Art H 309C - Continuity: Tlingit Art and Culture of Southeast Alaska
| Seattle Totem pole stolen from the Tlingit village of Tongass in 1899 by Seattle business men. | Alison Bremner's first Tlingit totem pole by a female honors the memory of her grandfather, John Bremner Sr. of Yakutat, Alaska. |
Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-11:50 am - Spring 2025, Burke Museum East Classroom
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-10:00 am or by appointment at my Burke Museum Office in Arts and Cultures. Individual appointments in person or via Zoom can be scheduled by email at any time.
Course Description: This course is a survey of Tlingit tribal art as a cultural expression of the Indigenous peoples of Southeast Alaska. This exploration will pull information from diverse sources to provide a contextual framework for Tlingit art and to document the cultural changes that took place as Tlingit society adapted to non-Native influences after contact. We will study art as material expressions of these Native peoples from ancient times to the present, with an emphasis on cultural function, aesthetics, and factors of change, as well as ceremonial and commercial art. Cultural creations from the Burke Museum will frequently make appearances in the classroom, along with numerous guest lectures by contemporary Tlingit artists. Also discussed will be how a Tlingit totem pole became an icon of Seattle. Topics will include sovereignty, the impacts of historical and present-day colonialism, cultural continuity, adaptation, appropriation, contemporary Native art, ceremonial protocol, language revitalization, and other issues of current concern.
Course Goals: This course has multiple goals. The first is to expose students to the art and culture of the Tlingit people and to their particular forms of aesthetic and ceremonial expression. In addition, we will explore the methodologies of art history: learning to look at and describe a work of art both verbally and in writing. A key goal of the course is to become aware of the history and ongoing responsibilities, both personal and institutional, in relationships with the Indigenous people in southeast Alaska and their tangible and intangible expressions of identity and heritage.
Learning Objectives: Students will learn to recognize artistic styles and to analyze artworks on a formal and contextual level. Critical reading skills will be developed through daily reading and written responses. Writing assignments will encourage reflection on readings and discussions. We will practice comparative techniques and apply them to the artworks or practices under examination.
Writing Assignments: Writing assignments will require close reading and analysis of class material. The writing in this course will focus on the central concepts presented in the class and in assigned readings. Writing will be a key part of engaging with course material through reading responses and other short on-line and in-class writing work. Critical thinking and reflection will be part of the weekly expectation in this class. Your dedication to documenting your critical thinking in class preparation materials will strongly influence your success on exams and other written material.
Reading Materials: Course reading packet will be available for purchase at the beginning of the quarter (EZ Copy ‘n Print at 4336 University Way NE). Readings will also be available through canvas.
Images: Selected images from the class discussion and lecture will be available online to aid in your writing assignments and exams as you review class material.
Graded Assignments: As a 300-level class, the assignments in this class are meant to develop critical reading and reflection. There are many, small assignments rather than just a few large ones. This is intentional so that students can develop reading and writing practices and skills throughout the quarter. Staying up-to-date with assignments is key!
Homework & Participation: For most sessions, you will be asked to bring finished reading response questions to class to aid with your participation and to share with others. Your responses should be typed and printed out. You will upload them to canvas before each class.
Grading: The course will be graded according to the following formula:
- 40% Quizzes and Tests, in class
- 10% Formline Quiz
- 10% Midterm Exam in class
- 20% Final Exam in class
- 30% Writing
- 10% Midterm take-home essay
- 20% Research Paper
- 30% Homework & Participation
- 20% Reading/Movie Response questions and in-class participation
- 10% Team collaboration and presentation on a contemporary artist
Class meetings: Class meets on Tuesday and Thursday for discussions, lectures, and group work. We will often have cultural collections from the Burke Museum present and there will be a number of Tlingit artists visiting our class. An atmosphere of collegial support respecting differences of opinion and divergent worldviews is essential. Participation is encouraged and expected from all members of the class. Prepare to chat with your classmates about your assigned readings. Bring a copy of your reading response questions to share with others and to facilitate your own participation. Coming to class prepared is essential to participating in the discussions. Taking notes in class will be the key to success on midterms and finals. ***Research shows taking notes by hand = comprehension and retention. Only students with documented accommodations requests may use a laptop for notes. For a discussion of the reasons Links to an external site.for this decision see these articles Links to an external site. No recording of class lectures or discussions without my permission.
Expectations for Success: All students can succeed in this class. There are a number of resources Links to an external site .available on campus for additional help including the OUGL writing center for feedback on drafts of written assignments. Please contact me if you would like some assistance finding the best help for you. Your most helpful resources are your classmates and teammates. You may use the Groups function on Canvas to aid your individual study time by posting questions to your colleagues or form a study group to review information and augment your understanding.
Contributions & Attendance: The success of this class depends on the active participation of all members. By attending, you agree to contribute to discussions of reading material and additional material presented in class. Your insights and questions on the materials are a valuable part of the content of this class. Share the thoughts you have generated from your assigned writings and model the types of analyses presented in class.
Late & incomplete work: Writing assignments will be graded down (B to B-) for each day past the due date. Reading responses are due by 9am on the day of discussion. They may be turned in early but will not be given credit if they are turned in after the discussion day. Late exams will not be accepted without a doctor's note. If you need an extension on any work due to personal circumstances, please talk to me in advance so we can plan appropriately. Flexibility comes with advance notice.
Teaching Philosophy: In my classes, students track artworks through time, exploring their ceremonial, commercial, and personal contexts in ways that illuminate both the details and the broad strokes of cultural and social exchanges. Writing and speaking about an object’s visual impact challenges many students to approach the subject with a creativity and openness that engenders wide-ranging discussions and deep thinking by student and professor alike. My own training in formal analysis and attribution supports in-depth discussions of style and form, situating objects historically with regard to time and place. I strive to pair formal analysis with a robust art historical approach, integrating components of historical, cultural, and social as well as aesthetic concerns, building in an ethno-historical approach to sources. A critical element to this approach is engaging with Indigenous artists, academics, and culture-bearers, to share their knowledge and experience of the dynamic history of cultural processes. I strive to bring Native artists and academics into my classroom to provide first-hand discussion of the issues in their own practice.
My number one priority in teaching Native American art history is for students to develop recognition of and respect for Native art forms and more generally for Indigenous culture. I want them to realize that these are living cultures, still in existence, and changing through time. This goal is accomplished through the content of the course, guest lectures by Native artists and scholars, and through my enthusiasm and respect for the subject.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
Reading response questions are due for most class days. You will answer a few questions about the reading and upload them to canvas before the class they are assigned. I will provide the questions. These are preparation for participation.
For each class: Have your responses ready for in-class discussion.
On Guest Lecture days: Your response will not be the reading questions but will be questions you prepare for the speaker. You may use your prepared question or a different one in class if you have a chance to ask.
ALL ENTRIES SHOULD BE PROPERLY TITLED AND DATED
RESEARCH PAPER: You will write a thoughtful 3-5 page research paper on Tlingit art and culture. I will provide you with a selection of paper topics and you will choose one to discuss. You must have a clear thesis statement and correct citations. We will have a class session on writing techniques and access to sources.
CURATOR GROUP ASSIGNMENT:
Our museum is looking to buy a new piece of Tlingit art. You are on a curatorial team that will suggest the creation to be purchased. You will present this work to the whole class and the class will vote on which piece should be purchased by the museum.
Artist list – Each team will choose one artist from my list or if your team wants to suggest an artist who is not on this list, please let me know. Your team needs to choose an artist on or before May 1. The earlier you choose, the more likely you will get your first choice. Each artist can only be featured by one team.
Each student should post one unique work by your team’s artist to Canvas by May 8. I will create an assignment in Canvas. Please include title, date, materials and an image. You may be working with an artist whose work appears in the class readings, but if so, it must be a work that is not included in the readings. Post 3-4 sentences on why you think this is the creation that your team should put forward for purchase. Your team will then choose one piece to suggest to the class and will publicly present it at the end of the quarter. We will then vote as a class and name the winning work. This presentation will cover the biography of the artist, why they are unique and why it would be important to have this artistic creation in the museum collection. What issues does it raise for the viewer, and how does it make a good dialog with other work in the collection (other works we have studied this quarter)? Each team will have about 10-15 minutes to present their piece.
Access and Accommodations: Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
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Class/Event Schedule:
Class/Event Schedule:
Week 1 4/01 Introduction to Tlingit Art and Culture and The Burke Museum - No Questions
- Read: “Tlingit” by Rosita Worl (Tlingit) in Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska, pp. 200-225.
- Skim: Why Indigenous Literature Matters: https://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2012/08/why-indigenous-literatures-matter.html
- Explore the Burke: We will tour the Arts and Cultures workroom and storage areas during class and you will complete an on-site activity.
4/03 Land Acknowledgements and Why Indigenous Voices Are Important - No Questions
- Read: “Ghost of Courageous Adventurer” by Louis Shotridge (Tlingit) in The Museum Journal, March 1920, pp. 10-26.
- Read: “Tlingit Art” by Ishmael Hope (Tlingit) in Unsettling Native Art Histories on the Northwest Coast, pp. 2-18.
- Read: “The Life of a Chilkat Indian Girl” by Florence Shotridge (Tlingit) in The Museum Journal, 1913, pp. 101-103.
- Explore: Louis Shotridge biography and archive: The Louis Shotridge Collection.
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Week 2 4/08 Tlingit Material/Social Structure and Crests - Complete Discussion Questions
1. Read: “Material Culture” and “Social Culture” by Wallace M. Olson in The Tlingit: An Introduction to Their Culture and History, 1997, pp. 23-53.
- Read: “Introduction” and “K’eik’w (Kittiwake) Crest of the T’akdeintaan Clan” by Chuck Smythe in The Crests of Tlingit Clans, pp. 1-4 and 33-38.
4/10 Guest Speaker – Da-ka-xeen Mehner (Tlingit) - Write a Question for Da-ka
1. Explore: Da-ka-xeen’s past exhibits: https://da-ka-xeen.com/?cat=8
- Read: “A Generation of Innovators in Southeast Alaska” by Aldona Jonaitis in American Indian Art Magazine, 2008, pp. 56-67.
- Read: "Tanis Maria S'eiltin: Coming Full Circle" by Veronica Passalacqua in Into the Fray, pp. 97-109.
- Watch: Da-ka-xeen speak at the Burke’s Art Talk Symposium, 2015. Start at 38 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HeH_i8qSnU&list=PLAXlTDkurTCAq2H9X2U41RxX0aiZqsCym&index=5
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Week 3 4/15 Tlingit Ku.éex’ (Potlatch) - Discussion Questions Due
1. Read: “Raven Makes the World” by Gerald Easter in The Last Stand of the Raven Clan, 2024, pp. 3-16.
2. Read: “Tlingit At.oow: Traditions and Concepts” by Nora Dauenhauer (Tlingit) in The Spirit Within, 1995, pp. 20-29.
- Watch: Tlingit Potlatch by Sergei Kan. 2 minutes 52 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9pBP_7TuvM
- Explore: Tlingit Kéex'Entrance Dance https://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/circleofdance/tlingit.html
4/17 Tlingit Art and Body Adornment - Discussion Questions Due
************************************Choose Paper Topic****************************************************
- Read: “Secular Art” by Aldona Jonaitis in Art of the Northern Tlingit, 1986, pp. 14-25.
- Read: “Regalia and Resilience” by Megan A. Smetzer in Painful Beauty: Tlingit Women, Beadwork, and the Art of Resilience, 2021, pp. 63-94.
- Read: “Honoring Herring in Sheet’ka Kwaan” by Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi (Alutiiq) in First American Art Magazine, 2022, pp. 30-33.
- Read: “Tlingit Carved Horn Spoons” by Anne-Marie Victor-Howe in Feeding the Ancestors: Tlingit Carved Horn Spoons, 2007, pp. 3-13.
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Week 4 4/22 Contact and the Museum Building Era - Discussion Questions Due
*************************Special Chilkat Robe Presentation by Bob Moore*******************************
- Read: “Themes and Patterns” by Douglas Cole in Captured Heritage: The Scramble for Northwest Coast Artifacts, pp. 286-311.
- Read: “The Kaguanton Shark Helmet” by Louis Shotridge (Tlingit) in Museum Journal, 1929, pp. 339-343.
4/24 Indigenous Curation, NAGPRA, and Museum Decolonization - Questions Due
1. Read: “Salmon Culture: Exploring Museum Sovereignty Through an Exhibition Project” by Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi (Alutiiq) in First American Art Magazine, 2023, pp. 28-33.
2. Read: “Ancestors and Objects Escaping ‘Civilization’ and Going Home” by Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Muscogee (Hodulgee)) in WINIKO: Life of an Object, pp. 43-49.
3. Read: “Restoring Balance: A Two-Decade Effort Shepherds Dozens of Tlingit Objects Home” by Anne Bolen in American Indian Magazine, 2020: https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/restoring-balance
- Read: “Tlingit Artist Nicholas Galanin Shows What Decolonization Actually Looks Like” in Art News, 2024: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/nicholas-galanin-site-santa-fe-review-1234691924
- Read: “Museum Decolonization: Moving Away from Narratives Told by the Oppressors” by Leah Huff, 2022. https://smea.uw.edu/currents/museum-decolonization-moving-away-from-narratives-told-by-the-oppressors
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Week 5 4/29 Tlingit Canoes and Totem Poles - No Discussion Questions
**************************************IN-CLASS MIDTERM*************************************************
- Read: “Travel and Transportation” by George Emmons in The Tlingit Indians, pp. 84-89.
- Read: “The Seward Shame Pole: A Tlingit Coutermonument to the Alaska Purchase” by Emily Moore in Unsettling Native Art Histories on the Northwest Coast, pp. 25-40.
- Watch: Steve Brown and his apprentices (TJ Young, Tommy Joseph, and Jerrod and Nicholas Galanin) carve a Tlingit/Haida canoe over a 9 month period, 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GkrqKt48Hc
5/1 Tlingit Architecture and the Klukwan Whale House - Discussion Questions Due
*******Groups Must Pick Artist*******
- Read: “Chilkat Dwelling House” by Louis Shotridge (Tlingit) in The Museum Journal, 1913, pp. 86-99. Start reading on page 18 of PDF.
- Read: “A Tale of Two Carvers: The Rain Wall Screen of the Whale House, Klukwan, Alaska” by Steven C. Brown in American Indian Art Magazine, pp. 48–59.
- Read this online article about the Whale House of Klukwan, AK:
http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/curriculum/Tlingit/WhaleHouse/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
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Week 6 5/06 Origins of Northern Northwest Coast Formline – Proto-formline - No Questions
*******************TAKE-HOME MIDTERM ESSAY DUE - No Discussion Questions **********************
- Read: “Uses of Two Dimensional Art” by Bill Holm in Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form, pp. 14-26.
- Read: “Elements of the Art” by Bill Holm in Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form, pp. 26-66 (tons of pictures).
5/08 Guest Artist Dave Ketah (Tlingit) - Northern Formline Design - Question for Dave
*******Email me a picture and info about a work of art by your group’s artist. Each group member much choose a different creation.*******
- Read: “Ancient Roots: Prehistoric Perspectives on Northwest Coast Art,” “Curious Visions: Northern Northwest Coast Art in the Historic Period,” and “Sleeping Treasures: Northwest Coast Art of the Late Prehistoric Period,” by Steve Brown in Native Visions: Evolution in Northwest Coast Art from the Eighteenth through the Twentieth Century, 1998, pp. 6-40.
- Read: “Ways of Seeing, Ways of Knowing” by Bill McLennan and Karen Duffek in The Transforming Image: Painted arts of Northwest Coast First Nations, pp. 106-114.
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Week 7 5/13 Russian and American Conflicts and the Art of Tlingit Warfare - Questions Due
*******Formline Quiz Today*******
- Read: “Part Two: The Battle of 1804” by Andrew P. Johnson in Anooshi Lingit Aani Ka/Russians in Tlingit America: The Battles of Sitka 1802 and 1804, 2008, pp. 257-264.
- Read: “Tlingit Warriors and Their Armor” by Steve Henrikson in Anooshi Lingit Aani Ka/Russians in Tlingit America: The Battles of Sitka 1802 and 1804, 2008, pp. 389-395.
- Watch: “Constructing Tlingit Armor: Tommy Joseph at TEDxSitka,” 2014. 11 minutes, 51 seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErDsz3g3zAg
- Read: Tlingit Law, American Injustice, and the Destruction of Tlingit Villages by Rosita Kaahani Worl, pp. 1-14.
- Watch: RETELLING OF 1882 BOMBARDMENT OF ANGOON by Shgen George (Tlingit), 1 hour 15 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDzgyS94wTA
5/15 Guest Speaker, Shaadootlaa Iyall (Tlingit) – Wool Weaving - Question for Shaa
- Read: “Yeil Koowu: The Reemergence of Ravenstail Weaving on the Northern Northwest Coast” by Steve Henrikson in American India Art Magazine, pp. 58-67.
- Read: “AT KASNE AA: A Brief History of Chilkat Weaving Among the Tlingit” by Zachary Jones in First American Art Magazine, pp 21-27.
- Watch: Living Through the Arts by Shaadootlaa Iyall. 50 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCGDHMh9rA4
- Watch: Lily Hope talking about Chilkat. 4 minutes, 58 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YraJBuYfRgkLinks to an external site.
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Week 8 5/20 Tlingit Basketry - Discussion Questions Due
- Read: “How They Are Made” and “Baskets Made for Traditional Use” by Sharon Busby in Spruce Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit, 2003, pp. 27-75.
- Skim: https://www.burkemuseum.org/news/encoded-weave-identifying-your-relatives-native-american-basket
- Watch: Shelly Laws and Teri Rofkar at the Smithsonian. 7 minutes, 43 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKyB6H3QEjY&t=20sLinks to an external site.
5/22 Modern Tlingit Art - Discussion Questions Due
- Read: “Tlingit Modern Art, 1880-1950” by Aldona Jonaitis in Confluences: Essays in Honor of Janet Berlo, pp. 1-14.
- Read: “For Future Generations” by Emily Moore in Proud Raven Panting Wolf, 2018, pp. 3-23.
- Read: “Tourism and Taste Cultures: Collecting Native Art in Alaska at the Turn of the Twentieth Century” by Molly Lee in Unpacking Culture: Art and Commodity in Colonial and Postcolonial Worlds, pp. 267-281.
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Week 9 5/27 Contemporary Tlingit Art – Questions Due
- Read: “The Scientist and the Polymath: Tlingit Weavers Teri Rofkar and Clarissa Rizal” by Aldona Jonaitis in Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists, pp. 116-125.
- Read: “Sharing Honors and Burdens: Smithsonian Exhibition Shows Indigenous Artists Carrying Their Ancestors’ Messages Forward” by Vincent Schilling in American Indian Magazine, 2023: https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/saam-honors-and-burdens-exhibition
- Read: “Alison Bremner: ‘I put everything into the art’: Her work blends bright colors and humor to depict Tlingit life and stories,” 2022: https://www.juneauempire.com/news/i-put-everything-into-the-art-her-work-blends-bright-colors-and-humor-to-depict-tlingit-life-and-stories
- Watch: “Art in the Time of COVID-19 with Tlingit Artist Alison Bremner,” 46 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94mbwQCllVs
- Skim: Jennifer Younger’s website and videos (and see Lily Gladstone wearing her art on the cover of Vogue…and one of her bracelets was worn to the 2025 Oscars): https://jenniferyoungerdesigns.com/
5/29 Contemporary Tlingit Art – Questions Due
- Read: “Larry McNeil” in Nueva Luz Photographic Journal, pp. 18-33. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/66ae5e3d78fa2b31fdb5491a/t/66bbb994b0b6974d6914e941/1723578777106/En-Foco-Nueva-Luz-McNeil.pdf
- Read: “Meet the Tlingit master carver behind some of the most intricate totem poles in Alaska: With countless totems carved over a 30-year career, Tommy Joseph's work has appeared everywhere from parks and museums to 'Jeopardy!',” 2021, https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/tommy-joseph-alaska
- Read: Alchemy in Glass: Preston Singletary Transforms Tradition into a Modern Element” by Mary Savig in American Indian Magazine, 2012: https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/alchemy-glass-preston-singletary-transforms-tradition-modern-element
- Read: “Juneau’s X̱’unei Lance Twitchell wins Emmy for ‘Molly of Denali’ episode,” 2025: https://www.ktoo.org/2025/03/17/juneaus-x%CC%B1unei-lance-twitchell-wins-emmy-for-molly-of-denali-episode
- Watch: X’unei Lance Twitchell dance as he is welcomed back to Tlingit aani after winning an Emmy March 2025, 36 seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg1R8igWMq0
- Watch: “Not a Mascot,” a clip of the episode of Molly of Denali that won X’unei Lance Twitchell and Raye Lankford a 2025 Emmy. 5 minutes, 39 seconds: https://youtu.be/S23TYY8lRi0
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Week 10 6/03 Group Presentations
6/05 Last Class –– Final Review
*******Your final papers are due today, bring them to class.*******
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FINAL EXAM – June 9, 2025 10:30-12:20
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