Defining Indigenous People and Indigenous Art
The definition of indigenous peoples may seem subjective to some. However, it is important to correctly understand which people can be classified as indigenous, so wrongful representations do not occur.
The World Bank defines indigenous people as “distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced”. Indigenous people are deeply rooted in culture and philosophies that may seem “foreign” to members of modern society, because they have retained their living for centuries prior to colonization. Colonizers have led indigenous people to be deprived of their right to exercise culture, movement, and freedom.
Thus, many indigenous communities are left to be displaced in an odd intersection of continuing to practice their culture yet being faced with tangible necessity to integrate modern practices, to survive.
Well, how do we define indigenous art?
Exploitation of indigenous art remains a prevalent issue, with predatory merchants stealing designs without consent or knowledge of the artist. It is important to note that indigenous art should solely be created by the “original people who inhabit the land”, as it is a physical representation of the spiritualities, totems, and history only an indigenous individual has the authority to narrate. If a non-indigenous person paints in the style of for example, Aboriginal art, it is not considered an Aboriginal artwork. Cultural rules and jurisdictions naturally preside over the definition of indigenous artwork.
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