Indigenous Cultural Center

          Located in upstate New York, Ganondagan Center opens the conversation about Indigenous art and cultural though audience engagement. The center is a hub for all to learn about Indigenous cultural both in a historical and modern viewpoint. 

          The mission of Ganondagan Center is to educate audiences on Indigenous communities both in historically and contemporary terms through art. When first walking in the center you are met with a display case, showcasing Linley B. Logan’s Ga’ga Monster Truck and Hayden Haynes’s Arts & Crafts Rattle. Both artists are members of the Seneca, Deer Clan. Both art works are contemporary pieces that incorporate indigenous themes. Sending the message that indigenous heritage is not a concept of the past and continues to grow and evolve. Their artistry continues to grow and evolve like other art forms. Audiences can choose to view or critique the pieces through an artistic lens focusing more on the art qualities itself and/or focus on the indigenous understanding and attachment it has for indigenous culture. The display case foreshadows what audiences can expect from the center in a wider sense. Ganondagan allows visitors to appreciate and understand artworks while learning about Indigenous culture. While it may help, audiences do not need to have a deep understanding of indigenous history to appreciate the art and deeper meaning behind them. Ganondagan opens the conversation for all types of visitors. In her paper, The Emergence of Global Indigenous Art, Jolene Rickard expands on global indigenous art and its impact. The term “global indigenous art” encompasses artists who acknowledge the ongoing condition of colonial settler nations, dispossession of resources and land, and the awareness of Indigenous worldviews as part of global cultures. Richard also points out the important difference between “geographic mapping of Indigenous cultures versus a geo-political mapping of indigenous presence”. Artists who produce indigenous art in the contemporary international biennial community are scares and most are from First World nations. This aspect of Rickard’s paper aligns with the mission of Ganondagan, where the center frames Indigenous art and culture in a global mind frame. The art that they choose to display including exhibits capture “global indigenous art” while also expanding “Indigenous Knowledge”[1]. The art pieces at Ganondagan connect locally by providing knowledge of the communities who have lived and continue to live on the land, which is a straighter forward approach. The art can also be viewed on an international level, when thinking about the political identity and global alliance it takes to curate a successful center like Ganondagan. This allows audiences to reflect on Ganondagan’s mission upon their experience after visiting the center. 

          Ganondagan Center is comprised of a few different spaces. The main space is comprised of one building. One notable component of the center is the auditorium. The auditorium allows the center to hold meetings, presentations, and speeches. This supports the educational mission of the center by teaching audiences on important topics that might not be evident in the exhibitions or art pieces. It allows audiences to ask questions and learn directly from an expert and/or someone who has personal connections to the indigenous community. Having a person speaking in front of you adds a personable to the connection to the center rather than just viewing the space. Discussing a story or message before viewing the exhibits will add another layer of understanding that will help audiences connect to the art. Another component of the center is the main room that showcases the art and exhibitions. It is one singular room but constructed in a way that highlights all the art in a very comfortable way. One piece of art that stood out to me was the Envisioning Ganondagan circa 1670. In the glass showcase, is a mini model of what Ganondagan used to look like. The model shows Fort Hill, corn silos, trails, forests, and other parts. Views can push a button and it will highlight where that part is in the glass case. This piece is unique and adds an interactive element to the art, that encourages people learn from it. The room is set up in a way that allows visitors to walk around and view the art at their own pace. Other notable pieces center around, clothing garments, cooking recipes, and a longhouse model. In his chapter, “Collectors and Museums: From Cabinets of Curiosities to Indigenous Cultural Centers”, Scott Manning Stevens highlights the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways. Manning notes that Ziibiwing is a sophisticated space of knowledge production and engages visitors who may not be familiar with the history or present day cultural. The exhibits are engaging and helps “Orent the visitors and propel them forward in the larger historical narrative…has the effect of weaving together a traditional notion of indigenous history and a more familiar thread of linear historical events”[2]. Ziibiwing does not pressure itself to conform to the majority population and instead centers itself around the narrative it wants to tell, one around truth and reconciliation not just solely cultural uplift. This aspect of Ziibiwing connects to the education mission of Ganondagan. Some may leave Ganondagan remembering a piece of art that they resonated with while others may remember a theme or message that stands out to them. Regardless, the goal in both cases is to have open and honest conversations about historical events while look towards the future. Ganondagan does a good job of balancing the past with the future featured in their art. This allows the viewer to learn while also create their own thoughts and opinions that they can carry with them once they leave. 

          What I find most effective about Ganondagan center is the way it engages audiences. One way it accomplishes this is by having a balance between the art and its description cards. Not having ever artwork accompanied with a paragraph long description card, allows that viewer to create their own interpretation. While having more informative cards displayed is great to provide context it also may overwhelm people. Some themes presented are challenging to understand without a deeper historical knowledge. For the average visitor, having too much information given to them all at once may overwhelm them and take away from their experience. Another way Ganondagan engaged audiences is by having interactive activities. Having art that viewers can experience through interaction makes the center very inclusive. In addition to their art, they also have videos, audio guides, and books that people can flip through. Everyone learns in different way, and this allows multiple different ways that they can take in information. If the goal of the center is to leave learning new knowledge and questions one’s own previous beliefs providing different ways of learning is a beneficial way of achieving said goal. In his essay, “Collecting Haudenosaunee Art from the Modern Era”, Scott Manning Stevens discusses the idea of Indigenous sovereignty among political discourse as well as linguistic, food, and visual sovereignty. Part of sovereign identity is reclaiming tradition, food, language and more that Indigenous communities were denied due to force assimilation into American or Canadian mainstream cultural[3].

          Through engagement Ganondagan works to reclaim their sovereignty by choosing how they want to educate people. While there is no exact definition for visual sovereignty, collecting and displaying art creates a president for younger generations to think of themselves as Indigenous artists and expand beyond traditional craft.