There are many ways to record history. Although indigenous cultures in the Arctic did not historically have a written language, they shared events and stories from the past through oral traditions. They also preserved and continue to preserve ancestral knowledge and cultural identity by practicing traditional lifeways and crafts.
At any given moment, a newly created work of art is “contemporary.” There have always been contemporary indigenous artists whose work reflects and comments upon the times. The objects in this section provide a window into indigenous histories of the Arctic and explore issues and ideas related to cultural identity.
