Abstract

This article explores tradition and ceremony in contemporary Native American art. Indigenous scholars and artists use traditional knowledge to navigate contemporary contexts. Shared perspectives challenge binaries, problematic due to Indigenous peoples’ relationship to colonization. The study used Indigenous research incorporating critical theory (Grande, 2015), decolonizing and Indigenous Research Methodologies (Tuhiwai Smith, 2021), and Indigenous research rooted in relationality (Wilson, 2008). We examined traditional meanings for Native Americans in contemporary art through reflection and dialogue. Research components included a historical overview, an examination of literature, interviews, and oral histories. Transforming Our Practices: Indigenous Art, Pedagogies, and Philosophies (Ballengee Morris & Staikidis, 2017) was consulted, in which Indigenous artists described artmaking as regenerating collective memory. Suggestions were made to reconsider traditions in Native American art to promote new outcomes in visual arts research and pedagogy informed by Indigenous epistemologies.

Keywords: Tradition, Indigenous Research Methodology, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Relationality, Contemporary Native American Arts

How to Cite:

Ballangee Morris, C. & Staikidis, K., (2023) “From a Native Worldview: The Concept of the Traditional in Contemporary Native American Art Practices”, Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education 40(1), 113-133. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jcrae.5562