Native American Art - Case Study Example

Native American Spiritual Artwork Native American art has two faces- one is handmade art-work and the other comprise of performances (Dagan). These two aspects are common for all Native American cultures. And art is always associated with some element of spirituality. For a Native American who makes traditional pots, “clay is alive-it has spiritual power and a kind of energy” (Williams et al., 29). Similarly, the beautifully art-worked moccasin foot ware of Cherokee tribe are also seen as something sacred and this is evident when in a poem, the Native American man sings, “I put them on. I walked sacred on the land” (Williams et al., 31). On the performance side also, it can be seen that Native American dance is not simply an art form or a mode of entertainment but is deeply embedded with spiritualism (Sun Dance). Dance even becomes a form of prayer for these tribes (Sun Dance). In this way, “American art provides a mean for people to connect to the sacred” (Zimmerman, 94). It is observed that “animism” is the prevalent common theme of all Native American art (Dagan). The spiritual meaning of animism is a belief that “all things (in this world) are in unity” with each other (Dagan). Animism is also considered as the “oldest spiritual perspective in the world” (Dagan). The visualization of animism in Native Indian art can be seen as “spirals or zigzag lines” in paintings and carvings (Dagan). An interesting aspect of Native American art is that a spiritual experience is what ends up as an art work for a tribesman (Zimmerman, 94). Zimmerman has given an example for this when he said, “a dream might reveal to the artist a design for a warrior’s shield or part of a dancer’s regalia” (94). Similarly, it is observed, “a killer whale painted on a plank house is invested with the spirit of the killer whale” (Zimmerman, 94). Shamans who are the spiritual guides of each tribe find their connection with the divine through dance and theatrical performance (Zimmerman, 113). In all the rituals held under the leadership of shamans, there will be accompanying artists who paint or perform (Native Americans). The website, crystalinks.com has described the Native American sun dance in the following words, “The sun dance was a significant part of the Crow Indian peoples spirituality. It was a spiritual retreat in which a large number of participants would fast, pray and dance for a period of days. They asked for answers to events going on in their lives” (Sun Dance). Half-man-half –beast images are also part of this spiritual philosophy (Dagan). It is these spiritual creatures that are supposed to guide the shaman through the path between the two worlds (Dagan). The same figures can be seen in the paintings, carvings and performance arts of Native Americans (Dagan). While exploring Native American performance art, it has to be kept in mind that “Native American dance is meant to channel spiritual energies or reanimate ancient stories that can be caused to re-appear in the world today” (Dagan). A magical web, the dream catcher, is yet another figure that appears in many forms of Native American art (Dagan). Also, the wolf being a sacred animal for Native Americans, it has gained a place in Indian art as well (Dagan). Apart from these common themes, there are different concepts of art and spirituality prevalent among different Indian tribes. For example, many “clan crests, songs, stories, (and) regalia (hats, blankets, tunics etc.) and clan houses” are considered ‘at.oow’ by Tlingit clan thereby wiping out the difference between what is art and what is mundane (Willaims et al., 139). The borders of physical and spiritual worlds thus overlap. An at.oow is a clan property that has social and spiritual importance (Williams et al., 139). From this example, it can be seen that traditional artworks as well as art forms like songs and stories have a spiritual role in Native American culture. Similarly, in the Pueblo community, the embroidery done by traditional weavers have designs that signify certain spiritual functions (Williams, et al., 183). Among the Tlingit tribe, the shaman uses intrinsically painted masks called yek, as “spirit-helpers” (Perkins and Morphy, 358). A supernatural power is thus embodied in a mask so that the power can be tamed to certain ends. The sand paintings of Navajo tribe is yet another example of the existence of distinct spiritual art forms in different Indian tribes (Espin and Nickoloff, 522). Here, using sand and different organic and mineral colors, ground paintings are made on a “sacred ritual space” (Espin and Nickoloff, 522). Making such a painting is usually part of a spiritual healing process (Espin and Nickoloff, 522). In the Great Lakes, the Midewiwin Grand Medicine Society had a practice of representing “spiritual forces called manitos … by animals and anthropomorphic figures made in a variety of media by male and female artists” (Native Americans). Chanting is another musical form that is a part of the ritual performances of almost all Indian tribes (Espin and Nickoloff, 221). For Native Americans, music itself is “believed to emanate from the depths of human spirit and from the rich embodiments of sacred life found in the natural world” (Espin and Nickoloff, 221). Another unique feature of Native American songs has been that all of them are supposed to have originated from a dream (Espin and Nickoloff, 221). The ground painting of Navajo tribe is also always accompanied with singing (Espin and Nickoloff, 222). Even the colours used in art works had spiritual meanings. This is explained by the website, Bonniebutterfield.com, in the following two paragraphs: Native American artists throughout North America used color to create visual effects and as a powerful reference to the vital natural forces that provided the basic structure of their lives. Among the Plains groups, for example, colors had some generally held references, such as yellow for the sun, blue for sky or water and red for the earth (Native Americans). As these essential elements of nature were imbued with great spiritual power, their associated colors also carried a high charge of religious importance that became part of their overall artistic effect of Native American art. In this way, art was inseparable form nature as well as spirituality, for Native Americans. Even in war, Native Indians found space for art and spirituality. It can be seen that: The Plains warrior also used art to represent the sacred powers that he hoped to attract in personal spirit quests. Revealed in dreams and visions, these images were painted on leather shields, which were carried into battle more as elements of magical than physical protection (Native Americans). The philosophy of such an intensely spiritual and ecological art can be understood only by assimilating a deep oneness with nature and the universe. This was the underlying philosophy of all Indian cultures. This is why the art of Native Americans never leaves the realm of the sacred. Art, for a Native American is a vehicle through which one can travel to and forth between the physical and the spiritual worlds. Works Cited Dagan, Rod, Native American Art and Its Spiritual Concept, n.d. web. 14 April 2011, http://www.virtuescience.com/native-american-art.html Espin, Orlando.O. and Nickoloff, James. B., An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies, Collegeville MN: Liturgical Press, 2007. Print. Native Americans: The True Story of Scagawea and Her People, Bonniebutterfield.com, 2010. web. 14 April 2011, http://bonniebutterfield.com/indian-pottery.htm Perkins, Morgan and Morphy, Howard, The Anthropology of Art: A Reader, London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2006. Print. Sun Dance, n.d. web. 14 April 2011, http://www.crystalinks.com/sundance.html Williams et al., Native American Voices on Identity, Art, and Culture: Objects of Everlasting Esteem, Pennsylvania: UPenn Museum of Archeology, 2005. Print. Zimmerman, Larry.J., Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of Native Americans, The New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2009. Print. Read More