TY - JOUR
T1 - Through Navajo Children's Eyes
T2 - Cultural Influences on Representational Abilities
AU - Stokrocki, Mary
N1 - Funding Information:
1. This research is funded by an Arizona State University Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Grant. Special thanks are offered to Ms. Isabelle White, art teacher at Many Farms Elementary School, Chinle Unified School District no. 24, Chinle, Arizona.
PY - 1994/1
Y1 - 1994/1
N2 - This article describes, analyzes, and interprets various cultural influences on the representational drawings of young Navajo students, in order to understand their changing cultural viewpoint. The data and drawings were gathered from two elementary art classes in one Navajo public school in northeastern Arizona, as part of an ongoing study. This information is compared to anthropological data gathered on adult Navajo drawings nearly 30 years ago, as well as to some dominant theories on child art. Data reveal students are influenced by Navajo traditional images, classroom teachers versions of school art, popular art images, pan-Indian influences, and peer copying. Results reveal the persistence of traditional nature imagery, the incorporation of similar schemas and color use with mainstream children, a keen ability to render realistic images and space, and the incorporation of those American things that the Navajo regard as “good for them.” Keen drawing abilities appear at a young age among the Navajo because of the high status of the arts, traditional education through observation and demonstration, peer imitation, and male drawing competition.
AB - This article describes, analyzes, and interprets various cultural influences on the representational drawings of young Navajo students, in order to understand their changing cultural viewpoint. The data and drawings were gathered from two elementary art classes in one Navajo public school in northeastern Arizona, as part of an ongoing study. This information is compared to anthropological data gathered on adult Navajo drawings nearly 30 years ago, as well as to some dominant theories on child art. Data reveal students are influenced by Navajo traditional images, classroom teachers versions of school art, popular art images, pan-Indian influences, and peer copying. Results reveal the persistence of traditional nature imagery, the incorporation of similar schemas and color use with mainstream children, a keen ability to render realistic images and space, and the incorporation of those American things that the Navajo regard as “good for them.” Keen drawing abilities appear at a young age among the Navajo because of the high status of the arts, traditional education through observation and demonstration, peer imitation, and male drawing competition.
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U2 - 10.1080/08949468.1994.9966635
DO - 10.1080/08949468.1994.9966635
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:4644286335
SN - 0894-9468
VL - 7
SP - 47
EP - 67
JO - Visual Anthropology
JF - Visual Anthropology
IS - 1
ER -