native art
First peoples' creations
Native art refers to artistic traditions and works created by indigenous peoples, particularly in North American contexts where it often describes art by First Nations, Inuit, and Native American artists.
The term encompasses traditional forms like carving, beadwork, and weaving, as well as contemporary works that engage with indigenous identity and history.
The museum's native art collection includes both ancient artifacts and modern pieces.
Some prefer terms like "indigenous art" or specific tribal attributions, as "native" can feel like an outsider's label.
- oral historiesRecorded spoken recollections
- clan symbolsEmblems representing kinship groups
- sacred sitesReligiously significant locations
- medicine wheelCeremonial stone circle arrangement
- motifsRecurring thematic elements
cedar canoes · cultural preservation · oral traditions · weaving · petroglyphs · spirit animals · quillwork · archaeological sites · pow wow · basketry · birch bark · ancestry · beadwork · tribal customs · cosmology · pottery · stone engraving · aboriginal
- AlaskaFairbanks, Juneau, Denali, Sitka, Kodiak
- souvenirssnow globe, souvenirs, magnets, magnet, keychains
- Native Alaskan craftsbaskets, carvings, ivory carvings, totem poles, totems
- Native culturetribal traditions, sacred ceremonies, powwow, tribal dances, drumming
- Pacific craftstiki, lei, fishhook, fish hook, war club
- Santa FeSanta Fe, Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe style, historic district, plaza
native artfine art
Aesthetic visual creations
classical art · contemporary art · modern art · beaux-arts · high art