from:
Prestel museum guide, text by Denise Daenzer and Tina
Wodiunig: Native Museum of Zurich (orig. German:
Indianermuseum Zürich / Indianermuseum der Stadt Zürich);
Prestel edition; Munich, New York 1996; supported by
Cassinelli Vogel foundation, Zurich, by MIGROS percent for
culture, by Volkart foundation in Winterthur; ISBN
3-7913-1635-4
<Variation of culture and loss of culture
[Different geographic and
climatic conditions on the North American continent]
Culture of North American natives [primary nations] neither
has got always repeating same content nor unified shapes or
forms. But the situation is similar to Europe between North
Cape and Sicily with their different forms of life and
expressions. In this way also North American native cultures
are very different with their expressions and contents,
because of the different geographic, climatic and economic
conditions of life between Arctic North and hot South with
deserts. But also historic development processes are
different. Considering these different conditions of life
ethnology on North American continents is parting this
continent in 10 regions: Arctic Zone, Subarctic Zone, North
West coast, California, South West, Great Basin, Plateau
(tableland), Prairie and Plains, South East, and North East.
Map of
North "America" with the partition of the different cultural
regions of primary nations (natives, "Indians")
1. South East - 2. South West - 3. Prairie and Plains - 4.
Great Basin - 5. California - 6. North West coast -
7. Plateau (tableland) - 8. North East - 9. Subarctic Zone -
10. Arctic Zone
Museum's work always wants to present the different life
conditions and forms of expressions of these different
regions, investigating their developments, their differences
and their common points. One of the most common points of
North American cultures is pragmatic relationship to
artistic handicraft work, but the word of "art" is not
existing in any native language. Because "art" of this
community had - at least in pre Columbian times - always a
real purpose. There was no "art only for art". Add to this
native things for daily use have a common purpose but also a
social and a religious meaning. Therefore handicraft
activities are many times accompanied by ritual activities
or are only permitted for a spiritual chief - this counts
for example for hunters. That's because there is the idea
that for certain activities and skills there are some
conditions needed which are in oneself and cannot be
learned.
[Change of cultures by
white imperialism]
By the white invasion native cultures partly have been moved
out or have even be destroyed or much has changed. Above all
some techniques have changes introducing metals, beans or
colored fabrics, but also new tools and working techniques
learning from the whites (p.6). By all this many artifacts'
sectors and also daily life changed. One of characteristic
sectors for this is the development of silver jewelry in
Navajo and Zuñi tribes, as also the changing from quillwork
techniques (compare p.85-93) to beading techniques which
only had been possible with bean importation [from
Europe].Classical ornaments of quillwork tradition mixed
more and more with European designs, but today just in
beading "typical native" designs are wanted.
This change is also a consequence of steady demand for old
and new native handicraft - for touristic national market
and international exportation. This also contributed not
only to a huge legal market, but also to an illegal commerce
with native cultural objects. At the other hand self
confidence of a new generation of natives was enforced and
they posted their requests for having back the objects of
collections giving them back to the representatives of the
original cultures. In this connection many ethnological
museums - also Zurich Native Museum - has to put into
question legality of possession of native objects, and there
is also the general question to whom is the past. There is
not the question about the conditions how the museum got the
objects, but above all there is the question how will be the
relationship to the objects in possession or lent for some
time.
Another topic of questions is the question about the change
of value and "loss of culture" of an object torn out of the
general connection of life presented in a showcase of a
museum. This question about sense and purpose of exposed
objects, about backgrounds behind a surface, about a former
material, esthetically, emotional, social or also religious
and mythical connection and signification always has to be
put another and another time. And there can be even changes
by the time or losses of some aspects by the time.
Denise Daenzer, Tina Wodiunig> (p.7)
[Mentionied primary
nations in this museum's guide]
[Mentioned primary nations in this museum's guide according
to the photos are:
Primary nation of Bella Coola: wood carving
Primary nation of Blackfoot: feathers
Primary nation of Cheyenne: beading
Primary nation of Dakota: quillwork / feathers / tobacco
pipes
Primary nation of Delaware: quillworks
Primary nation of Haida: wood carving
Primary nation of Hopi: plaiting / pottery / kachina
figurines
Primary nation of Hupa: plaitworks
Primary nation of Huronen: tobacco pipes
Primary nation of Iroquois: beading
Primary nation of Kwakiutl: wood carving
Primary nation of Lakota: feathers
Primary nation of Makah: plaitwork
Primary nation of Micmac: quillworks
Primary nation of Mound: tobacco pipes
Primary nation of Navajo: jewelry with silver jewelry and
turquoise art stones
Primary nation of Nootka: plaitworks / wood carving
Primary nation of Pawnee: feathers
Primary nation of Pima: plaitworks
Primary nation of Ojibwa: quillworks and beading
Primary nation of Oglala: quillworks and beading / feathers
/ tobacco pipes
Primary nation of Pueblos in San Ildefonso: pottery
Primary nation of Pueblos in Acoma: pottery
Primary nation of Seneca: quillworks / feathers / tobacco
pipes
Primary nation of Sioux: quillworks and beading / feathers /
tobacco pipes
Primary nation of Santée: quillworks
Primary nation of Teton Sioux: quillworks
Primary nation of Slave: quillworks
Primary nation of San Carlos Apaches: plaitworks
Primary nation of Tlingit: horn carving / wood carving
Primary nation of Tsimshian: wood carving
Primary nation of Zuñi: jewelry and silver jewelry with
turquoise art stones].
