Unsettling Native Art Histories on the Northwest Coast

Inseparable from its communities, Northwest Coast art functions aesthetically and performatively beyond the scope of non-Indigenous scholarship, from demonstrating kinship connections to manifesting spiritual power. Contributors to this volume foreground Indigenous understandings in recognition of this rich context and its historical erasure within the discipline of art history.By centering voices that uphold Indigenous priorities, integrating the expertise of Indigenous knowledge holders about their artistic heritage, and questioning current institutional practices, these new essays "unsettle" Northwest Coast art studies. Key themes include discussions of cultural heritage protections and Native sovereignty; re-centering women and their critical role in transmitting cultural knowledge; reflecting on decolonization work in museums; and examining how artworks function as living documents. The volume exemplifies respectful and relational engagement with Indigenous art and advocates for more accountable scholarship and practices.

IntroductionKathryn Bunn-MarcusePART I. Cultural Heritage Protection: Questions of Rights and AuthorityA Bear in the Cedar, by Duane NiatumChapter 1. The Seward Shame Pole: A Tlingit Countermonument to the Alaska PurchaseEmily L. MooreChapter 2. The Social Life of Stones: Haida hlg̱as7agaa/argillite and the Making of Inalienable CommoditiesKaitlin McCormickChapter 3. Morse Code for Creation: Jim Schoppert's Painterly Language for a Postmodern RevivalChristopher GreenChapter 4. From "Artifakes" to "Surrogates": The Replication of Northwest Coast Carving by Non-NativesJanet Catherine Berlo and Aldona JonaitisPART II. Women's Work: Stories, Art, and PowerOne Square Inch, by Lily HopeChapter 5. Stl'inll ~ Those with Clever Hands: Presenting Female Indigenous Art and ScholarshipJisgang Nika CollisonChapter 6. Copper Seaweed and Woven Octopus Bags: Shgen George and the Art of ResilienceMegan A. SmetzerChapter 7. Ellen Neel and Carving on the Coast: Three Decades of Change and RenewalLou-ann Ika'wega NeelPART III. Changing MuseumsLet Indigenous Reign, by Ishmael HopeChapter 8. In the Spirit of Reconciliation: Rethinking Collections and the Act of Engagement at the Museum of VancouverSharon FortneyChapter 9. The Museum Disappeared: Northwest Coast Art and the Object of DisplayKaren Duffek, Peter Morin, and Karen Benbassat AliChapter 10. From Behind-the-Scenes to the Front of the House: Here & Now: Native Artists Inspired at the Burke MuseumKathryn Bunn-MarcuseChapter 11. Woosh.Jee.Een, Pulling Together: Repatriation's Healing TideLucy Fowler Williams, with contributions by Robert StarbardPART IV. Beyond ArtThoughts on Formline, by Iljuuwaas Tyson BrownChapter 12. Soft Robes of Thundering Power: Mountain Goat Fiber Textiles of the Northwest CoastEvelyn VanderhoopChapter 13. Sayach'apis and the Naani (Grizzly Bear) CrestDenise Nicole GreenChapter 14. Tlingit ArtIshmael HopeConclusion. Fifty Years Studying Northwest Coast Art: A Personal ViewAldona JonaitisContributorsIndex