Exhibit Introduction
Voices Through Time: Resisting Assimilation in Native American Art
My exhibit, Voices Through Time: Resisting Assimilation in Native American Art, is the exploration of diverse ways Native American communities resisted the assimilation policies of the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, particularly through art. Many nations and communities of native Americans faced the European push to assimilate and colonialism which I acknowledge but for this exhibit, I will specifically look at the Lenape Nation. The Carlisle School's motto, "Kill the Indian, Save the Man," (‘kill the Indian, Save the Man) epitomizes the U.S. government’s attempt to suppress Native cultures. Through art, and its embodiment of traditions and history, Indigenous people of America found ways to maintain and express their identity. Resistance to the cultural erasure imposed on them through Information that held tribal traditions and ways of functioning to remain and grow. Artists, connected through native lineage bring the continuum of life into traditional works within their lifetime and reinforce the continuity of culture.
As someone of color who passed too reflects the colonial footprint that seems to taint the historical traditions of a culture. I wanted to take this opportunity to show how through art a culture and its traditions were able to surmount this oppressive colonial footprint and continue the cycle of passing down traditions, history, and culture. This will be present through both a contemporary and traditional form of artwork.
As a viewer, to fully grasp the artwork for this exhibit it is necessary that you must first gain an understanding of the individuals. Then, can you fully have the opportunity to better understand how, who they are, echos through their art. The Lenape nation of the Northern region, also known as the Lenni Lenape or Delaware, are an Indigenous people who lived in the Northeastern Woodlands of what is now the United States and Canada. The name Lennic Lenape is interpreted as "real person" or "original person"(Janet Catherine 2015).
Artistic practices play a significant role in Lenape culture and the creation of artworks. In these customs, there was a form of gender roles that the Lenape tribe functioned in, while not as constricting as Europenace which echoes from a statute of gender worth, there was typically a task taken on by one or the other. Women would typically have control over everything when it entered the home, everything that came into the house was the women’s. Men would be responsible for gathering resources such as animal skin that would be created into various things including clothing. While women would take on the transformation of the piece, such as weaving hide it into a coat. This was the case when it came to the creation of the art it was a group endeavor with different parts being taken on by either the man or the women.
These art pieces, though created by different artists and in different time periods, they are all connected through the work of passing down culture, tradition, and a message of resistance to colonization and assimilation. Each Lenape artist incorporates this message into their art piece in their own unique way. From different times and all taking approaches whether contemporary or traditional, I feel as though their message is something that is powerful and important and these artists' stories through artworks need to be shown to more people.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is addressed in each artist's work. Sovereignty refers to the authority inherently given to native american nations to be able to govern themselves within their nation. Recognized by the United States the sovereignty held by native Americans prevents outside influence from other nations from having control over their nation. Such an ability for native Americans such as the Lenape was not kept by the United States, who continued to take land and place guidelines like educational practice onto native Americans. The piece addresses the failed statute of sovereignty indirectly through their resistance to assimilation which stems from the intentional disregard for native sovereignty.
Spiritual
The ways of life and the social order usually informed the “artist practices and the imagery”(Berlo, Janet Catherine 2015) they tended to have. Animals were considered spiritually scared and were considered to travel from the spirit world and to the human work where they would be willingly hunted to help continue the lives of the people of the land. In the process of hunting the animals, the perception was not that they had to work to get the animal but was chosen “bear or beaver did not want me”(Berlo, Janet Catherine 2015). Such a deeply spiritual perspective can be seen reflected in their art pieces.
Each of the Lenape artists featured in the exhibit created pieces that in their medium showed the resistance of assimilation and colonization. The work of an artist presenting the art to the world or intended audience was meant to convey the idea of cultural tradition. Personally, my creation of this exhibit I was able to deepen my understanding of native culture through witnessing the stories behind artworks and the significance of tradition within the Lenape culture of art. Tradition can be impeded or halted if it is not continued to be represented. Such an act to move and place historical native American artwork back into the world, whether contemporary or traditional is in itself a resistance to the colonizing desire to erase and control the tradition of native Americans. This is the artist's personally voiced artwork that conveys the resisting assimilation in native american art. For the people, who wish not to continue or feed into the work of colonization and assimilation, we are also held responsible for learning different cultural traditions and not being confined to one that assimilation has left for us. Through this exhibit, I aim to honor the Lenape artists who have carried forth their traditions. I hope the viewers gain a profound respect for the resilience within each work, seeing art as a bridge between history, identity, and sovereignty.