Clearly Indigenous Audio Exhibition
The Sky Above
Hello, I’m Eric Hughett, the museum’s curatorial assistant for East Asian art. I will be sharing the introduction to “The Sky Above” section of Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass.
Long before European contact, Indigenous tribes of the Americas had advanced knowledge of astronomical cycles, and depictions of the sun and stars were common. Made by many Indigenous Nations, star maps described the heavens and reflected a philosophy of being. Constellations in the winter sky map of Woodland Native Peoples include important animals, linking the stars of the sky to the fauna of the earth. Weather-related motifs also appear in drawings, such as depictions of clouds, lightning, and other symbols of thunder and rain. Artists have reimagined these elements in blown and cast glass.
Birds are important as a food source in Indigenous communities, and they play primary roles in many Native creation myths and other stories. Raven brought light to the world in the origin stories of many Northwest Coast nations. Eagles carry prayers to the Creator. Owls and other birds are featured in totems. Artists sometimes depict creatures as decorations on vessels and baskets, combining the making of utilitarian objects with their respect for birds and other animals. Butterflies, dragonflies, and other colorful creatures of the sky are favorite subjects, whether in blown glass, cut and fused glass, or as designs on vessels.