Turner was born to British immigrants in 1958. After studying art at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, she began working as an apprentice for master Nisga’a carver and sculptor Norman Tait in 1991. Over 26 years, Turner and Tait created remarkable works of art, including eagle and salmon sculptures commissioned by the former Vancouver Stock Exchange. After Tait died in 2016, Turner retired. When she discovered copies of Tait’s work being passed off as originals, she devoted her time to exhibiting other artwork falsely claiming to be indigenous North Coast art. In 2017, he created one Facebook group where he challenged and published about Aboriginal artworks in Canada that were claimed to be authentic. The group currently has more than 4,300 members. In an interview with CBC News in December 2017, Turner said she discovered fakes were being mass-produced, undermining Indigenous artists and making it harder for young First Nations carvers to make a living. Lucinda Turner began an apprenticeship with Nisga’a master carver and sculptor Norman Tait, right, in 1991. (Burke Museum/YouTube) In support of Indigenous artists, Turner, along with members of the Facebook group, also wrote to online sellers whose products – including masks, T-shirts, coffee mugs and pillows – copied North Shore artwork and designs without permission and asked them to products to be removed. He shared these efforts in an open letter to various government agencies last November in hopes of raising awareness of the issue. Turner once gave a lecture at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle about imitation sculpture made and imported from abroad, including Indonesia and the Philippines. He said one of them, an imitation of Tait’s Medicine Beaver carving, sold for $160 online. Among other imitations he spotted were reproductions of 19th-century sculptures in major museums, such as a beaver rattle from the British Museum in London, and imitations of artwork by contemporary Northwest Coast artists, including acclaimed engraver Bill Reid. WATCHES | Lecture at the Lucinda Turner Burke Museum on the Misuse of Indigenous Art
“The kind of ally we need”
Victoria-based Kwagiulth artist Carey Newman, a member of Turner’s Facebook group, says Turner’s efforts to expose First Nations copycat artwork may be “a hit game” given the rapid growth of the problem , but says he has deep appreciation for her as a non-Indigenous person who worked tirelessly to champion the interests of First Nations artists. “Lucinda was the kind of ally we need most when we’re talking about reconciliation, when we’re talking about decolonization and building better relationships,” Newman said. Kwagiulth artist Carey Newman says Lucinda Turner is “the kind of ally” needed for reconciliation and decolonization. (Courtesy of Carey Newman) Turner also lobbied the federal government for greater protections for indigenous artists and called for a law – similar to that in the US – that would impose heavy fines for the sale of fake indigenous art. The US Indian Arts and Crafts Act criminalizes the misrepresentation and copying of Native art. The US also has a hotline dedicated to reporting fake Native art. A growing number of advocates, including art historian and Senator Patricia Bovey, are pushing for reforms to Canadian copyright law to give more protection to Indigenous artists. Bovey recently called for a mechanism to identify foreign companies that manufacture indigenous works or fail to pay artists’ royalties. Bree Madory, US-based administrator of Turner’s Facebook group, says she learned a lot from Turner about how to recognize fake Native American art, and adds that Turner’s knowledge has enlightened many fellow Americans on the subject. . “[Turner’s influence] she really has no borders – anyone from anywhere can learn from her,” Madory said.
