and houses Gitxsan totem poles and houses, in British Columbia

West Coast Totem Poles Placed in front of homes and represent family crests, clans and chiefs Also act as mortuary poles to commemorate a deceased person

West Coast Totem Poles

West Coast Canoes

West Coast Art: The subject matter of West Coast art reflects animals, humans, nature, ancestral stories, and mythological creatures One of the most well-known West Coast First Nations groups is the Haida Characteristics of Haida art include heavy black formlines, which outline the main shape of the animal/person, as well as U-forms, S-forms and ovoids – which resemble rounded rectangles.

West Coast Art: Animals are also shown as having faces within their forms to represent death as well as rebirth These interior faces also represent animism (the belief that all things in nature have a spiritual essence) Although there are subtle differences in shapes and style between West Coast Native artists, they all share common forms, outlines, and a flat 2D style

Traditions Evolve: Contact with non-Native people affected Native art in a number of ways: European trade goods such as glass beads and metals were incorporated into artworks When government regulations banned traditional ceremonies, the arts associated with these ceremonies were sometimes lost, forgotten, or put in museums Some artists changed traditional designs to make them more popular with tourists or collectors Artists adopted new techniques, materials, and styles as they were exposed to new ideas

Contemporary Artists: Many Native artists still create traditional artworks Others are exploring new styles, or searching for ways to balance their heritage with the desire for more individual artistic expression

Known as the "Picasso of the North " Norval Morrisseau Morrisseau, also called Copper Thunderbird, is a Canadian Native artist who fuses Ojibwa spirituality with contemporary art methods Known as the "Picasso of the North " Born in 1931, on Sand Point Reserve near Thunderbay, Ontario and died in 2007 Mother and Child, 2005, acrylic on canvas

Developed a style known as the Woodland School Norval Morrisseau Developed a style known as the Woodland School Today this art style is called Anishnaabe painting, a reference to the artist’s heritage Morrisseau painted animals, plants, ancestors and spiritual creatures that reflect Ojibwa culture and beliefs Metamorphosis: Man into Turtle, 1977, serigraph print

Characteristics of his paintings include: Norval Morrisseau Characteristics of his paintings include: x-ray perspectives, vibrant colours, heavy black outlines skeletal shapes interconnecting lines that symbolize sacred power The first Native artist to have a solo exhibition displayed at the National Gallery of Canada in its 126 year history Family of Birds, 1977, acrylic on canvas

Carl Beam Made Canadian art history as the first Native artist to have his work purchased by the National Gallery of Canada as Contemporary Art Born in 1943 to an Ojibwe mother and American father in M'Chigeeng First Nation, on Manitoulin Island Died in 2005 Sitting Bull and Whale, 1990, etching on paper

The North American Iceberg, 1985, acrylic, photo-serigraph, and graphite on plexiglas

Beam departed from traditional Native styles Carl Beam Produced work in a variety of media, including watercolour, etching, pottery, photo-transfer on canvas, acrylic, and sculpture Beam departed from traditional Native styles His work combines imagery from the spiritual, the natural, and the political worlds Robert Johnson, 2004, mixed media on plexiglass

His art bridges the gap between Native and popular cultures Brian Jungen Born in 1970, Jungen is an installation and sculpture artist from British Columbia with Swiss and Dunne-za ancestry His art bridges the gap between Native and popular cultures Transforms everyday items into Native symbols The Prince, 2006, baseball gloves and dress form

Brian Jungen Became well known for his 1998-2005 series Prototypes of New Understanding Consisted of Native masks assembled and hand-sewn from parts of Nike Air Jordan shoes and other sports equipment Appropriated these items the same way that sports teams have used Native names and symbols

A painter and printmaker of Cree descent Jane Ash Poitras A painter and printmaker of Cree descent Born in 1951 in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta and currently lives in Edmonton Known for her collage-like technique, which incorporates photos Pink Shamans, 1996, mixed media on canvas

Jane Ash Poitras Uses layered images, found objects, and text to explore the historical and personal experience of Native people in Canadian society Often adds to the meaning of her art by adding objects with symbolic significance to the surface of the compositions Riel – Riel – Riel, 2002, mixed media on paper

Worked in many forms of art, but best known for his sculptures Bill Reid Worked in many forms of art, but best known for his sculptures Born in 1920 to a Haida mother and an American mother, but not aware of his Native heritage until he was in his teens Died in 1998 Raven and the First Men, 1980, cedar

Some of his major works were featured on the Canadian $20 bill Bill Reid His work usually portrays figures, animals, and scenes from Native folklore One of the most important figures in the 20th century renaissance of Haida culture Some of his major works were featured on the Canadian $20 bill

Bill Reid Spirit of Haida Gwaii, 1986, bronze