Native American art in Canada

First peoples of North America, the Amerindians have a culture of their own. This term is used by anthropologists to refer to Indians who once lived in America and are considered Aboriginal. For those who are from Canada, the designation of First Nations people is much more appreciated. What can we say about these people? Origin, history and art? Focus on the subject.

Like all ancient peoples of the world, Native Americans have a history of their own. Certainly, the details vary according to the sciences and the different studies, but in any case, the Indians remain a people rich in belief and tradition.

Based on genetic studies, we can conclude that the Amerindians were originally peoples from central Siberia. Some paleoanthropologists claim that the American Indians reached their destination through the land bridge of Beringia. The latter existed more than 40,000 years ago and connected Siberia and North America. In addition, there are other hypotheses and in most of them it is stated that Alaska, America and Patagonia were occupied by humans around 10,000 years ago.

Over time, Native Americans formed groups, six to be exact. These are distinguished according to their geographical location:

• Woodland First Nations : this part of the people occupied the dense boreal forest which is located in the east of the country.
• The Iroquois First Nations : who find refuge in the extreme south and who take advantage of several fertile lands for the cultivation of beans, corn or even squash.
• Plains First Nations
• Plateau First Nations : which take advantage of a wide territory ranging from semi-desert areas in the south to dense forests and high mountains in the north. Pacific Coast First Nations: who had easy access to fishing areas and who could eat seafood, salmon, etc.
• River Basin First Nations : who had at their disposal hostile territories: arid lands, dark forests and swamps.

Also known as Indian art and Native American Indian art, Native American art celebrates the visual art of Native Americans.

At present, it is difficult to accurately trace the origins of all the different Native American designs. Moreover, most of these elements were lost in antiquity. Moreover, we can see that several of them come from natural forms and others are simply from the development of linear and geometric patterns.

Some creations, however, were original creations by individual artists. They result in particular from various specific quests, in particular the vision quest. The latter is of paramount importance to the Indians. Moreover, many artists have devoted the production of their works to it.

The artist has a whole role to play in Native American art. Granted, making art was not considered a way of life in itself, but anyone who excelled in their field was considered an artist. Moreover, for Native Americans, artistic skills were not seen as a vocation. However, they attach great importance to a job well done and of quality.

As in all other countries and all other cultures, the role of the Native American artist remains the same: to provoke emotion in the public. For the First Nations, the capacity of an artist is measured by his knowledge of the tradition and his way of expressing it in an original way. Despite the strict respect for tradition, there is a form of freedom of experience through art. Moreover, some Native Americans brought real changes to the art of their tribes, thanks to their talent. Over time, these individuals were copied by other artists.

It is worth noting that the majority of Native American art objects were intended for everyday use. Examples include: patterned vessels for worship, porcelain bowls for cooking and food preparation, rawhide shields that were intended to protect, but also to bring strength to its bearer (strength supernatural, speed, invulnerability, etc.). In any case, the artist aimed not only to create practical and functional objects, but also magical objects, essential in the various cults.

The materials used in Native American art vary according to the tribes and regions of the artists. However, natural materials are the most popular and used. As the objective is to honor their environment, it is therefore normal to use local materials that are specific to their territory. Among the most used are: clay, shells, stone, jade, turquoise, deer hair, etc. Native Americans also used animal skins, branches and tree bark. In addition, the treatment of materials varies according to the artist and the objects to be created.

Unlike the Amerindian peoples of other regions, those of Canada did not leave many traces of their passage. We speak in particular of architectural ruins like those of the peoples of Latin America. However, this in no way means that the Native Americans of Canada did not have architectural monuments. As most of them were built with perishable woods, they gradually disappeared over time. The case is the same for works of art. The Amerindians used perishable materials which led to their disappearance. It is therefore difficult even for scholars to analyze and draw conclusions about their achievements. However, the vision of art remains the same for the First Nations of Canada.