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Women's Work, Women's ArtNineteenth-Century Northern Athapaskan Clothing |
A richly illustrated study of the dress and adornment traditions of the Indigenous peoples of North America's western subarctic.
Garments made from tanned animal hides afforded Northern Athapaskans protection against a harsh northern environment, but the striking features of this clothing are also a distinctive part of the traditional culture of the Indigenous peoples of North America's western subarctic. Beautifully decorated with quillwork, fringes, and pigments, they provide a means of artistic expression signifying ethnic identity and conveying information about the physical, social, and spiritual well-being of the wearer.
Women's Work, Women's Art, the culmination of over forty years of research, is the first comprehensive study of this little-known aspect of Athapaskan culture. Encompassing all Northern Athapaskan groups, it chronicles a period that saw significant change in Aboriginal culture and the persistence of ancient traditions among the women who made and adorned this clothing. Individual chapters address the various roles and functions of clothing in Athapaskan societies, the technology of clothing production and design, and characteristic regional styles.
Bringing together information from the writings of traders, explorers, missionaries, Athapaskan oral traditions, and community interviews with a wealth of visual materials - from rare early sketches to twentieth century photographs - Women's Work, Women's Art is an engaging and definitive study of Athapaskan clothing and culture.
Women's Work, Women's Art, the culmination of over forty years of research, is the first comprehensive study of this little-known aspect of Athapaskan culture. Encompassing all Northern Athapaskan groups, it chronicles a period that saw significant change in Aboriginal culture and the persistence of ancient traditions among the women who made and adorned this clothing. Individual chapters address the various roles and functions of clothing in Athapaskan societies, the technology of clothing production and design, and characteristic regional styles.
Bringing together information from the writings of traders, explorers, missionaries, Athapaskan oral traditions, and community interviews with a wealth of visual materials - from rare early sketches to twentieth century photographs - Women's Work, Women's Art is an engaging and definitive study of Athapaskan clothing and culture.
Details
Part of the McGill-Queen's Indigenous and Northern Studies (number 68 in series)
336 Pages, 9 x 11
full colour throughout
ISBN 9780773541597
March 2013
Formats: Paperback
"There is nothing remotely like this authoritative and definitive work. The combination of detailed garment research with historical and ethnographic data informed by community-based research, makes Women’s Work, Women’s Art a model which surpasses anything to date. It will be a standard reference work for curators, material culture and native studies scholars, and members of Athapaskan communities." Laura Peers, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford
"There are few publications on Northern Athapaskan clothing and none that cover the subject in such breadth and detail, showcasing the skills and knowledge of the makers - the women. Women's Work, Women's Art will make these museum collections more accessible and understandable and be a remarkable resource for First Nations interested in learning about their traditional material culture." Ingrid Kritsch, research director of the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute
"Comprehensive but straightforward, Women’s Work, Women’s Art is an exciting resource for a range of scholars and an interesting, engaging read for the layperson." Worn Through
“In this book, Thompson (formerly, Canadian Museum of Civilization) describes in depth how northern Athapaskan women made and decorated hide clothing before manufactured clothes replaced them. She uses documentary research, visual art, and 400 examples from museum collections in Canada, the US, and Europe... This book is undoubtedly a tour de force of collection, organization, and presentation.” Choice
“Once in a while, a book that will undoubtedly become an authoritative text is published. Judy Thompson’s study of 19th-century Athapaskan clothing is one such volume. The carefully researched text and many historic illustrations are accompanied by numerous color photographs of the items themselves, maps, and line drawings of individual garments and decorative techniques. The combined effect is a feast for the eyes; this book is one of the most beautifully produced volumes I have seen in many years. Moreover, the text is accessibly written and enhanced by illuminating details drawn from first person narratives, descriptions from archival documents, and photographs and sketches created by traders, missionaries, and other travelers to Northern Athapaskan territory.” Museum Anthropology
"There are few publications on Northern Athapaskan clothing and none that cover the subject in such breadth and detail, showcasing the skills and knowledge of the makers - the women. Women's Work, Women's Art will make these museum collections more accessible and understandable and be a remarkable resource for First Nations interested in learning about their traditional material culture." Ingrid Kritsch, research director of the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute
"Comprehensive but straightforward, Women’s Work, Women’s Art is an exciting resource for a range of scholars and an interesting, engaging read for the layperson." Worn Through
“In this book, Thompson (formerly, Canadian Museum of Civilization) describes in depth how northern Athapaskan women made and decorated hide clothing before manufactured clothes replaced them. She uses documentary research, visual art, and 400 examples from museum collections in Canada, the US, and Europe... This book is undoubtedly a tour de force of collection, organization, and presentation.” Choice
“Once in a while, a book that will undoubtedly become an authoritative text is published. Judy Thompson’s study of 19th-century Athapaskan clothing is one such volume. The carefully researched text and many historic illustrations are accompanied by numerous color photographs of the items themselves, maps, and line drawings of individual garments and decorative techniques. The combined effect is a feast for the eyes; this book is one of the most beautifully produced volumes I have seen in many years. Moreover, the text is accessibly written and enhanced by illuminating details drawn from first person narratives, descriptions from archival documents, and photographs and sketches created by traders, missionaries, and other travelers to Northern Athapaskan territory.” Museum Anthropology
Judy Thompson recently retired as curator of western subarctic ethnology at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. She is the author of several publications on Northern Athapaskan material culture and artistic traditions.
Names and Terms | xi
Abbreviations | xiii
Illustrations | xv
Preface and Acknowledgments | xxi
Introduction | 3
In the Old Days | 7
Doing the Job Right: Preparation of Materials and the Art of Sewing | 35
From Head to Toe:Major Styles and the Cuts of Garments | 77
Regional Styles | 131
Epilogue | 252
Appendix 1: Northern Athapaskan Clothing Collections | 257
Appendix 2: Clothing Artifact Analyses | 259
Notes | 281
Works Cited | 293
Index | 301
Abbreviations | xiii
Illustrations | xv
Preface and Acknowledgments | xxi
Introduction | 3
In the Old Days | 7
Doing the Job Right: Preparation of Materials and the Art of Sewing | 35
From Head to Toe:Major Styles and the Cuts of Garments | 77
Regional Styles | 131
Epilogue | 252
Appendix 1: Northern Athapaskan Clothing Collections | 257
Appendix 2: Clothing Artifact Analyses | 259
Notes | 281
Works Cited | 293
Index | 301
9780228005681
$115.00 CAD
Cloth
9780773518377
$37.95 CAD
Paperback
