Sept. 17 — Sedona Arts Center, MNA to present ‘Moving from Appropriation to Authenticity ‘ at the Museum of Northern Arizona

This panel discussion will be an introduction to the overarching issues surrounding cultural appropriation of Indigenous art and pose the questions: What is illegal? What is not illegal but still unethical? What are consumers’ responsibilities when considering purchasing art? Panelists will discuss the Indian Arts & Crafts Act as a framework for these questions.

Panelists: Liz Wallace, Marcus Monenkerit, Mark Bahti
Museum’s entry fee of $15 required to attend. Members of Museum of Northern Arizona and Sedona Arts Center attend for free.

The three panel discussions are scheduled for:
September 17, 2 PM at the MNA; November 5, 2 PM at the MNA; and January 21, 2024, 2 PM at SAC.

This series of panel discussions complements the Arizona Humanities’ mission in several ways. The talks aim to expand the audience’s understanding of what constitutes authentic Indigenous art versus art that has appropriated aspects of Indigenous culture, and to create deeper connections between artist, culture, and community. By contextualizing the role of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, the boundaries of Indigenous artists’ intellectual property and agency over representation will be explored. By framing each discussion with questions that attendees can adopt in their evaluation of how to engage with Indigenous cultures and art, an enhanced knowledge will foster their ability to appreciate and differentiate authentic representation from appropriation. Panelists will be a diverse complement of Native and non-Native experts, representing a mix of traditional, contemporary, accepted, and challenged perspectives on Indigenous representation.

“This series, focused on Cultural Appropriation, has been a long time coming,” says Julie Richard, CEO of SAC, “This has been an issue here at Sedona Arts Center for many years but has never been addressed.  When I began researching what other arts centers or museums had regarding policies on this topic, I came up short­­ – even at the national level. It was clear that this was a topic that needed further exploration. I contacted the Museum of Northern AZ to see if they might be interested in partnering with us on a lecture series to put this issue in context and inform a potential joint policy or working agreement and they jumped at the chance.  We are extremely excited to offer this series of lectures in partnership with MNA and look forward to what we discover together.”

Mass production of counterfeit Indigenous art and the momentum of movements promoting buying directly from Indigenous artists are issues that can confound the casual and serious collector or art enthusiast. Mary Kershaw, Executive Director and CEO of MNA noted, “As an institution that local and global audiences look to for knowledge during a time of perspective change regarding representation of Indigenous art and culture, MNA and SAC are providing this series to restore the agency of Indigenous artists while inviting art aficionados into the conversation.”

The first panel discussion, Moving from Appropriation to Authenticity, on September 17, will be moderated by Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin, MNA Curator of Anthropology/NAU Professor of Anthropology. The panelists include artist Liz Wallace (Diné), Mark Bahti of Bahti Indian Arts, and Heard Museum Director of Community Engagement Marcus Monenkerit. The second panel discussion, More Than a Meal, on November 5, will be moderated by Kelley Hays-Gilpin. The panelists include Chef Jaren Bates (Diné), Chef Brett Vibber, and Toasted Sister podcast producer Andi Murphy (Diné). The third panel discussion, Drawing Cultural Inspiration, on January 21, 2024, will be moderated by MNA Director of Research and Collections Tony Thibodeau. The panelists include artist Jason Garcia (Santa Clara/Tewa), Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Curator of Ethnology Antonio Chavarria (Santa Clara), Charles King of King Galleries, and artist Susan Kliewer Dolan.
Support for this series is provided by the AZ Humanities Council.

This panel discussion will focus on the appropriation of Indigenous crops and foods, as well as the effects of colonization on food sovereignty and current trends in Indigenous foodways. It will pose the questions: It will pose the questions: How does the right to access sacred and traditional foods and food sovereignty affect Indigenous communities’ abilities to thrive? How does colonization’s impact on access to sacred and traditional foods affect other relationships, such as to the land, as well as to harvesting, hunting, and spiritual practices? In what ways are Indigenous communities leading restorative practices toward greater food sovereignty? How does food security affect you and your community?  What proprietary food traditions are you attached to?  How does food sovereignty affect a culture’s ability to thrive?

Panelists: Brett Vibber, Jaren Bates, Andi Murphy
Museum’s entry fee of $15 required to attend. Members of Museum of Northern Arizona and Sedona Arts Center attend for free.

This panel discussion will focus on Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists’ use of cultural symbols, the history of Indigenous representation in art, and the dynamics between the dominant culture and Indigenous artists who rely on their art for financial success. This discussion will pose the questions:  Who is harmed by the misuse of Native imagery in art? What are galleries’ and consumers’ responsibilities when selling/purchasing Indigenous art?

Panelists: Charles King, Susan Kliewer Dolan, Jason Garcia, Antonio Chavarria
Free to the Public