These artists are ever questioning the current celebrations of this biased history, which encourages dominance over an imagined lesser human and reinforces inequality judged on social standing, race, and gender. The Indigenous artists of our time have stepped forward in a peaceful manner, demanding a critical analysis of the history of Turtle Island. There is a struggle to define all areas of art, but not many efforts bear the tension of understanding Indigenous art. While many Indigenous groups experience a lack of acceptance, for the purposes of this paper, the work of Jane Ash Poitras will be discussed as an instance of a Turtle Island artist who defies previously imposed categorizations of Indigenous art. Jane Ash Poitras has come to the forefront of the art world at a time when Indigenous perspective is necessary to change the established foundations of the fine arts community. As we continue to move forward as contemporary inhabitants of this land (termed North America for some and Turtle Island for others, including myself), Indigenous art is becoming more widely experienced and accepted by Canadian and international art communities. The art of Indigenous peoples has undergone many transformations in the past and will continue to enlighten its viewer, reinforcing the truth that Indigenous peoples are here, present, and participating in modern society. For certain, it seems that some individuals are more comfortable viewing a drum through glass than attending an open gathering to physically experience the drum’s heartbeat.
A serious problem arises from this representation: If our culture is only shown in the museum, then it becomes easy for viewers outside of the Indigenous realm to assume that our peoples have been long dead, successfully assimilated into Western culture. It is a severe lack of cultural understanding that has placed the creative expressions of Indigenous peoples, along with many other icons of our culture, within museum spaces. Jane Ash Poitras and Indigenous Art in North Americaīoth Canadian and international art communities have largely assigned Indigenous art to the field of anthropology, believing that its place is in the museum.
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