The origin of the War Twins as part of the creation story

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The origin of the War Twins as part of the
creation story With the beginning of the world,
the Zuni people moved from place to place,
seeking a home. When they finally came to the
area that would become their permanent dwelling
place, they had to face many hostile forces. To
aid and protect them, Sun Father created the War
Twins and endowed them with special destructive
powers. Through their help, the Zuni overcame
their enemies and made a home, called Hepatina
("the middle place"). There they live today,
protected still by the war gods, whose great
powers aid all peoples everywhere.
http//aras.org/selection_war.aspx
www.thepostcard.com/walt/indian/indt/nn932.gif
A Photograph of the Ahayuda War God has been
removed from this internet version of the
lecture, but may be found at www.dirtbrothers.or
g/pbone/ZuniWG.jpg
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Repatriation Debates

• Formalistic concerns vs. cultural context
• 2) The meaning of objects as socially
  constructed. Do all social constructs have equal
  validity?
• (Week 10 Ames and Warren)
• Curatorial Prerogative (academic freedom) vs.
  sharing power

www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-nativeamerica...
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Formalistic concerns vs. cultural context -
Primitivism in 20th Century Art Affinity of
the Tribal and the Modern Museum of Modern Art ,
1984 William Rubin, Museum of Modern Art
Pairing modern artworks with examples of the
African and Oceanic art that had influenced them,
the show emphasized formalism at the expense of
the larger context both modern and non-western
art had developed. The exhibition set off a
debate between Thomas McEvilley who had
negatively reviewed the show in Artforum
http//www.dictionaryofarthistorians.org/rubinw.h
tm
A Photograph of the Ahayuda War God has been
removed from this internet version of the
lecture, but is included in the museum catalogue
essay described here.
Paul Klee. Mask of Fear. 1932. Oil on burlap, 39
½ X 221/2 (100.4 X 57.1 cm). The Museum of
Modern Art, New York, Nelson A. Rockefeller Fund.
Figure (War God) Zuni. Arizona or New Mexico.
Painted wood and mixed media, 30 ½ (77.5 cm)
high. Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin.
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Formalistic concerns vs. cultural context -
Economics
'There is no market for Zuni war gods anymore,''
said Bernard de Grunne, director of the tribal
and American art division at Sotheby's New York
office. ''They are simply too much trouble to
handle.'' Zunis' Effort to Regain Idols May Alter
Views of Indian Art By ROBERTO SURO, SPECIAL TO
THE NEW YORK TIMES Published August 13,
1990 http//query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?re
s9C0CE4DD153EF930A2575BC0A966958260secsponpa
gewanted2
http//search.denverlibrary.org
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Andy Warhol's 15 minutes of repatriation Some
will argue that Warhol was one of the biggest
burglars in art history for quoting and reworking
the images of other artists for his own pictures
but that wasn't theft, it was homage, and the end
product always looked like a Warhol, even when it
was the Mona Lisa. When representatives of
Warhol's estate heard about the war god's
background (1988) , they immediately volunteered
to return it. They said Warhol could not have
known of the war god's religious significance or
its shady past. Ed Hayes, then the attorney for
the estate, recalls the decision-making process
as speedy "When the issue came up, Fred Hughes,
Warhol's business manager, who died in 2001
said, 'We are not in the business of fencing Zuni
war gods.' It took about two seconds."
http//newsgrist.typepad.com/robertgoldwaterlibrar
y/2007/03/andy_warhols_15.html

Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987) AmericanAMERICAN
INDIAN SERIES (RUSSELL MEANS), 1976Acrylic and
silkscreen on canvasHeight 84 inches Width 70
inches http//tours.daytonartinstitute.org/access
art/object.cfm?TTctID31COMaaF1warholF2F3
F4F5F6F7F8
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The meaning of objects as socially constructed
If there are no natural meanings is it nothing
more than a contest of power to determine whose
meanings prevail?" (Layton 1993) Acknowledging
that meaning is a cultural construct that can be
contested in a political arena is helpful in
explaining how non-Indians may understand the
cultural and legal aspects of repatriation,
butZunis seek to recover the Ahayuda not
because they want their meanings to prevail, but
because they believe the that the world is
endangered is the Ahayuda are not at their
shrines where Zuni priests can attend to them
(Merril, Ladd, Ferguso Example Prohibition of
women handling certain objects when federal law
prohibits sexual discrimination in the workplace
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Varying conceptions of Material Culture meaning
of objects as culturally constructed Ladd What
is real? Whose belief system is to be applied?
Zuni Ethical Recovering all stolen Ahayuda will restore harmony to the world Ahayuda not an object but twin gods, protectors of Zuni people Preservation deterioration Communally owned, no one has authority to remove them after they have been retired any Ahayuda removed has been stolen or illegally removed Smithsonian - Legal Question of setting precedent Formation of a tribal museum pre-requisite for return of sacred objects Preservation stability Public trust concern Each repatriation request considered on own merits