Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World

Dubin (Native American studies, U. of California) explores the connections between the collection, marketing, display, production, and criticism of Native American arts. The main concern of her work is the way in which these processes are manipulated (wittingly and unwittingly) to modify definitions of what it is to be Native American and what it is to make art. She explores the way in which the collection of art by whites has often revealed the way in which whites have been able to imagine the Indian while ignoring Indian reality. She also looks at how the effects of Native American artists interactions with the wider world have ramifications for the way Native Americans view themselves and tribal identities. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)