Eurocentrism and the Noble Savage

[mbarrick]

These are from the Natural History Museum in New York, from the West Coast Native Indian exhibit. These depictions and ones like them hang over the area devoted to each grouping (i.e. Salish, Nootka, Haida, Bella-Coola, etc.) and were clearly done in the late 19th century. The Classical Academic style just killed me.

"House Building Ceremony - Nootka" Elaine got a particular chuckle out of the Christ-like representation of the shaman. Personally I liked how the unpainted totem-pole is made to look like a classical stone column.

"Cooking Clams - Salish" What exactly is that stone-looking structure in the background supposed to be? Last time I looked around the Indian reserve in Duncan I didn't see any Hellenic temples...

To be fair these paintings date from a whole different mindset and the artifacts and text displayed beneath them were more in keeping with contemporary standards.