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A chapter in River Trading Post

history ended on May 31, 2013

as River Trading Post said fare-

well to Santa Fe.

The difficult decision to leave

the great old adobe gallery was

driven by a difficult economy in

the overall art market, which

hit Santa Fe and Canyon Road

in a significant way.

During its nearly nine year run

on Canyon Road, River Trad-

ing Post made many great

friends. We would especially

like to thank them for making

River Trading Post, Santa Fe,

the wonderful place that it was.

R IVER TRADING POST B IDS FAREWELL TO SANTA FE

WHEN IT COMES TO INDIAN ART, WHAT IS AN INDIAN?

Since 1990, the test of Ameri-

can Indian Art authenticity has

been guided by the Indian Arts

and Crafts Act .

The act is a truth-in-advertising

law that prohibits misrepresen-

tation in marketing American

Indian or Alaska Native arts

and crafts in the United States.

Under the act, it is illegal to

offer, display or sell any art or

craft in a manner that falsely

suggests it is Indian produced.

Under the Act, an Indian is

defined as a member of any

federally or State recognized

Indian Tribe, or an individual

certified as an Indian artisan by

an Indian Tribe.

In March 2013, Rep. Nick Ra-

hall II [D-WV3] introduced a

bill to clarify (change) the defi-

nition of an Indian and an In-

dian Organization.

Under the proposed bill, an individ-

ual artist would no longer be re-

quired to be a tribal member, or

certified by an Indian Tribe.

The artist would simply have to

belong to an “Indian Organiza-

tion” that is chartered as a sec-

tion 501(c)3 organization

within the State where the or-

ganization is headquartered,

and that is dedicated to preserv-

ing Native American principles,

traditions, culture, history, lan-

guage and arts.

The Indian Arts and Crafts

Association has taken a strong

position against the bill.

We believe that Rep. Rahall’s

proposed exclusion of Tribal

requirements under the present

Act undermines the principle

of authenticity, and opens the

door to anyone to stake a claim

as an Indian artist.

American Indian art is driven

by the many American Indian

cultures...all of which are tri-

bally based. We maintain that

this is as it should be. For the

protection of consumers, collec-

tors, and true American Indian

artists.

Volume 10, Issue 3 July:September 2013

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

• Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa

Fe, NM. August 17 - 18.

• Traditional Pueblo Arts

Pottery Exhibit and Sale

Ongoing

River Trading Post, Scottsdale

Scottsdale, AZ

• Indian Summer Festival. Milwau-

kee, WI. September 6 - 7.

R i v e r T r a d i n g P o s t

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Native Art: It Isn’t Just For Grown Ups

2

Favorite Places: Hoodoo Land

3

Protect Your American Indian Art Collection

3

Collector’s Treasure: The Apache Basket

4

Ancestor’s Song Closes Out

2

Congressman Nick Rahall II wants to redefine an American Indian Artist.

Trading Post Times Page 2

Think back to your childhood. Did your parents or grandparents take you to museums or art galler-

ies? Did you take art classes in school? Did you go exploring in the Southwest on summer road

trips?

This is why we love Native art today. Exposure. The more we touch the land and experience the

culture of the people who live there, the more we understand how both geography and the history of

the people who inhabit that land, influence the creation and interpretation of their art. From utili-

tarian vessels, created to hold water or grain, to highly decorated contemporary pottery that we are

loath to dust for fear of scratching it, we can trace the evolution of culture and the value of the form.

Did you repeat the experiences you had as a child with your children or grandchildren? Certainly

there are few opportunities in schools anymore as art classes have all but disappeared. Galleries

tend to be stuffy and children are generally unwelcome. At River Trading Post we welcome young

visitors, and encourage them to explore and even touch the great American Indian art in our galler-

ies. Kids are genuinely interested in seeing and hearing about the art.

We contend that children should be encouraged to experience the land, the culture and the art of

many people. So parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, it’s up to you. Take the young ones

in your life to galleries, museums and on road trips. Those experiences will create memories that

they will hold forever, and will pass on to their children.

NATIVE ART: IT’S NOT JUST FOR GROWNUPS

River Trading Post encourages

young ones to use the “One

Finger Touch” when they see a

piece that they like

Many people ask about the symbols incorporated into Cliff Fragua’s Ancestor’s Song. We think that

part of the appeal of this sculpture is understanding what each component means to Cliff, and we thought we would pass his interpretation on to you.

Jemez is a matriarchal society, and this sculpture represents the reverence that each member of the Pueblo has for women and their role as givers of life.

The womb-like opening which shelters the pottery is surrounded by what is often called the spiral of

life. The pottery itself is life-sustaining, and is made from Mother Earth. It represents all that Mother Earth gives us.

The tablita (or headdress) represents clouds in the Pueblo culture. The hair represents rain pouring

from the clouds and goes all the way to the ground -- which is critical to life in the desert.

The turquoise necklace reflects the beauty of the inner being or soul of a woman, and the shell, which is attached to the necklace represents the ocean – the place from which all life springs.

The triangle motifs on the edges of the shawl are vibrations – sound vibrations, if you will – which are like music or the songs of the ancestor’s. Music surrounds the woman, bringing the ancestors to

her through sound. (Notice this formation resembles an inverted bass clef and the entire sculpture resembles a treble clef.)

Cliff is one of our favorite artists. He has produced a body of work that is incomparable in the Na-

tive art world. Among that work, Ancestor’s Song stands out as one of his finest.

River Trading Post has been fortunate to feature this limited edition bronze and assist many people in acquiring it. For information about one of the three remaining pieces, please contact us.

ANCESTOR’S SONG: R ICH W ITH MEANING,

THE EDITION CLOSES OUT

Just three Ancestor’s Song remain, including the last of the edition #25/25. The molds and casts were destroyed following production of issue #25.

Volume 10, Issue 3 Page 3

FAVORITE PLACES : HOODOOS OF UTAH AND ARIZONA

formation about the artist, title,

date, medium, size and current

condition. Also keep purchase

information, such as the gallery

where it was purchased, the

date, and any receipts or cata-

logs where the artwork ap-

peared. You should keep indi-

vidual photographs of the art-

work.

If you are computer savvy, the

best way to do this is with a

database, or other file that in-

cludes a picture of the piece.

Keep a copy of your collection

information with other estate

planning documents in a safety

deposit box, or other place

away from your collection.

This may take a bit of time, but

in the unlikely event that some-

thing unexpected does happen,

you will have a basis for mak-

ing your claim. Better safe than

sorry.

We’ve heard sad tales from

people who have had a treas-

ured piece lost, stolen or dam-

aged and have no basis for fil-

ing either a police report or an

insurance claim. Very sad in-

deed.

So here is a must do tip from us

to you:

Keep Records. You should

create a detailed record of your

art collection that includes in-

PROTECT YOUR AMERICAN INDIAN ART COLLECTION W ITH RECORDS

For piece of mind, be certain to

keep an inventory of your

American Indian art collection.

THREE GREAT COLLECTOR EXPERIENCES

River Trading PostRiver Trading PostRiver Trading PostRiver Trading Post 314 N. River Street

Dundee, Illinois 60118

847-426-6901

7033 E. Main Street

Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

480-444-0001

www.rivertradingpost.com

Whether you are decorating

your home or are an avid col-

lector of fine American Indian

art, you will find River Trading

Post has a great mix of historic

and contemporary art from

over 50 tribal nations.

Come visit. Enjoy!

Dundee

RTP On-Line

Scottsdale

Like soldiers guarding a sacred

spot on this earth, the amazing

Hoodoos are awe-inspiring to

folks traveling the badlands of

the Southwest.

A hoodoo is variously defined

as “bad luck,” “a person or

object that brings bad luck” or

“a fantastically shaped pillar of

rock left behind by eons of ero-

sion.”

Whatever description you

choose, the hoodoos truly are

awe inspiring, making many

skyscrapers of New York and

Chicago look like child’s toys.

Some call these great forma-

tions a “Fairy Chimney,” an

“Earth Pyramid” or a “Tent

Rock.”

Hoodoos are not a specific

place, but they abound in can-

yons, particularly in Arizona

(Chiricahua Mountains) and

Utah (Brice Canyon.)

These canyon soldiers were

formed by weathering proc-

esses, including over 200 freeze

and thaw cycles each

year...over thousands of years.

Rain also helps to sculpt the

hoodoos.

Many hoodoos are capped with

a magnesium-rich limestone

called dolomite...a favorite

stone of Zuni fetish carvers.

A drive through hoodoo terri-

tory early in the morning, or at

sunset is when these creatures

of nature are the most spectacu-

lar...and about the only time

when your camera can capture

their real beauty and colors.

For a breath taking family ex-

perience, a tour through Hoo-

doo land is one of the best.

Hoodoos Dominate Bryce Canyon, Utah

Hoodoo Soldiers Guard a Canyon

Phone: 866-426-6901 www.rivertradingpost.com

314 N. River Street East Dundee, IL 60118

A COLLECTOR ’S TREASURE : THE OLD APACHE BASKET

and was used primarily for

grain storage. But the Indus-

trial Revolution which pro-

duced an abundance of cheap

pots and pans, and the Great

Depression of the 1930’s extin-

guished the need to create the

labor-intense basket.

Today, a few Apache artisans

still create baskets that typically

are coarse twined burden bas-

kets (as shown at the right.)

This is the most traditional

form of Apache basket, and was

used for carrying wood or food.

The earlier burden baskets are

highly collectable, but finding

one that is in great condition

can be pretty hard to do.

One of the most collectible of

American Indian arts is the

Western Apache and Yavapai

Apache basket.

This art form was developed

over thousands of years, and

was lost in less than ten years as

basket makers sought other

lines of work.

The baskets are generally made

of willow and devil’s claw,

plants which are native to

Apache country in Arizona.

They frequently include human

and zoomorphic figures sur-

rounded by crosses, such as the

piece shown at the left.

In earlier times, the Apache

basket was strictly utilitarian,

Arts of Native America

An Apache Olla is one of the rarest and most collectible of all American Indian art forms. A polychrome basket, as shown here, is the most highly prized of the Apache baskets. It is available at River Trading Post, Scottsdale.

The Apache Burden Basket is the most traditional Apache basket, and continues to be made today, primar-ily for the tourist trade.