Canadian Eskimo Carving in Historical Perspective
547
detailed knowledge of Eskimo history, culture, and character 3 . Qualified
anthropologists and art historians have begun only recently to correct this
situation 4 .
Among the numerous writers on contemporary Canadian Eskimo carving
there stands, at one extreme, a faction steadfastly devoted to the theory that
^e are dealing here with something authentically aboriginal in every respect.
Thus Saarinen (1954:64) sees it as “perhaps the last unspoiled, indigenous
a nd spontaneous art”. This finds an echo in Schaefer-Simmern (1958:1) who
speaks of “noch einmal eine unverfälschte, freisprießende künstlerische Pro
duktion, die unlösbar mit dem Gesamtleben ihrer Erzeuger verbunden ist”.
Views substantial!}/ similar to the above have been advanced by others 5 . Cer
tain adherents of this school, however, have expressed contradictory opinions
°n what would seem to be quite basic propositions underlying this whole issue.
a) A few stress conformity rather than divergence with the past, thereby
fostering the notion that throughout its history Eskimo carving has constituted
a more or less uniform phenomenon. Contemporary sculptures are presented as
Merely the most recent exemplifications of an ancient tradition, free from any
Western influence. Thus for example, the National Gallery of Canada (1951:1)
contends most naively that “as in all genuinely primitive art, there is little
ev olution in style to be observed. Some of the artifacts discovered in old Eskimo
Sl tes differ from present-day carvings only in being slightly smaller”.
h) The first part of the above statement clashes with an exposition offered
b y Houston (195 4e:7). Injecting a distinctly evolutionary note, he asserts that
the Eskimo people of Canada, cheerfully living a difficult existence in a harsh
Hirnate, have developed over the centuries a unique art form ...”.
c) Despite this assurance there are occasional hints of something amiss
111 the past. References by others 6 * * 9 to a ‘revival’ or ‘renaissance’ of ancient arts
an d latent talents carry the implication that Canadian Eskimos, after a time-
^ a pse of unspecified length, have again taken up carving, presumably without
Ufering their traditional ways of expression.
d) Somewhat less orthodox is the view-point shared by Copland (1954:67)
a nd Falck (1955:305) who credit outsiders with encouraging the development
°f modern Canadian Eskimo carving. They feel, however, in the words of the
Hst-named author that “ici en effet, est en train de naître un art de sculpture
a hsolument original, et que l’on s’accorde à reconnaître comme l’une des formes
^ es plus pures de la création artistique indigène au Canada”.
3 Swinton (1958:41) states bluntly ; “There has been published, reprinted, and
fluoted, a great deal of material, which was entirely misleading and which has established
ln the minds of even the not-so-gullible public a myth about various aspects of Eskimo
Cclrv ing that bears no resemblance to the facts.”
4 Anonymous (1963) ; Carpenter (1959) ; Christensen (1955) ; Collins (1961) ;
JLNness (1964) ; Meldgaard (1960b) ; Rainey (1959) ; Ray (1961) ; and Swinton (1958).
5 Anonymous (1962) ; Canadian Handicrafts Guild (pamphlet no. a) ; Elliott
1962) ; Hume (1963) ; Leechman (1955) ; Martin (1962) ; E. Turner (1963) ; Winter
9958) ; Woodcock (1960) ; and Wyatt (1958).
, ( 6 Canadian Handicrafts Guild (pamphlet no. a) ; Gilhooly (1962:214) ; Iglauer
9 964:19) ; and Phillips (1962:8).