Unpacking the "Indian Corner" - Lesson Plan

8/9/2019 Unpacking the "Indian Corner" - Lesson Plan

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UNPACKING THE INDIANCORNER

Today, with the ubiquity of home decorating magazines, it is hard to believe this is a

relatively new trend. In fact, according to Elizabeth Hutchinson, it was only at the beginning

of the 20th century that people beganwith help from department store marketingto

express their good taste and individual style through decorating. Early in the 1900s one ofthese trends was the Indian Corner.This fad involved customers buying Native American

art from department stores that they would then use to decorate a small space in their home.

In her talk for CHF, Elizabeth Hutchinson unpacks the connections among home decorating,

department store marketing, the emergence of taste,and the fad of buying Indian arts and

crafts at the beginning of the 20th century. In the process, she also raises questions about

the ethics of appropriating other cultures to make one look fashionableor stylisha

tendency that is not new though it takes different forms in the 21st century. Through the

following activities, students will have the opportunity to learn about American art, discuss

their thoughts about marketing trends, and argue in writing for their own stance on the

ethics of appropriating cultural artifacts for the sake of style.

11-12thgrade

3 Day Unit

Objectives:

To understand the historical context of

the fad of the Indian Cornerincluding:

o How department stores and the

marketing techniques they usedencouraged the collections of

Native American art

o Why Native American art might

have appealed to the modern

individual

o Where Native American art fit

into the modern art movement

To examine the ethical implications of

the way in which Native American arts

and crafts were marketed and used

Materials & Resources Needed:

Access to YouTube

Ability to display images in class

Assessment:Discussion, homework

assignments, and informal paper


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DAY ONE:

Have students begin thinking about why and how people decorate their personal space. Ask

students: How have you decorated your bedroom (or other personal space)? What do your

decorative choices say about you? Why did you decorate in the first place?

Take a look at how some people decorated parts of their homes at the beginning of the 20 thcentury. Look at a photo of Kepplerscollection (image @ 02:33 in the video) andAyers

collection (image @ 03:40 in the video). From a comparison of these two images, how would

you describe collections of this type? What do they include? What might their purpose be?

Watch the following video clip to see how scholar Elizabeth Hutchinson characterizes these

collections.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms#t=1420 (1:20 - 4:15)

At the end of this segment, Hutchinson asks why this home decoration fad occurred at the

beginning of the 20th century. Take 3 minutes to do a quick-write on possible reasons for this.

At this time, what was going on in U.S. history? With Native Americans? With art history? After 3minutes, have some students share their ideas with the class. As students are talking, create a

collective class list of possible reasons.

For homework: Either take a

photograph or find a photograph of

a contemporary department store

display. Write a detailed description

of the display. Then reflect on the

details of the display and how these

details might directly or indirectly

encourage shoppers to buy the

materials in the display.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420


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DAY TWO:

Have students share their homework in small groups. Then have a few students share their

homework with the entire class. Use this sharing to kick off a class discussion about the

connection between a storesdisplay and how it encourages shoppers to buy the products in

the display.Store displays began around the beginning of the 1900s. In this clip, Hutchinson talks about the

role that stores played in promoting the fad of Indian Cornersin peoples home.

Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms#t=1420 (6:0517:10)

As students watch the video, they should take notes on her argument.

After watching the video, debrief with the students to make sure that they understand the

argument she is making in this section. Important points that she makes are:

Stores needed to create consumers who would buy luxuryitems that they dontneed.

This coincides with a change in how people think of themselves - modern identity

becomes based on what you consume.

This was also connected to an introduction of the notion of taste as something that

marked onessocio-economic class. In fact, there is a term for this: Conspicuous

consumption (coined by Thorstein Veblen) which is the wasteful consumption of goods

as a visible sign to others of wealth and power.

The standard of the leisure class became the standard to which the middle and lower

class held themselves and upon which their reputation of being tasteful,modern,and

sociallyacceptable came to be based.

Consuming NativeAmericanart in this period become good taste in this way

Based on this new information, have the class discuss how it might revise their collective list of

thoughts that they generated yesterday in response to whydid this home decoration fad occurat the beginning of the 20th century?

For homework: Read the following article that discusses the fad of Native American fashion in

2011. It addresses some of the ethical issues regarding fads that appropriate Native American

designs without permission and also includes the larger historical context around the Indian

Corner

Article link:http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-

off-real-nativeamericans/

Citation:Hix, Lisa. Whythe NativeFashion Trend Is Pissing Off Real NativeAmericans.

Collectors Weekly. 1 December 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/why-the-native-fashion-trend-is-pissing-off-real-native-americans/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420


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DAY THREE:

Review with students what Hutchinson has argued so far about why IndianCornerswere

popular in the U.S. in the early 1900s.

In addition to her argument from yesterdaysvideo clip, in the following clip she makes an

argument about why the modern world caused people to desire these particular objects

Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms#t=1420 (19:2029:27)

As students watch the video, they should take notes on her argument.

After watching the video, debrief with the students to make sure that they understand the

argument she is making in this section. Important points that she makes are:

These cozy corners allowed people to experience another worldwithout traveling

In this moment the home was charged with offering the humaninteractions, sensual

pleasures, and natural experiences that the routines of life had otherwise denied.

Because of this context, there was an interest in goods that are seen as not being part of

modernitynot being from a machine world or made by machine

Link between home and an escape from modern, urban culture

These goods are not from a machine world and demonstrate a turn away from modern

industrialization

Also provided a sense of control to the individualget to choose what is in your

collection

Perhaps these works reminded individuals of quality/skills that they didnthave time to

do in their daily life anymore (quality stitch work, etc.)

Discuss the article that students read for homework. Start by focusing on new things that they

learned or what they found interesting. Then move to how the topic connects to what they have

been learning from Hutchinson. Finally, delve into the ethical issues that the article raises. Mightthese issues also be applied to the IndianCornercraze? Can you collect and display materials

from a cultural group that is not your own in an ethical way?

Look at the various comments in response to the article. Have students begin thinking about

how to evaluate the qualityof a comment.

For homework: Direct students to write an email to someone they respect who is thinking

about creating his/her own Indian Corner. Sharewhat you know about their history and give

him/her advice about how to construct the corner. Include the pros and cons of creating one

and also include your own opinion regarding the ethics of IndianCornersbased on what you

have learned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-T9lNWj0Ms&t=1420


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UNIT ALIGNS WITH STANDARDS:

NCAS: VA:Pr6.1.IaAnalyze and describe the impact that an exhibition or collection has on personalawareness of social, cultural, or political beliefs and understandings

NCAS: VA:Re.7.2.IIaEvaluate the effectiveness of an image or images to influence ideas, feelings, andbehaviors of specific audiences

NCAS: VA:Re8.1.IIaIdentify types of contextual information useful in the process of constructinginterpretations of an artwork or collection of works

NCAS: VA:Cn11.1.IIaCompare uses of art in a variety of societal, cultural, and historical contexts andmake connections to uses of art in contemporary and local contexts

State Goal 27B.5Analyze how the arts shape and reflect ideas, issues or themes in a particular cultureor historical period

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,purposes, and audiences.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

1.An additional post from 2010 that takes issue with the appropriation of Native American attire as afashion statement:http://nativeappropriations.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-a-hipster-headdress.html

2.An article from 2014 on the Washington Redskinsname change controversy:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/washington-redskins-native-americans_n_5607082.html

3.An article from 2013 that includes more information on modernismsreception in America:http://www.npr.org/2013/02/17/172002686/armory-show-that-shocked-america-in-1913-celebrates-100

4.An article from 2014 on Native American mascots in professional sports:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/

5. The first prominent female interior designer, Elsie De Wolfe, wrote The House in Good Taste publishedin 1913. If students are interested in learning more about the interior decorating trends of the time or thedevelopment of interior decorating itself, Project Gutenberg has a free version of the book here:http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14715

6. Elizabeth HutchinsonsBiography: Hutchinson has a Ph.D. from Stanford and teaches the history ofNorth American art and visual culture at Barnard College and Columbia University. Her work asks how artcan help us understand modernity, particularly as it was experienced in the American West. She is theauthor of, The Indian Craze, and numerous articles and exhibition catalog essays. More information onHutchinson can be found here:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/arthistory/faculty/Hutchinson.htmland here:https://barnard.edu/profiles/elizabeth-hutchinson
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/10/http://nativeappropriations.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-a-hipster-headdress.htmlhttp://nativeappropriations.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-a-hipster-headdress.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/washington-redskins-native-americans_n_5607082.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/washington-redskins-native-americans_n_5607082.htmlhttp://www.npr.org/2013/02/17/172002686/armory-show-that-shocked-america-in-1913-celebrates-100http://www.npr.org/2013/02/17/172002686/armory-show-that-shocked-america-in-1913-celebrates-100http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14715http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14715http://www.columbia.edu/cu/arthistory/faculty/Hutchinson.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/arthistory/faculty/Hutchinson.htmlhttps://barnard.edu/profiles/elizabeth-hutchinsonhttps://barnard.edu/profiles/elizabeth-hutchinsonhttps://barnard.edu/profiles/elizabeth-hutchinsonhttp://www.columbia.edu/cu/arthistory/faculty/Hutchinson.htmlhttp://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14715http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2014/05/04/redskins-mascot-nickname-indians-wahoo-chiefs-blackhawks-braves/8705159/http://www.npr.org/2013/02/17/172002686/armory-show-that-shocked-america-in-1913-celebrates-100http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/washington-redskins-native-americans_n_5607082.htmlhttp://nativeappropriations.com/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-a-hipster-headdress.htmlhttp://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/11-12/10/

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Unpacking the "Indian Corner" - Lesson Plan