Buffalo Thunder Casino

I was curious if Native American art was displayed at the numerous Native owned and operated casinos. I found a website displaying the art that is at the Buffalo Thunder Casino in New Mexico.

Here are some examples of art displayed there


“Deer Dancer” sculpture by George Rivera of the Pojoaque Pueblo


Various paintings as well as a sculpture of Koshares, the "clowns" that brought people to the Earth.

Here is a link to the website
 http://theroaddogblog.com/2013/02/native-american-art-collection-at-buffalo-thunder-casino-in-new-mexico/

Kachina Dolls

Then
 The kachina doll, a symbol of the spiritual kachina, has                                                                          evolved over the centuries due to advancements in skill and                                                                    materials. Are the improved aesthetics meant to improve the                                                                  marketability of the object or is it simply a result of                                                                                improved skill?
Now

Navajo Silver Jewelry

Navajo Sandcast Silver Bracelet with Corn Design c. 1940

I thought this bracelet was very cool. Although it was not hammered out, it was a sandcast piece but the design still remains intricate. 

Zuni Inlayed Bird Pin c. 1940

Awesome bird with intricate detail. Very characteristic of fine Zuni works.

Navajo Rugs

Yei sandpainting rug circa 1930- 1940 selling for $13,000!

Here is a link to Charley's Navajo Rugs where I found this image.
http://charleysnavajorugs.com/html/historic-navajo-rugs-for-sale/383-Guardian-Yei-Sandpainting-from-the-Nightway-Ceremony.htm

Navajo want their stuff back!

I ran across an article about Navajo masks being sold at auction in France. Initially, Native activist groups tried to stop the auction but they failed. Several Navajo member traveled to France to buy THEIR own masks back. Some believe that purchasing the masks set a bad precedent for future exchanges of this sort.

Here is a link to the whole article from the BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30484533

Red Indians

I was searching for contemporary Native American art and look what I found!

These fiberglass sculptures are at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum as part of the No Reservations: Native American History and Culture in Contemporary Art exhibition.

These statues are not made by a Native American artists but they art part of this exhibition. I find this interesting especially since the statues are enlarged versions of children's toys which depict stereotypes of Native American people.... maybe that was the point.

Ledger Art in Transition

While doing research for my paper I discovered a point of advancement within this medium. The Native American prisoners held at Ft. Marion created a slew of ledger art while held, but there is something interesting about their work. Many of the artists' works show exposure to western art techniques.

One of the main advancements was the inclusion of background detail within the art. Traditional ledger art did not have background or environment detail; it was only concerned with the central figures of the piece.

Here is a comparison:

 

A piece made by a Lakota artist sometime between 1845-1915. This image, in the traditional style, only shows the main actors in the scene.



A contrasting piece made by a Kiowa artist imprisoned at Ft. Marion sometime between 1875 and 1878. The background detail including hills and bushes is unique to Ft. Marion ledger art and is probably due to the western influence that the artist experienced.

Tecumseh: a Poet?

Recently, I watched a film entitled Act of Valor. The story is about Navy SEALs and their crazy missions, but that is not the concern of this post. The final scene was of a funeral with a poem being read in the background. The poem struck me as strange because it was written by Tecumseh. Yes, the Native American warrior who fought alongside the British against the colonists during the American Revolutionary War and later fought to prevent the expansion of white settlers into the West.

Here is the poem:

   "Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,
or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die,
be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time
to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home."

I have not seen too many Native American poems but there must be many out there. I do not know if this poem is word for word how Tecumseh said or wrote it but the knowledge and advice provided within it is quite interesting and inspiring.

I thought that the use of a poem, written by an enemy of the U.S. military, by a Navy SEAL was some kind interesting.

Maybe I will look up some more Native poets in the future!