By JAKELI SWIMMER
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal member
I’ve recently read an article titled “Carving a Path: The Future of Cherokee Art Collection” in my local paper about Driver Blythe’s journey into the world of art collection. While the article attempted to bring attention to a Cherokee centric view of art appreciation/appraisal, I believe it misses the point of art, specifically our Cherokee art.
Cartoon by Jakeli Swimmer
There was an emphasis placed on the monetary value and appraisals of Cherokee artists without ever understanding the true history of art sales nor the situations many Cherokee artist face past and present. I further believe this article falls short in the effort to include the Cherokee word for “art”. As Driver details through conversations with Cherokee Speakers, “there wasn’t a Cherokee word, necessarily, for art…” but this statement is not enough explanation of why that is. It is not merely the word “use” but actually a distinctive dialectal word meaning we “mend” materials. This is a true acknowledgement of traditional art practices within our ancestral homeland. Our ancestors and elders understood that we did not make the rivercane, Whiteoak, the clay or any other vital materials; they are gifts from the Creator that artists utilize and because of that, our art was never truly about money, it was about reciprocation and survivance.
All traditional crafts served a functional purpose at one time but as our traditional crafts have become more decorative not only has there been a drastic drop in complete practitioners, but there is also the circumvention of knowledge of how to be a true “maker” of said art. In this declaration, the term maker, means those who can make art, specifically traditional art, from the source material all the way to completion. And so, while there was acknowledgement of the importance of our artisans/crafters in collections, there was no understanding of how in actuality these collections have been devastating to our own traditional art practices and to many artists legacies.
By applying the practice of appraisal or the financial evaluations onto works of Cherokee art it actually devalues the meaning of our art. This process creates a tier system or hierarchy which is not a Cherokee worldview and limits accessibility, reclamation, and reciprocation of our art into the families and community it once derived from. Personally, I have experience with family art being in various auction houses and collections. In fact, the collector Lambert Wilson mentioned in the article, bought all of my grandmothers remaining inventory out of a local shop the day after she died. For me that is an example of valuing profits without valuing a family. And then there is my wife and her family, who are still actively pursuing her grandmother’s pieces but because they were not as highly “valued” they are more difficult to find and at some points set at monetary margins where they have to pool money to reclaim pieces.
For people like me, my family, my wife and her family, we still are artists and often use our talents to bring new appreciation and true value to the Cherokee art scene while simultaneously reclaiming or continuing our family legacy. So, I understand the parts of the article that reflected the “new” era of artist but again, there was still a lack of education on how truly exploitative the world of collections or collectors are, even now. For me, I’ve been a part of, overheard about or was told directly by an artist or artists on how they have bargained with for a “better” price from the “investor” knowing said person could afford the asking price. Thus, I am aware that Native art needs value at times, but that evaluation should be subjective to families trying to reclaim a family piece.
In closing, my response to this article is on behalf of my family, my friends, my peers and mentors and a statement to everyone that uplifting or writing about a westernized practice is not helpful to the Eastern Cherokee art community. We have no spaces that are dedicated to helping assist current artist and no spaces that nurture future artists. The true evaluation of Cherokee art should not be measured in how many are left but how many are continuing on. We are community rich in history, language, culture and traditions-we are not a people determined by outsiders; we are a people who are recognized from within. Not only was my grandmother a renowned potter, but she was also a caregiver and the matriarch. She, like so many of our past and current artisans are more than what some institution declares, they are a part of true value within the people they belong. My plead is that rather than talking about the monetary value of Cherokee art, we as a Tribe, are putting value into uplifting and supporting our Cherokee artists. Let’s stop highlighting Cherokee objects and start highlighting Cherokee people.
Sgi.
