Non-Indigenous B.C. artist defends work despite calls for authenticity

Jennifer Tosoffgrew upadmiring Sue Coleman's transfixing landscapes rendered with an undeniable Northwest Coast First Nations style.

"I loved itand thoughtitwas brilliant. Iautomatically assumed she was a coastal Indigenous person," said Tosoff, a non-Indigenous artist whose grandmother collected Indigenousartwork, mainly gifts from the artists themselves.

When she found out Colemanwas not Indigenous, Tosoffsays shefelt duped.

"For somebody who is not from an Indigenouscommunity to be taking that space, it feltdisappointing to me,"Tosoff said from her home in Campbell River on Vancouver Island.

Coleman movedto Canada from England in 1967.In the '80s she began studying various B.C. First Nations styles of art work.

"I didn't understand Native artwork at all, and when I was at a show beside a Native carver and asked if I could learnhe said no, because I wouldn't understand," Coleman said.

"I guess the British sense of indignity in me said, 'Well, of course I can't if no one will teach me,'so I got the ideato become a translator," said the artist, who lives in Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island.

'I knew ithad something of a marketable value'

Out of stubbornness, Colemansays, shewent home and drewa seal, aneagleand a whale in a style reminiscent of Northwest Coast First Nations art.

She went to the library archives and began to research what she calls "Native legends" and artwork. She also says she was given artistic advice by now deceased Haidaartist Bill Reid andNuu-chah-nulth artist Tim Paul.

"I knew there was nothing like this and I knew ithad something of a marketable value," she said.

Today, Coleman's originals,such as her tryptic Four Totems,can sell for$29,000.00 for the set

Coleman said she has not heard concerns about her art from Indigenous communities.

She said Indigenous people have shared with her throughout her career that they appreciated her artwork and found it inspiring.

But Indigenous artists and activists worry that artists like Coleman are missing the mark.

"There is asophisticatedsymbolism our history, our culture and even our laws are codified in our art, soif you don'tunderstand it, you can do a lot of damage," said ShainJackson, a CoastSalishartist, business ownerand the founder of the Authentic Indigenous Branding program.

Jackson says cultural appropriation and knock-offsof Indigenous artwork are at a "crisis," with traditional art being turned into medals, comforter sets and even a totem pole used to representa beer company.

Coleman makes clear that her art is not copying anyone's specific work, but said she adapts and blends a number of Indigenous styles from B.C. to create her own original style.

Still, Jackson said that leaves less room for the work of Indigenous artists.

"Our No.1 revenue source of private direct revenueinto our communities is our arts and handcrafts," Jackson said.

"You think about folks like Sueyou know they are not evil, but the operational reality is that they are taking resources out of communities. The art market is only so big and we are the most vulnerable demographic, so itkind ofstings a bit," he said.

Laws to protect Indigenous art lack teeth

Lou-Ann Neel, a Kwakwaka'wakwartist and arts activist, says theproblem withnon-Indigenous artists and companies stealing orcopying Indigenous art is getting a worseand says thereis littleinstitutional support.

"All we have is the Canadian Copyright Act and the Status of the Artist Act. Both are clear about artists needingto be paid fair remunerations, and the Copyright Act says you can't just steal someone's designs,but neither have teeth," Neel said.

Earlier this month Neel sent a letter to the B.C. provincial government to try to persuade it to enact laws to protect Indigenous artists.

As it stands now, Indigenous artists who see someone ripping off their art without permission need to hire a lawyer or take to social media to try to shame the company or artist into ceasing to use their art.

And if someone is appropriating or blending cultural styles but not directly copying an individual work experts say existing intellectual property laws are difficult to apply at all

Canucks' mascotdrumming gets the green light

Xwalacktun is a Squamish and Namgis artist who has designed fiveof the NHL Vancouver Canucks'official mascot "Fin's" drums.

"Fincalled me up and commissioned me to do these drums," he laughed.

Xwalacktun says Fin drumming gets a green light not just because of the sacrament of hockey but also because he reached out to the local Indigenous community.

Neal says part of the reason why she does not have a problem with Fin drumming is because the drums weredesigned by an Indigenous artist and because the mascot is not singing any traditional songs.

ForXwalacktun, a non-Indigenous person can makeIndigenous art, but they need prior and informed consent from and a connection with the Indigenous community that inspired them .