Respectfully Teaching the Visual Arts of the Haudenosaunee

1. Respectfully Teaching the Visual Arts of the Haudenosaunee • Native Americans of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora Nations Kathie Maniaci Syracuse University

2. The Haudenosaunee (pronounced HO-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Current Haudenosaunee territories can be found in New York State, Oklahoma, (Seneca & Cayuga) Wisconsin, (Oneida) and Canada. (Mohawk & Oneida)

3. “In some ways the Haudenosaunee of the past defined themselves through art-the art of storytelling, the art of dance, the performance of a ritual, the sacred speeches, and the creation of clothing, tools, utensils, and wampum belts – all of which produced a set of commonly understood cultural metaphors. It was through these metaphors and symbols that meaning was communicated across the generations.” Richard Hill, Tuscarora Artist and Educator

4. But here’s the question... If I am not Haudenosaunee, how can I teach about their visual arts?

5. Explicit Cultural Components: Observable Patterns Implicit Cultural Components: Unspoken and Non-Obvious Assumptions and Behavior

6. But here’s a BIGGER question: How can I be sure as an art educator that I am presenting cultural information respectfully with both implicit and explicit knowledge intact?

7. “A lot of Iroquoian art is narrative, the traditional and the contemporary. There are three categories; the traditional crafts that became art, tradition-based artwork but contemporary contents, and the contemporary art.” Onondaga-Seneca Artist Peter Jones

8. Traditional Haudenosaunee Crafts

9. Appropriate Imagery Clan Animals: Bear, Turtle, Deer, Wolf, Hawk, Heron, Snipe, Beaver,Eel. Turtle Island The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans & Squash

10. Inappropriate Imagery “All wooden and corn husks masks of the Haudenosaunee are sacred regardless of size or age. By their very nature masks are empowered the moment they are made. The image of the mask is sacred and is only to be used for its intended purpose. Masks do not have to be put through any ceremony or have tobacco attached to them in order to become useful or powerful. Masks should not be made unless they are to be used by members of the medicine society according to established tradition.” (Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee, 1995, p. 1)

11. Contemporary Haudenosaunee Art

13. Assumptions of a Culture-Based Curriculum • All cultures have value. • All cultures have a world view that • structures their values & society. • All cultures have an indigenous • knowledge base. • All cultures are dynamic.

14. From the book, “Iroquois Corn In a Culture-Based Curriculum: A Framework for Respectfully Teaching About Cultures,” by Carol Cornelius, 1999.

16. Guidelines for Art Educators • Talk about the living culture as well as the ancient culture. • Consult the members of the culture, elders, artists, nation teachers and art educators to learn what is appropriate. • Err on the side of caution, avoid sacred imagery. • When viewing contemporary art by Haudenosaunee artists, it is best to approach the lesson as looking at a an individual artist within their cultural context, rather than as being representative of Haudenosaunee art. • Ask your students what they find exciting in this artwork...how is the work relevant to them? Encourage students to find connections to the themes in their own lives. • Avoid projects replicating the “style” of cultural art, let students find their own inspiration and connection to the artwork.

17. “Art can be a preserver of social patterns as well as a teacher of cultural understanding. Art can provide a structure for encountering the reality of diverse cultures through the senses, and can also offer the opportunity to experience that reality through the sixth sense “insight.” Thus, a multicultural approach in art education can serve to broaden educational perspectives, to shed light on cultural misunderstandings, and to promote cross-cultural acceptance and communication.” Art Educator Pat Barbanell

18. Chief Jake Tekaronianeken Swamp Wolf Clan, Akwesasne Mohawk Nation “Giving Thanks” appears on the Joanne Shenandoah CD “Covenant”

19. Thank You! kmmaniac@syr.edu

20. References Adejumo, C. O. (2002). Considering multicultural art education.Art Education, 55, 33 –39. Barbanell, P. (1994). Multicultural art education: many views, one reality. Journal of Cross- cultural Multicultural and Research in Art Education, 12, 26-33. Batdorf, B. (2002). Excerpt from The Haudenosaunee: A look at today’s NYS curriculum [Electronic version]. SU NY Cortland Independent Study, 1-7. Retrieved April 10, 2005 from http://www.otsiningo.com/curic.htm Cornelius, C. (1999). Iroquois corn in a culture-based curriculum: a framework for respectfully teaching about cultures. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee, (1995). Policy statement on medicine masks [Brochure]. (also found on the internet at http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/ maskpoli.html.) Hill, R. W., (1998). The fine art of defining the Haudenosaunee. In S. S. Kasprycki, A.V. Roth, & D. I. Stambrau (ED) Iroquois art: visual expressions of contemporary Native American artists (pp. 2 – 7).Altenstadt, Germany: European Review of Native American Studies. Iroquois Hair Comb Education and Art Project (2002). About the project. Retrieved March 21, 2005, available from http://users.adelphia.net/~kerussell4/index.html

21. Irvine, H. B. (2005). The world’s art in your art world. School Arts, 104, 22-23. • Kasprycki, S. S., & Stambrau, D. I. (2003). Lifeworlds, artscapes: contemporary Iroquois • art. Frankfurt am Main: Galerie 37, Museum der Weltkulturen. • Lorenz, C. A. (2004). Creation: Haudenosaunee contemporary art and traditional • stories. Cazenovia, NY: Stone Quarry Hill Art Park. • Lorenz, C. A. (2003). Iroquois combs: traditional imagery, contemporary inspiration. • Hamilton, NY: Longyear Museum of Anthropology of Colgate University. • R. Parish (personal communication, March 6, 2005) • Six Nations, (2005). Who are the Haudenosaunee? Retrieved March 25, 2005 from • http://sixnations.buffnet.net/Culture/?article=who we are. • Stambrau, D. I., (1998). Living in two worlds: perspectives on contemporary Iroquois art. • In S. S. Kasprycki, A.V. Roth, & D. I. Stambrau (ED) Iroquois art: visual expressions of contemporary Native American artists (pp. 33).Altenstadt, Germany: European Review of Native American Studies. • T. Tarbell-Boehning (personal communication, April 8, 2005)