Creative Differences: Indigenous Artists and the Law at 20th Century Nation-Building Exhibitions

Authors

Lucas Lixinski
Stephen Young

Abstract

Indigenous peoples in major common law jurisdictions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States) have had a fraught relationship with the state’s legal system. However, while denying Indigenous individuals and peoples the same rights as white settlers, each of these states used Indigenous art to create a distinctive national-state identity. We analyze four major exhibitions, one from each of these countries to de-naturalize legal institutions responsible for the oppression of Indigenous people. This agenda-setting, comparative legal analysis yields valuable insights for the regulation of the contemporary Indigenous art market, and to understand how culture makes legal personality.

Recommended Citation

Lucas Lixinski and Stephen Young, Creative Differences: Indigenous Artists and the Law at 20th Century Nation-Building Exhibitions, 45 Hastings Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 3 (2021).
Available at: https://repository.uclawsf.edu/hastings_international_comparative_law_review/vol45/iss1/3