Assiniboine Artists: Keeping A Culture and Tradition Alive

Native American artists are known for their beadwork, carving, quilting, and paintings. They have a unique way of creating traditional pieces incorporating contemporary twists. These artists I have chosen to highlight have been instrumental in keeping the native traditions alive and promoting education about the Assiniboine and Sioux people.

Native Americans are known for their love of bright colors and this is not only incorporated into their art work it is also seen in their choices of paint for their homes. Growing up on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation I remember the newest section of government built homes being called the Easter Egg Section. The tenants choose bright vibrant blues, greens, reds, and yellows for their homes. These same color choices are often seen in the art work done by Native Americans.

Native Americans have been quilting for less than two centuries but have made it a beautiful art form. The Native Americans created quilts with bright vibrant colors and used geometric patterns that were not seen in the quilts from their European and early American counterparts. The Star Quilt, which featured eight points made of diamonds, is of special significance to the Native Americans. They believed that the stars were left in the sky by the Great Spirit to watch over them and the stars were a pathway for the dead. But the Native Americans did not limit their quilts to star quilts they incorporated many designs including the patterns that missionaries and settlers brought to them. The colors used by the Native Americans in their quilts were the colors of nature, blues for the sky, yellows for the sun, red and greens for plants and flowers, and brown for the soil. These colors were created using natural dyes from seeds and plants.Apart from being functional Native Americans especially the Sioux and Assiniboine used quilts to tell stories. They have significant meaning. These quilts are also an integrial part of tribal life, they are made for babies at their birth, made for the dead to be wrapped in, and given as gifts to honor people.

I have chosen two quilts made by my Great-Grandmother Almira Cox Jackson that now hang in the National museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. Almira Jackson created both these pieces in Wolf Point, Montana on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Almira was born in 1917. When she was quite young she was injured in a buckboard accident. She was thrown from the buckboard when the horses bolted. As a result of this she was crippled as a child and this kept her from being taken from her parents and being sent off to boarding school with the rest of her siblings. Being raised on the reservation Almira was taught traditional ways by the elders. Almira married and being unable to have children of her own she took in children from her siblings. She became very proficient at beading, quilting, and the making of Native American Regalia. Her work was sought out by people from all over the world but she remained the sweet funny grandma who always had a story to share.

This quilt is entitled Playful Star.It was collected by Florence Pulford between 1980 and 1985. This would put the date it was created in the same time frame as Almira Jackson sold or gave away the quilts she made very soon after she finished them. This quilt was made from cotton cloth, cotton-synthetic cloth, thread and was sewn. It is 186.9 x 217.4 cm. This particular quilt is done with traditional 8 point star made by diamonds. While the quilt also incorporated the traditional colors it adds the patterned cloth and the bright pink background that was not traditionally used. This is a good example of a traditional design incorporated with some contemporary ideas and is a beautiful way to keep tradition alive and yet keeping it relevent to today. I find the background a stark contrast to the star and the placement of the boxes almost makes the piece feel like it is revolving.

This quilt is titled Story of the Assiniboine (Red Bottom Tipi Quilt). It was collected by Florence Pulford between 1968-1988, so as before this quilt was made during this time frame. It is cotton cloth and thread and is 214 x 176.6 cm. This quilt is in a star pattern and tells the story of how the red bottom clan got their name. The colors are traditional. It depicts traditional tipis but also incorporates the modern home. This use of color and patterns in this quilt is quite captivating. This is probably one of my favorite star quilts. It’s real beauty lies within the story it tells.

The next artist I am adding to my exhibit is Joyce and Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty. Joyce and Juanita are mother and daughter. Joyce was born on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in 1950. Juanita was born in Castro Valley,California in 1969. Most of Juanita’s childhood was spend growing up on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Joyce started beading at 10 with her grandma and mother. Juanita started beading at the age of three and was taught by her mother Joyce. The Growing Thunders are known for their intricate bead and quill work on the traditional clothing and accessories they makes. Juanita’s designs are based upon nature, her daily life, and the traditional stories of her tribe. Juanita has won best of class four times at the Santa Fe Indian Market.

This piece is titled Give Away Horses and was created as a collaboration by Juanita Growing Thunder Fogerty and her mother Joyce Growing Thunder.It was created in 2006 and is in the National Museum of the American Indian. It is a woman’s dress and is made of deer hide, glass beads, and thread. It is completely hand sewn and beaded. It is approximately 167 x 73 x 109 cm. This dress took hundreds of hours to complete and it’s craftsmanship is beyond compare. The work was done on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. It is so beautiful to look at and the story the dress tells just adds to the beauty. The horses wearing war bonnets depicts a tradition from the Growing Thunder family. Their ancestor Ben Gray Hawk, a tribal leader, would put a war bonnet on a horses head and turn it loose into a crowd of men and who ever caught the horse was able to keep it. This was a gesture meant to honor his grandchildren Native Americans believe you honor someone by giving away things, they are a very generous people.

This piece is entitled Horse Mask. It was created in 2008 my Juanita Growing Thunder Fogerty. Jaunita did the work on this piece in California. It is made of moose hide, porcupine quills, wool cloth, cotton cloth, silk ribbon, glass beads, turkey feathers, brass buttons, nylon thread and synthetic dyes. It is hand sewn, quilled and beaded. It is approximately 54.5 x 60 x 3 cm. This piece is of significance because it shows the importance of the horse to the plains Indians. They depended upon their horse for transportation, to hunt, and for war parties. When preparing for battle Indians decorated their horses.The symbols were believed to be powerful and magical. This beaded mask for a horse is traditionally relevent as well as being beautiful to look at.

The next artist is the son of Joyce Growing Thunder. His name is Darryl Growing Thunder is an Assiniboine/Sioux and he is from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Darryl has won numerous awards for his work at the Sante Fe Indian Market. Darryl creates what is called Ledger art. Ledger art goes back the early days of the reservations when Naive Americans started to paint and draw their pictures on paper as the skins they traditionally did it on were very scarce. They would use paper from accounting ledgers which were introduced to the Native Americans by the government agents and missionaries. This type of art shows how the Native American was able to adapt to changes and keep their traditions and culture alive.

This piece is entitled Sioux Blioux and while I can find no creation date I am guessing it was done sometime after 2002. It is done on original merchant’s ledger paper. The piece is 10 x 15in (framed 20 x 24 in) Darryl Growing Thunder created this piece to show the love the Native American women had of the color blue. The artwork on the dresses told a story and the color blue usually represented water or the sky. In this particular piece it is telling the story of how the earth was created. The earth was seen as a turtle emerging from the lake. The beautiful work is keeping the traditional storytelling through pictures alive.

This is another piece by Darryl Growing Thunder. It is entitled Wiyan Wacipi and was completed in 2011. it is acrylic ink and colored pencil on antique ledger paper. It is approximately 20 x 20 in. This particular painting is done in the traditional color scheme used my Native Americans, which used colors that represent nature. It also depicts stars which are a familiar theme throughout Native American stories. The picture makes me think of women looking towards the sky remembering those that have gone on before them, it is a very spiritual moving piece.

All these artists come from a little known tribe of Native Americans, the Assiniboine. Their work has been an ongoing effort to keep the culture and traditions of these proud people alive. All these artists have incorporated the traditional use of color and story telling into their work. I think this exhibit is educational as well as beautiful.

Picture Credit:
National Museum of American Indians, Washington DC
http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=387014&catids=0&objtypeid=Furnishings (Home)|Quilt&src=1-4

National Museum of American Indians, Washington DC
http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=387020&catids=0&objtypeid=Furnishings (Home)|Quilt&src=1-4

National Museum of American Indians, Washington DC
http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=282045&catids=0,&partyid=2525&src=1-2

National Museum of American Indians, Washington DC
http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=394216&catids=0,&partyid=2524&src=1-2

References
Peterson, Lynn. The History of Native American Quilts. eHow December 17,2013 WEB April 14, 2014 http://www.ehow.com/about_5420993_history-native-american-quilts.html

Cartwright, Cheyenne. Native American Star Quilt History. eHow December 17,2013 WEB April 14, 2014 http://www.ehow.com/about_5374230_native-american-star-quilt-history.html

Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty. Wikipedia. January 29, 2014. WEB April 16, 2014
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanita_Growing_Thunder_Fogarty

Blumberg, Jess. Beading the Way. Smithsoniam.com November 2007 WEB April 15, 2014
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/beading-the-way-173821154/?no-ist

What is Ledger Art?. Warrior Spirit Artworks 2014 WEB April 17, 2014 http://www.warriorspiritartworks.com/What-is-Ledger-Art_ep_40.html

Darryl Growing Thunder. Museum of the Plains Indians, Browning Montana. 2012 WEB April 18, 2014 http://www.iacb.doi.gov/museums/archives/splains-archive-06012012.html