Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Understanding Native American Art

I found some interesting videos on YouTube in which a Diné (Navajo) artist describes how to spot fake vs. authentic Native American art and some of its important symbols.

Personally, I prefer to buy direct from the artists, at stores/galleries owned by them or largely catering to them, or at powwows, as much as possible.  Any farther and it gets hard to tell the source.  These days, there are some excellent collectives run by artists, either specializing in a particular art/culture (such as Alaskan stone sculptures) or intertribal and diverse media.
Tags: art, ethnic studies, video
Subscribe

  • Fieldhaven as Habitat

    If you follow my posts on gardening, birdfeeding, and photos, then you know that I garden for wildlife. Looking at the YardMap parameters, here…

  • A Little Slice of Terramagne: YardMap

    Sadly the main program is dormant, but the YardMap concept is awesome, and many of its informative articles remain. YardMap was a citizen science…

  • Goldenrod Gall Contents

    Apparently all kinds of things go on inside goldenrod galls, beyond the caterpillars who make them. Fascinating. I've seen the galls but haven't…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    switch
    default userpic

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.
    Help
  • 3 comments
red_trillium

red_trillium

October 1 2011, 00:09:11 UTC 9 years ago

Thank you for sharing. I am influenced by Native American culture and symbolism but would never try to palm off anything I did as Native American. I don't get to go to powwows anymore and was thinking about trying to pick something up during my trip home next year, but would prefer to support an actual Native artist. Last time I got a neat belt buckle (silver & turquoise). It's pretty beaten up now but it was made by a Native artist, got it in a small shop in the Northwest.
ysabetwordsmith

Yes...

ysabetwordsmith

October 1 2011, 00:15:26 UTC 9 years ago

I have some affiliations with Lakota and Cherokee myself, but I'm never all of any one culture. Sometimes I'm surprised by how much has stuck in the family, though -- little bits of culture that I'll stumble across and think, ah, so that's where that probably came from. Parts of it influence my writing and reading. I'm particularly fond of native poetry.
red_trillium

Re: Yes...

red_trillium

October 1 2011, 00:37:34 UTC 9 years ago

We have Blackfood on my Dad's side. I don't know how much, know it isn't much. My grandma said it was an "Indian princess". I seriously doubt that but since her family was from Montana I don't doubt the Blackfoot part of what she said. It makes sense and would explain why I tended towards tanning as a kid and not so much getting sunburn I think.

I had a Native American literature class in college but have forgotten much of it. We did read a lot of poetry.