In Another Time is a portrait of an anonymous nineteenth century Mohawk artist. Love and devotion to one’s homeland and a willingness to sacrifice for it are second nature to American Indians and this is certainly part of the warrior tradition. The courage, determination, and fighting spirit of the Haudenosaunee were recognized by American military leaders as early as the 18th century.
But more important than an individual’s physical prowess is their spiritual strength. By wisely assessing the needs and ideas of the encroaching white population, Iroquois women found subsistence in increasingly difficult times by adapting their traditional skills and by selling their arts and crafts to suit the emerging tourist markets in the northeast.
Inaugurated at a time when they were impoverished and struggling to continue under conditions of devastating cultural loss, each piece they created was the product of hard work. This was after all, an art of survival.
As they worked in a communal setting, Native beadworkers thoughtfully wove stories into their designs which told of what it meant to be Haudenosaunee. Their spiritual strength, honor, devotion and wisdom fostered a sense of pride and national patriotism in the women who produced this beautiful beadwork and their art survives as a legacy testifying to their inventiveness and sense of beauty.