Wokiksuye: the Politics of Memory in Indigenous Art, Monuments, and Public Space
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Wokiksuye: The Politics of Memory in Indigenous Art, Monuments, and Public Space by Erin Genia Master of Public Administration – Tribal Governance The Evergreen State College (2010) Submitted to the Department of Architecture In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Art, Culture and Technology at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY June 2019 © 2019 Erin Genia. All Rights Reserved The author hereby grants MIT permission to reproduce and distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author: ____________________________________________________________ Department of Architecture May 4, 2019 Certified by: __________________________________________________________________ Judith Barry Professor of Art, Culture and Technology Thesis Supervisor Accepted by: __________________________________________________________________ Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor Chair of the Department Committee on Graduate Students 1 Thesis Committee Members Mario Caro, Lecturer Judith Barry, Professor of Art, Culture and Technology Kim TallBear, Associate Professor, Faculty of Native Studies, University of Alberta 2 Wokiksuye: The Politics of Memory in Indigenous Art, Monuments, and Public Space by Erin Genia Submitted to the Department of Architecture on May 4, 2019 In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Art, Culture and Technology ABSTRACT The powers of creativity and symbolism that art draws upon have been used in the public realm to uplift and also to oppress. Within this context, art, from Indigenous perspectives, can positively influence the collective imaginations and wokiksuye (memory) of society. Indigenous intervention into the practice of public art can powerfully contribute to the process of decolonization and Indigenization in America. Considerations embedded in notions of public space within a settler colonial society, such as the attempted erasure of Indigenous peoples and histories, and the supplanting of Western doctrines over Indigenous cultures, influence the production and reception of this work. Erin Genia, a Dakota artist, analyzes the politics of memory in public space by scrutinizing monuments celebrating the American colonial project and describes the impacts of Western imperialism on Indigenous arts and cultures. By presenting her own artwork, as well as that of prominent Indigenous artists working in the public sphere, she shows how understandings of place and relationship underpin Dakota/Indigenous methods, and argues that public art is an arena where an evolution of thought and practice in approaches to the world can come to fruition. THESIS SUPERVISOR: Judith Barry TITLE: Professor of Art, Culture and Technology 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... 5 List of Images ................................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1: Method .......................................................................................................................... 9 Terminology: Indigenous ............................................................................................. 12 Chapter 2: Wodakota and Mitakuye Oyasin ................................................................................. 14 Thought Imperialism .................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 3: Indigenous Art ............................................................................................................. 25 Definitions of Art in Context ....................................................................................... 25 Construction of the Imaginary as Cultural Harm ......................................................... 29 Creators of Culture ....................................................................................................... 31 Fine Art Hierarchy ....................................................................................................... 32 The Legacy of Modernism in Indigenous Art .............................................................. 33 Social Practice in Indigenous Art ................................................................................. 36 Calls to Action ............................................................................................................. 36 Chapter 4: Museums and Culture Loss ......................................................................................... 39 Kunst und Wunderkammer .......................................................................................... 39 Anthropological Perspectives....................................................................................... 43 Tribal Museums as Self-representation ........................................................................ 47 Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ....................................................................................................... 48 Indigenous Art and Cultural Self-determination .......................................................... 51 Chapter 5: Ohetika, To Be Brave .................................................................................................. 53 Artist Statement ............................................................................................................ 58 Canupa Inyan: The Carvings of My Ancestors ............................................................ 59 A Dakota Aesthetic ...................................................................................................... 65 Mitakuye Oyasin/We Are All Related ......................................................................... 67 Chapter 6: The Politics of Memory in Public Space ..................................................................... 70 What is the Meaning of Public Space? ........................................................................ 71 Memorializing Dakota Dispossession .......................................................................... 75 Monuments Celebrating the Colonial and Confederate Roots of America.................. 87 Public Space for Whom? .............................................................................................. 92 Public Space, Public Opinion, Public Policy ............................................................... 95 Sacred Sites and National Monuments ........................................................................ 96 Chapter 7: Public Art and Indigenous Artists ............................................................................... 98 Land Art and Ecological Art ........................................................................................ 99 Fostering Indigenous Public Art in the Pacific Northwest......................................... 101 Chapter 8: Artist Interviews ........................................................................................................ 105 Nora Naranjo Morse ................................................................................................... 105 Alan Michelson .......................................................................................................... 108 Lyonel Grant .............................................................................................................. 112 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 116 Appendix A: Monuments in Perspective .................................................................................... 118 Appendix B: Metacom’s Seat, Seat of King Philip .................................................................... 120 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 121 4 Acknowledgments Wopida tanka (thank you) to the many people who have helped me in the research and writing of this thesis. I greatly appreciate the work, mentorship, and wisdom of my thesis readers Judith Barry, Mario Caro, and Kim TallBear, whose advice, time, and guidance is greatly valued. I’m eternally grateful to my editor and mother, Carolyn Shea, whose constant support, caring, and attention to the details of this work have sustained me. The thesis would not be complete without the generosity of the artists I interviewed—many thanks to Nora Naranjo Morse and Lyonel Grant for your brilliance and support over the years. A big thank you to Alan Michelson for sharing your works and words with me and for your patience. Thank you to Marlena Myles for the essential work you do to advance Dakota arts and an understanding of our culture and for leading me to Bdote. I thank my family for continually supporting me, especially my mother, who is always there for me and pushes me to be the best I can be. To my uncle, Bryan Shea, for your artistic brilliance and critical thought and for inspiring me to become an artist. To my kids Samuel, Alexandra, and Ruby, for setting me on a good path in life and for