The Native American culture exits in both past, present, and future, and there is an extraordinary diversity. Unfortunately, there are generalizations about Native Americans that contribute to stereotypical notions that make few allowances for individuality or for the possibility of change over time.  In truth, no culture is fixed in time.

 

In times past, the Native American didn't create art for its own sake.  The decoration and form of handmade objects are a product of daily and spiritual needs that evolved over thousands of years.  For the Native American, art, beauty, and spirituality are intertwined so much that it is nearly impossible to speak of them in separate terms.

 

Many Native Americans believe in a spiritual realm that exists beyond our tangible world, and that access to this world can be gained through dreams, ceremonies, and visions. It is also believe there is on single creative force.  Their lives, as well as their art was shaped by these spiritual beliefs. It is believed that each animal, rock, or tree has its own spirit through which one could gain entrance into the spiritual world.  Survival meant maintaining harmony with the earth, and these beliefs are held to this day among many Native Americans.

 

Much of the history of the Native American has been passed down by the oral tradition, and the stories are as rich as the mythology of the ancient Greeks.   The storytellers are traditionally older members of a community, and in many instances, the stories are an integral part of their works of art.

 

The Native American Nations' include: Blackfeet, Cherokee, Cheyenne and Arapaho, Chickahominy, Chikasaw, Chumash, Creek, Easter Woodland Tribes, Hopi, and Navajo to name a few.