![]() | Lelooska: The Life of a Northwest Coast Artist Subjects: Lelooska 1933–1996; Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America -- Biography; Indian artists -- Northwest Coast of North America -- Biography; Don Smith - or Lelooska , as he was usually called - was a prominent Native American artist and storyteller in the Pacific Northwest. Born in 1933 of "mixed blood" Cherokee heritage, he was adopted as an adult by the prestigious Kwakiutl Sewid clan and had relationships with elders from a wide range of tribal backgrounds. Initially producing curio items for sale to tourists and regalia for Oregon Indians, Lelooska emerged in the late 1950s as one of a handful of artists who proved crucial to the renaissance of Northwest Coast Indian art. He also developed into a supreme performer and educator, staging shows of dances, songs, and storytelling. During the peak years, from the 1970s to the early 1990s, the family shows with Lelooska as the centerpiece attracted as many as 30,000 people annually. Chris Friday is professor of history and director of the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies at Western Washington University. |
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