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Portfolios%20%3D%20%22361%22%20and%20Sort_Artist%20%3D%20%22Tlingit%20artist%22%20and%20Century%20%3D%20%2219th%20Century%22
Sculpture
Shaman Medicine Charm
Tlingit artist, (active )
Tlingit artist
United States
6 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. (15.9 x 5.7 cm)
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Walrus ivory
Walrus ivory
Tlingit; made in Alaska
0
0
1800-1900, Native American, Native American art, religious & ritual objects
Sculpture
For years, Indigenous activists have led efforts to reclaim the remains of their ancestors and sacred cultural objects currently housed in museums, universities, and other cultural institutions.
In 1990, U.S. federal law established the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) to facilitate this process. In December 2023, NAGPRA ruled that museums must obtain consent from lineal descendants, Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations before allowing any exhibition of, access to, or research on these objects.
MAG has removed works from display that are classified under the statute in compliance and in support of the repatriation of these items to their original caretakers, including this work.
The belief that humans can draw power from the non-human world is a framework that underlies many belief systems, and is especially strong in most Native North American culture groups. Shamans played an especially important role in this respect. Responsible for curing the sick, controlling the weather, guaranteeing successful fish runs, combating witches, and providing assistance during battle, shamans moved freely between the human and spirit world. Tlingit shamans often carried charms like this one. Each charm is unique and often includes a multiplicity of figures. This charm is in the form of a whale, with the rear assuming the form of a land otter, a highly powerful spirit helper to the shaman.
[Gallery label text, 2009]
1922.5
item
Memorial Art Gallery
9/8/1999
22.5SL1
slide
full
2 x 2
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glossy
2 x 2
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negative
2 x 2
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negative
8 x 10
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22.5DI1
digital image
full
2 x 2
00/00/00
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22.5DI#2
digital image
2/19/2008
http://127.0.0.1:5000/Media/images/22.5_A2.jpg