In the early years of the market, many First Nations artists were steered toward work that would read immediately as “traditional” to non-Indigenous eyes. The pressure, whether subtle or direct, pushed toward certain materials, surfaces, and formats that more readily matched southern expectations of what Indigenous art ought to look like. From where we stand now, that expectation was obviously, at minimum, constricting but it did not, strictly speaking, arise from bad faith. Generally, it grew out of a sincere wish to support Indigenous artists, safeguard cultural knowledge, and present the work in a form that institutions and collectors would recognize and, more crucially, would buy.

All the more intriguing, then, that Goyce Kakegamic turned to what might be considered a more “traditional” material in 2005. One is tempted to see that decision as an act of reclamation, though that must remain conjecture. What is beyond doubt is the pleasure of the result. Here, three birds are carved in low relief across the broad palm of an antler, gathered beneath a low sun whose glow suffuses the scene. Browns, ochres, and other earthy tones lend the surface a mellow radiance, so that the whole work feels lit from within.