Cigar Store Indian c. 1938

Editor: Here we have Lucille Lacoursiere’s watercolor on paper, "Cigar Store Indian," from around 1938. It's quaint, almost like a naive rendering. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's impossible to ignore the loaded history of these cigar store figures. They are undeniably a symbol rooted in cultural appropriation and the romanticized, often dehumanizing, depiction of Indigenous people. This work then exists in this tension: on the one hand we have an Indigenous artist recreating this imagery. How can we interpret this image when considering issues of identity, race and representation? Editor: So, it's not just a picture, it's about all those historical layers and assumptions? Curator: Exactly! We must consider the historical context of exploitation and the commercial use of Indigenous images to sell products. What does it mean to reclaim or re-present those images through an Indigenous lens? Is Lacoursiere reclaiming this image, critiquing it, or perhaps something else entirely? What do the specific aesthetic choices—the style, the medium—tell us? Editor: It almost feels like a flattening, like the artist is turning a three-dimensional object back into a two-dimensional image, calling attention to the constructed nature of the cigar store figure? Curator: Precisely. What readings can be made when considering this choice, combined with its “folksy” feel, with what we know about this object? This challenges the viewer to confront the complex narrative of representation and power dynamics. Editor: I see what you mean. It’s not just a drawing of an object; it’s a conversation starter. Curator: Exactly, a starting point for interrogating historical narratives and contemporary identity. This has made me look differently at the use of Indigenous imagery, I need to learn more!