Abstract:
This thesis examines how Indigenous artists from around the world have engaged with sovereignty in their artistic practices. Indigenous artists use art to address personal and tribal histories of trauma, the creation of art ensures avenues of healing occur and cultural
continuity to thrive. Borrowing from Chadwick Allens’ seminal work Trans-Indigenous Methodologies (2017), Indigenous art speaks to a specific tribal narrative while simultaneously adding to a greater global Indigenous exploration of sovereignty, itself a contested term. Each chapter examines a different interpretation of sovereignty through a range of art forms: photography (ch.1), weaving and beading (ch.2), and video and film (ch.3). Each chapter focuses on different interpretations of sovereignty through the lens of Indigenous studies theory following writers like Vine Deloria Junior, Michelle Raheja, and Beverley Singer. The artists examined in each chapter encompass not only a wide range of styles they also descend from different parts of the world including; Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The variety of work and its global settings reinforce the notion that sovereignty is both a historical term but also a contemporary action of protest. Studying artistic practice alongside Indigenous protest showcases the role that art plays as a tool of healing and survivance - it is both a personal device and something that informs a more significant global Indigenous dialogue.