Storytelling time: Native North American art from the collections at the University of North Dakota

Abstract

The University of North Dakota's history is irreversibly intertwined with the difficult history of the Plains Indians who roamed the regions of North and South Dakota. Founded in 1883, the University has been collecting Native American art and artifacts for over a century. With great respect of how the Native Americans used and cherished these objects, this catalog documents this extraordinary collection of clothing, headdresses, and ceremonial objects, many of which incorporate exquisite bead and quill work. Many objects presented in this publication were pieces their Native American owners did not consider objects of art, but instead viewed them as symbols of status, or identity or ceremony. Often pieces were a connection to past and future and handed down from one generation to the next. The essays that accompany this collection examine the history of each piece and engage in the discussion of the traditions and the future of Native American Art. It also includes the original manuscript recounting of the Battle of Little BigHorn written by a warrior who fought there, Joseph White Bull, nephew of Chief Sitting Bull. This manuscript is priceless documentation of Plains Indian people's battle against the invasion of their homeland, a manuscript created from a Native perspective.