Traditional belonging systems and #IndianAct categories are both shaped by #colonialism now.
So restoring identity can’t rely entirely on one or the other. Nations need space to rebuild belonging in ways that reflect today’s realities, not just #precontact ones or #federal legislation.

Chumash artist once known, Whale Effigy, ca. 1200–1600, steatite, shell inlay, 2.8 x 3.74 inches, collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

#Chumash #NativeArt #IndigenousArt #NativeSculpture #Whales #IndigenousCalifornia #NativeAmerican #NDNArt #precontact #precolumbian