Native American Art in North America

Native American Art: Shoulder Bag

The focus is on the detail, quality, and level of work, not just the function.
The example shoulder bag features intricate beadwork, where tiny beads are sewn together to create elaborate designs and colors.
The craftsmanship, effort, and concern put into creating the bag are exceptional.

Native American art often serves as a means of personal expression and adornment.
It reveals aspects of the artist's identity, their people, ancestors, or family lineages.
The artwork is often deeply personal and not commissioned by patrons, unlike much of European art.
The example bag comes from the Delaware people of Kansas.
This level of craftsmanship and personal attention is common across different regions, including the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, and Eastern Woodlands.

Native American art often represents the self through personal adornment.
Clothing, makeup, jewelry, and tattoos are all forms of personal adornment that reveal aspects of ourselves.
This concept is not limited to the Eastern Woodlands but is seen in other regions as well.

Baby carriers exemplify the art and craftsmanship focused on personal expression.
The example is from the Eastern Sioux of the Upper Missouri River area and dates back to the 19th century.
It is made using quill work, where porcupine or bird quills are soaked, dyed, and sewn together.
Quill work is more fragile than beadwork, which would later replace it.
The images on the baby carrier symbolize care, protection, and well-being.
The thunderbird symbolizes protection against natural and supernatural forces.
The artwork has deep meaning and is not merely for decoration.

Plains Indians recorded their exploits on tipis, robes, and covers made of animal skin (hide).
The North American bison (buffalo) was central to their culture.
The earliest surviving hide robe painting is at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello residence.
It was given to Jefferson by Lewis and Clark, who explored the Louisiana Purchase.
The painting depicts 22 scenes from a battle fought in 1797 by the Mandan of North Dakota and their allies, the Sioux.
It portrays heroic events, horses, weapons, headdresses, and individual characteristics.
The warrior wearing the robe becomes a living representation of his exploits and triumphs.

Animal imagery is very important, with idealized and stylized depictions.
The Seattle Seahawks logo is derived from this style.
Families lived in large extended family homes, tracing lineage maternally.
When men marry, they move into the home of their wife and her family.
Families derive their name and history from animals or mythological creatures (animal-human combinations).

Various tribes, including the Navajo, Pueblo, and Anasazi, inhabit the Southwest.
Pueblos are multi-story dwellings, indicating a settled, non-nomadic lifestyle.
These communities were skilled in farming, cultivation, and irrigation.
They developed complex canal and irrigation systems to manage water in the dry climate.
The multi-story dwellings have flat terraces, used for observation and communal activities.
The terraces and open spaces (plazas) serve as centers for communal life and ceremonies.
Structures are made of adobe, a sun-dried mud brick of sand, clay, and binding agents (grass, straw).

Basketry is the art of weaving reeds, grasses, and plant materials into containers.
Baskets serve utilitarian purposes and hold significant cultural meaning.
According to the Pomo people of California, their hero brought the sun to earth in a basket.

Coiling: Building a basket by winding a coil around and around.
Twining: Similar to coiling, but with vertical elements bound at the top.
Plating: Weaving strips over and under; a common technique using construction paper.

The lesson reviewed Native American art in various regions, buffalo hide painting, animal imagery of the Northwest Coast, and the art of basketry.
The importance of quality and personal investment in one's work is emphasized, with artwork reflecting the artist's identity.