Caro, Mario A. “Persistent Encounters: Maintaining Indigenous Identity through Cultural Exchange.” In Hitéemlkiliiksix "Within the Circle of the Rim": Nations Gathering on Common Ground. Eds. Mario A. Caro, Laura Grabhorn, Tina Kuckkahn, and Ann McCormack. Seattle: Hemlock Press, 2002.PERSISTENT ENCOUNTERS:MAINTAINING INDIGENOUS IDENTITY THROUGH CULTURAL EXCHANGE1Mario A. CaroThe works featured in this exhibition are the result of a singular event: asta’bsHil3b axW ti qa’qtu, “The Return to the Swing,” a gathering of native artists from the Pacific Rim that took place in June of 2001 at the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center in Olympia, Washington.2 This historical event was the product of the visionary imagination of the planners; it was also an event thatresulted from connections that have been established and reinforced through millennia of culturalexchange among native peoples.There were no accounts of discovery in the stories shared at the gathering. That paradigm, so prevalent in the history of the West’s engagement with indigenous cultures, disavows the continuous existence and viability of other cultures. The histories the participants exchanged included, instead, accounts of encounters that acknowledge the persistence of other cultures. These accounts tell of long-term interactions that have resulted in the adaptation, transformation, and, at times, the violent demise of other cultures. It is within this paradigm of encounter, one that is mindful of protocols of hospitality and respect, that stories were told, artistic techniques were traded, songs were shared, and dances performed.Although there was no explicit agenda for the gathering, certain themes emergedas being timely topics for discussion. The thematic structure for the exhibition is based on issues that were expressed during interviews, at public presentations, and during casual exchanges in the studios. I have put these issues into four sections that are meant to join the works into coherent groupings. The first sections addresses concerns about media and process; the second group discusses ever-changing iconography within native cultures; the third set of works addresses the relationship between performance and the art object; and the final part of the show looks at how relationships—between artist and the object, and between art and the community—affirm and sustain life.Media Connections – Material ConcernsThe works in this section feature objects that share similar modes of production. A medium often determines the techniques used to produce a work of art. Similarapproaches to materials brought together artists from different cultures to discuss the similarities of processes of working materials such as clay, wood, and fibers. Radical differences, however, were found when discussions turned to the pre-production preparation of these materials. Some materials have become scarce through environmental deterioration, while access to others is highlyregulated, often by non-indigenous governments. Much of the work in this sectionillustrates the similarities and differences discovered during these exchanges.There were three workshops at the gathering dedicated to doing work in traditional media: carving, clay, and weaving. Most of the native cultures represented at the gathering consider working in these materials an essential part of their cultural identity.Carvers, such as Dempsey Bob and Frank Fulmer, continuously innovate their traditional designs. During the gathering, Fulmer began work on Raven Guiding the Tlingit Nation, a traditional paddle made out of yellow cedar. He describes how:[It] was designed to honor who we are, HAA SHAGOON, past and future generations, and the Creator. The bottom part of the Raven’s beak is formed like a canoe with a man representing the Tlingit Nation riding inside the canoe, being guided spiritually by Raven the Creator. The handle for the paddle is also formed in the shape of a canoe. This concept was in the making over a two-year period. My objective was to achieve a flow to the design using the old style heavy form line used bythe earlier Tlingit artists. At the same time, I was moved by visions I had for a new design and color for the Raven’s head and body. The abalone shells used for the Creator’s eyes and body represent His spirit, which scintillates with flashes of His glory. I hope that I am pushing the envelopeinto new exciting directions by contributing these new concepts.This sensibility for innovation has been at the core of Dempsey Bob’s approach totraditional forms. He emphasizes, however, that artists must first have a foundation from which to innovate. “Every artist must have a base of understanding in order to innovate. You must try to master as much of your culture as you can.”3The work of Hazel Pete (Chehalis)—not only her weaving but also her teaching—exemplifies the relationship between the practice of weaving and the binding together of communities. The woven object is often the product of an involved process that is itself a series of ties, ties that bind from the time of harvesting to well after the time the object is completed. Part of the teaching that went on during the gathering explicitly addressed these connections. Hazel’s daughter, YvonnePeterson, relates that:One of the stories that the Maori women told us was that a new basket willbe put beside an old basket so that they can talk. It’s not just that weavers sit beside one another to learn the art, they say that their products, their baskets, also need to have this conversation.4Tina Wirihana made Whiri, a piece that specifically addressed the relationships made during the gathering:This woven piece is representative of each of the participants who were involved in the weaving workshop at the gathering. Each strand ofharakeke/flax represents the interwoven strength and knowledge that wasshared by all weavers. The Whiri will remain the strong hold for us as a people. The tighter the whiri-the longer the life; the looser whiri-the shorter the life.Although weaving is an art form that in most native cultures is traditionally done by women, the weaving section included two prominent male weavers: Bruce Subiyay Miller and Marques Marzan. Their participation helped to complete the bonding of the community formed by the weavers. In addition to the communal dimensions of weaving, there is also a personal sense of fulfillment attached to the work. Lisa