Not Native American Art

Explores the making and meaning of so-called Native American art

Explores the making and meaning of so-called Native American art

The faking of Native American art objects has proliferated as their commercial value has increased, but even a century ago experts were warning that the faking of objects ranging from catlinite pipes to Chumash sculpture was rampant. Through a series of historical and contemporary case studies, Janet Catherine Berlo engages with troubling and sometimes confusing categories of inauthenticity.

Based on decades of research as well as interviews with curators, collectors, restorers, replica makers, reenactors, and Native artists and cultural specialists, Not Native American Art examines the historical and social contexts within which people make replicas and fakes or even invent new objects that then become "traditional." Berlo follows the unexpected trajectories of such objects, including Northwest Coast carvings, "Navajo" rugs made in Mexico, Zuni mask replicas, Lakota-style quillwork, and Mimbres bowl forgeries. With engaging anecdotes, the book offers a rich and nuanced understanding of a surprisingly wide range of practices that makers have used to produce objects that are "not Native American art."

Janet Berlo is professor of art and art history and visual and cultural studies emerita at the University of Rochester. She is the editor of The EarlyYears of Native American Art History (UWP, 1992) and author of Native North American Art, 2nd ed. (Oxford, 2014), among other publications.Horse Capture Joe :

Joe Horse Capture (A’aninin) is the Vice President of Native Collections and the Ahmanson Curator of Native American History and Culture.

Janet Catherine Berlo is professor emerita of art history and visual and cultural studies at the University of Rochester. She is editor of The Early Years of Native American Art History and coauthor of Native North American Art, along with many exhibition catalogues over the last four decades. Joe Horse Capture (A'aniiih) is Vice President of Native Collections and Ahmanson Curator of Native American History and Culture at the Autry Museum of the American West.

"A thoroughly researched and well-written book, Not Native American Art tackles a complex subject and breaks it down into more understandable terms while simultaneously not oversimplifying it. . . . [A] must-read for anyone interested in Native history, art, and material culture."

"Clearly written and beautifully illustrated."

"Berlo brings a sensitive eye to difficult topics that continue to affect Native American communities and their artistic practices. . . . Scholars and students of Native American art and material culture will find Berlo’s book to be a useful resource on specific case studies and guide for future investigations."

"Dr. Janet Catherine Berlo accomplishes a rare feat: producing a scholarly book that is well-researched, well-written, and an engaging read. . . . an invaluable resource for anyone interested in gaining a wider view of the complexities of the Native art world."

"Berlo’s analyses question not only what is authentic but also what is traditional. She demonstrates how neither is a static concept, and she reminds us of the limits of essentialism. . . . Berlo’s examples demonstrate her skill as a storyteller as she evokes positive and negative characteristics of re-enactors, hobbyists, WPA (Works Progress Administration) workers revitalizing Native traditions, and, well, crooks. Her rich narratives allow readers to perceive the twists and turns of appropriation and re-creation so they can reach their own judgments."

"Janet Berlo has long been a leading voice in conversations about the social life of Native American art. Here, she has authored another vibrant and vital contribution to our understanding of Native American artforms through the lens of authenticity. This is a brilliant account that goes to the heart of what we mean by 'real'—a series of questions that Berlo incisively answers by examining the intersection of performance and positionality, history and politics, identity and lived experience. I can't recommend this book highly enough."—Chip Colwell, author of Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America's Culture

"One of our most talented and committed historians of Native American art, Janet Berlo has crafted a powerful and provocative inquiry into the categories that have sorted and sifted Native art—original, replica, artifake, pastiche, among others. Rip-roaring right out of the gate, Not Native American Art offers a world-shaking journey through an array of objects much more confusing—and interesting—than we ever thought possible."—Philip J. Deloria, author of Becoming Mary Sully: Toward an American Indian Abstract

"Takes readers into an ethical labyrinth populated by nostalgic hobbyists and reenactors, wily art dealers, heavy-handed restorers, and skilled replica artists. Janet Catherine Berlo's witty, nuanced stories of intercultural collaboration and the hybridity of Indigenous traditions make a major contribution to current debates about colonialism, cultural appropriation, and revitalization in Native America."—Michael F. Brown, author of Who Owns Native Culture?

from the foreword by Joe Horse Capture:

"A refreshing insight into the challenging, and often troubling, aspect of the creation of Native art by non-Native artisans, Not Native American Art is a must-have for those interested in the complexity of the creation of Native art by both Native and non-Native artists."