Anthropologists divided the contentent of North America into a variety of Cultural Zones. These zones roughly correspond to major ecological and geographical regions. Because aesthetic senses tend to vary widely among these zones, collectors of First Nation Art often specialize their collection in one of these zones.
The Northern and Eastern Woodland cultural zone includes many cultural groups, including the Huron, Iroquois, and Cree, Great Ojibwa, Fox, Salk, Illinois, and Ho-Chunk. These nations, although identified with these geographic regions are now widespread in their memberships. Today’s Turtle Mountain Ojibwa, for example, currently have tribal lands that extend to the region around Williston North Dakota, which is virtually at the border of Montana.
During the 19th and early 20th century, as tribal lands were split apart and as nations were moved onto a series of different reservations around the US and Canada, the national unity of these nations was shattered, and the cultural unity also fragmented. Today, tribal laws can vary from reservation to reservation.
The artwork also varies. As traditions change, so does the perception of the surrounding world. The western Ojibwa (of the Dakotas) differ markedly from the Eastern Ojibwa Eastern Canada, the Great Lakes Anishnuabe (Ojibwa and Pottawattamie), and the Anishnuabe of the Eastern United States. One such difference can be seen in the use of sweet grass. It is considered quite sacred in Eastern Canada, where it is relatively uncommon, and hence seldom used in the production of baskets or other art works. However, we have found numerous instances of its use in art work by the western Ojibwa of Minnesota and North Dakota (where this high-plains grass is relatively common).
Traditional northern and eastern woodland artwork also heavily used beads. At one time, the Algonquin peoples controlled much of the bead trade with the more westerly nations. Because they had first choice of the finest beads, they produced some of the most stunning beadwork in the Americas. Their designs were heavily influenced by the spring flowers of the woodlands, with prairie roses being a very common theme.
For many years, the Ojibwa held tight to a taboo: one did not produce images of the sacred myths for those outside the Ojibwa. It was considered not just sacrilegious, but also crass. This taboo was shattered in the mid-20th century by Norval Morriseau, an Ojibwa man who had a vision: unless he began painting the myths and stories of his people, and thus making them more widely known and understood, then the beliefs of the Ojibwa would soon be lost. He began to paint, often with the condemnation of the elders. People with faith in his mission helped him, and he continued to paint the stories of the Anishnuabe people. Today, he is widely recognized as one who helped revitalize Ojibwa culture, and who gave the world a greater appreciation for what was once one of the most powerful nations in the world. (Today, his work is heavily copied and heavily forged. If you purchase a Morriseau, please be careful and purchase only from a reputable dealer!) Morriseau was soon joined by other artists who helped to found what is known as the "WoodlandSchool" of art. In Canada, the first group of these artists is known as the "Aboriginal Group of Seven." The title is an homage that compares their contribution to Canadian culture to that of the "Group of Seven" who is recognized as the fathers of Canadian impressionism.
All peoples use the materials available to them to make the necessities of life. As mundane as this statement is, it explains why the different peoples used different materials to make the same thing. The Iroquois of New York State are known for their split-ash baskets. The Ojibwa and Cree, whose largest homelands were a bit further north, heavily employed birch and willow branch for the same purposes.
The Ojibwa and Cree both used birch bark extensively. One traditional art form that almost disappeared is birch-bark biting. This was typically considered a woman's craft because it became associated with sewing and decorating household goods. The artist folds a thin piece of birch bark into segments (like making a paper snowflake). She then would visualize an image, and bit the image into the bark with her incisors. If the image was pleasing, it would be used like a stencil for bead work or sewing.
In the north and west, natural and dyed porcupine quills have been a popular material for embellishing clothing and house-hold goods. Further south, bird quill was used more frequently because of the paucity of porcupines.
Hides were a commonly used material in the Woodlands. They were sturdy, warm in the winter, and mosquito resistant. Hides could be brain tanned, but in the north, smoke tanning was more common. Deer, moose, and elk were all traditional materials. The animals would be hunted primarily for food, and the hides would then be tanned and used for clothing, blankets, and other household products. Today, many of the same products are made on commercially prepared cow hide or deer hide.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Nations of New York State and Southern Ontario produced magnificent beadwork for the tourist trade. In England, gentilmen would wear beaded "smoking" hats made by the Iroquois to keep cigar smoke from their hair. A trip to Niagra Falls would not be complete without the purchase of some kind of souvineer, often a piece of beadwork by a local First Nation artist. These souvineers, called whimsey's, now demand high prices.
In modern times, the works of Woodland artists have expanded beyond traditional works, such as birch bark biting and bead work. These skills now often have a modern twist. For example, beads can be used to decorate the bases of floor lamps and the edges of dry-erase boards. Painting now includes styles that ranges from hyperrealism, to very abstract works (e.g., Alex Janvier), styles that would not have been acknowledges as "true aboriginal work" by the bureaucrats of just one generation ago. The erotic art of Daphne Odjig remains beautiful while still telling stories of sensuality and taboo. (She also does tender works of family life.) And the paintings of traditional Ojibwa life by Nokomis are breathtaking.
Modern Woodland sculptures will also stand to comparison with artists anywhere. Flowing lines and a mix of tradition and modern aesthetics define works in materials as diverse as alabaster, soapstone, marble, and diamond wood. Whether it is the simple elegance of a diamond willow rose by Madonna Parisian, or an Italian marble eagle by Larry Decoteau, the works of a master are elegant and beautiful.