Weather Vane c. 1938

This is Samuel Fineman’s rendering of a weather vane, likely made around the mid-20th century in America. Its striking silhouette depicts an Indigenous archer, bow drawn and ready. Fineman's choice of subject evokes questions about America's complex relationship with its Indigenous peoples. Weather vanes, traditionally symbols of navigation and foresight, take on a loaded meaning when shaped like a Native American figure. During the 20th century, the romanticized image of the “Indian” was often used to sell products, promote tourism, and evoke a nostalgic vision of the American past, while simultaneously erasing the realities of Indigenous life and ongoing struggles. The choice to represent the figure as a shadow is poignant, as if to say the only way he can be appreciated is as a silhouette, never in 3D as a human being. To better understand this artwork, we can turn to historical archives, visual culture studies, and critical race theory. What emerges is a deeper understanding of art as both a reflection of and a participant in the social and political dialogues of its time.