Did anyone else actually read the article that P-DAZZLE posted?
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Originally Posted by P-DAZZLE
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I think there are a few things going on here, and it is important to clarify what the issues are.
First, Holtby's decision to use the Thunderbird was lifted directly from the Stanley Park Totem, but with no acknowledgement or permission from the artists's family, who has made it clear in the past that they don't want the iconic image used without acknowledgement:
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Originally Posted by Lou-Ann Neel
"My grandfather's totem pole in Stanley Park is one of the most appropriated Indigenous designs anywhere. With no acknowledgement that that’s his work... It pains me to see some of the really poor reproductions of it. It’s just troubling to see that."
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Second, while Holtby's rendition of the Totem seems quite authentic, there is also the issue of mixing indigenous tribal genres or styles without any clear understanding of what the artist is doing. The Totem is Kwagiulth and the orca at the bottom is Salish:
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Originally Posted by Calvin Hunt
"I don't know if Holtby wanted to use Kwagiulth art. I don't know if that artist knows what he did. Does he know the difference between the different tribes and the cultures, I don't know."
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Mention is made a couple of times about the importance of including indigenous artists in the designs and production of public works like this. I don't agree with some of the sentiment that only indigenous artists can or should work in these styles, and it seems from the article that there are certainly non-indigenous artists who manage to do it correctly. Doug Zilkie is mentioned, and so is Bill Holm, as two artists who successfully and correctly employ First Nations influences in their artistic works. It seems also from the article that while Brent Lynch's orca logo design was not made with input from the Haida peoples, they have since offered their endorsement, I think in large part because of how well it is done, and also because of how the Canucks have made an effort to partner with the Salish nation.
It is a complex issue, and one that I do not think is as simply resolved as drawing hard and fast lines between indigenous and non-indigenous artists. But there certainly needs to be a sensitivity and awareness to the significance and meaning of the images and symbols in use.