Native American Art History

Native American art and its history are fairly new in the museum world. From the beginning, their culture as a whole was not understood. Research and study of the culture to fully understand their lives was few and far between. Even Native peoples that lived among us throughout history were the not used for their wisdom, advice, or involvement in the representation of their own arts or crafts. The value of Native art was always viewed as of lesser value and lacking interest compared to Western traditional art. Their art was even viewed as second hand to the artwork of Asian and African art. Many factors have played a role in the non-acceptance and misrepresentation of Native American artist and their work.
The dynamic of value and an understanding
Thus, the post-reservation period began a new era in art and their lives. Aboriginals began moving off the reservations to live in urban towns and cities (essays, 46- 47). Native cultures were defining themselves in the world and taking a much greater responsibility for their own affairs, which had been done for them for years without their control. The post-reservation period also pushed out the popularity and demand of modernism art. Thus, native artists began to affirm their aboriginal identity within their artwork more so than ever (Essays,
While modernism meant the disappearance of the artist’s identity, postmodernism connected art to social and political issues. Native Americans have had the burden of Western and other cultures around the world viewing their culture in romanticizing stereotypical views. Beadwork, baskets, and jewelry made by native cultures have therefore been regarded not as art, but as nostalgic pieces of the past. (Essays, 70) With the post-reservation period, Native Americans objected to the popular demand of Western art and the Western views as a whole (essays, 47). This was the beginning of Native cultures being able to produce pieces of work that were traditional and meaningful to their culture. They were able to craft what they desired. Subsequently, the rest of the world followed and began to appreciate, accept, and desire the art forms theses nations