Examining the Legacies of the New Deal Era for Indigenous Arts

This session seeks to explore the important cultural production and legacies of the “Indian New Deal.” The New Deal refers to a series of federal programs and agencies created to accelerate economic recovery and modernize US infrastructure during the Great Depression. It included the Indian Reorganization Act (1934) and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (1935), which collectively decriminalized Indian spiritual practices, hired anthropologists and photographers to document Native languages and customs, returned lands, legally protected "Indian-made" commodities, and expanded markets for them. Many New Deal art programs commissioned works from Native artists, while other programs regulated the sale of traditional blankets, pottery, and other handicrafts. While establishing a greater appreciation for Native cultures, including pioneering exhibitions of Native art, the administration of Indian New Deal projects also reveals exploitative practices, including misrepresentation and suppression of Native identity. While often progressive, Indian New Deal art program administrators and their cultural institution successors were overwhelmingly white and while interested in collecting and supporting the production of Native art did not always work ethically with communities, failing at times to acknowledge and compensate Native labor. Ninety years later, this session invites papers that examine a diverse range of Native contributions to the New Deal, including presentations of historical research and best practices for studying and displaying Native cultural heritage in collaboration with members of Native American nations. Papers addressing forgotten artists, controversies over ownership, ethical engagement in research, ethical preservation and display, and other critical perspectives are especially welcome.