Chisato O. Dubreuil
Department of Visual and Performing Arts
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
Tel: (716) 375-2056
Fax: (716) 372-4291
E-mail: [email protected]
Nationality:
Ainu, indigenous people of Japan, with an American 'Green' card.
Education:
PhD. Art History. Visual culture with emphasis on Ainu and Japanese
traditional and contemporary art, and Northwest Coast First Nations,.
Department of History in Art, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
Dissertation topic examines a shift to a new paradigm, from art for traditional
purposes, to art for the cash market place, and British Columbia governmental
impacts on the Gitksan Tsimshian Kitanmax School of Northwest Coast Indian
Art that contributed to the resumption of certain aspects of the Gitksan
traditional visual culture, and the acceptance of Indian art as fine art. University
of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., 2013.
M.A. Art History. Visual culture with emphasis on Ainu and Japanese art, and
Northwest Coast Indian. Thesis topic, a biography on The Life and Art of Ainu
Artist Bikky Sunazawa (and the influence of Japanese art, and the Indian art and
artists of the Northwest Coast on his work). University of Washington; Seattle,
WA, 1995.
B.A. Art History, emphasis on Ainu and Japanese art, and Native American art
and culture. The Evergreen State College; Olympia, W A, 1990.
Experience:
Currently Assistant Professor, Art History, at St. Bonaventure University in
New York State, specializing in the art and culture of Japan, the Ainu and
indigenous people of North America.
Research, in country research on contemporary Japanese and Ainu visual arts
and culture, 2004-2006.
Organizer, Project Manager, etc., International Festival of (Indigenous)
Canoes, Lahina, Maui, Hawaii. Was requested to develop a team of Ainu carvers
from Hokkaido to create a traditional 30-foot ocean-going canoe. Other
participants included teams from the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Tahiti, Tonga
and the Marshall Islands. The purpose of this annual event is to help preserve
the indigenous cultures of the Pacific, May 2004.
Instructor, History in Art Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada. Course title: HA284, Indigenous Arts and Culture of the
Northwest Coast. This is an introductory course on the evolution of traditional
and contemporary visual culture and its impact on the arts of the indigenous
people of the Northwest Coast of North America, winter semester 2003.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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Exhibition Co-Curator for Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People, National
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. This position required a
close working multidisciplinary relationship with various government agencies,
private funding agencies, museums, artists, etc., in Japan and America. My
personal goal for the exhibition was to share with a Western audience the
diversity of the peoples of Japan, 1995-2001.
Instructor, History in Art Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada. Course title: HA 480, Advanced seminar in 20th century
Native American Art, Exploring Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Contexts.
This course dealt exclusively with Northwest Coast contemporary artists, spring
semester, 1999.
Teaching Assistant, Department of Art History, University of Washington.
Taught undergraduate courses on Native American art history, including Survey
of Native American Art, and Native American Art of the Northwest Coast,
1990-1994. At this university the T A does much of the teaching, and is
responsible for holding special sessions, creating and correcting all tests, and
assigns all grades.
Office Manager and Instructor, Japan Electron Optics Laboratory, Co., Ltd.,
Sendai, Japan. Education of professionals in university and other research
venues in the operation of highly sophisticated optical devices, 1978-1985.
Research Areas:
North American Indian, Ainu, and Japanese visual culture, art and history.
Twenty years of research, specializing on the diverse contributions of the above,
including cross-cultural contemporary influence on Ainu and Northwest Coast
cultures, activism and art, and the possible prehistory influence of Asian Pacific
Rim Native peoples on Northwest Coast Indians.
Awards:
Special Commendation Award. The St. Bonaventure University diversity
programs, Damietta Center Diversity Clubs. April 2013.
Japanese Art in America: Building the Next Generation. Travel grant to
attend the above conference by the Japan Society and The Japan Foundation,
New York, New York, March 2009.
Rounce and Coffin Western Books Award for the book, From the Playground
of the Gods: the Life and Art of Bikky Sunazawi, 2005.
The Motoko Ikeda-Spiegel Memorial Foundation, grant for the total
production and printing costs of the monograph From the Playground of the
Gods: the Life and Art of Bikky Sunazawa, 2004
The Henriette Ann Schmidt Scholarship for "Excellence in the study of
indigenous cultures," 2003.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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The Northern Archaeological Congress, Khanty-Mansiisk, Western Siberia,
Russia, travel award. Invited to give a paper on "Metal and Its Early Artistic Use
in the Indigenous Cultures on the North Pacific Rim," 2002.
The Motoko Ikeda Spiegel Memorial Foundation, grant for the edit and
design costs to publish a monograph From the Playground of the Gods: the Life
and Art of Bikky Sunazawa, 2002.
Gold Award, Technical Achievement Awards Festival, video competition in the
area of culture for "Voices of the Ainu Today," a video for the Exhibition Ainu:
Spirit of a Northern People at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of
Natural History, 2000.
Gold Award, Worldfest Houston. Particulars as above, 2000.
Japanese Government Letter of Appreciation. For my efforts in the
preparation and presentation to Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi during
his visit to Smithsonian's Ainu Exhibit, which included being his escort, "The
efforts you made for the Prime Minister's visit contributed greatly to its
resounding success. Your support and personal attention enabled the visit to
proceed smoothly and efficiently," 1999.
University of Victoria Fellowship (PhD level), 1998 - 2002.
Japan-United States Friendship Commission, grant for the publication of the
book, Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People, 1998.
The Nippon Foundation, Tokyo, Japan. Principal contributor to fund the
Smithsonian exhibition, "Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People". The three-year
Nippon Foundation grant was almost two million dollars U.S., 1997-1999.
University of Washington, travel awards. Native American Art Studies
Association Conference. Santa Fe, NM, 1993; Sioux Falls, SD, 1991.
The Evergreen State College, Edward Potts Research Award. Three-month
field trip to research contemporary Japanese and Ainu culture, art and artists in
Hokkaido, Japan, 1989.
Papers
Presented:
A New Look at the Costs of the Cultural Appropriation of Canada’s
Traditional Totem Poles. College Art Association 99th Annual Conference,
New York, New York, February 9-12, 2011.
Monuments in Cedar: A Clash of Culture. Annual Conference, Midwest Art
History Society, Omaha, Nebraska, 2010.
Parallel Worlds: Traditional Ainu Attire and Northwest Coast Fashion.
Invited speaker, Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon, 2009.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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The Cultural and Political Issues Regarding the Native Ainu in Japan.
Invited speaker, Native American Center, Portland State University, Portland,
Oregon, 2009.
Noble Savages from Japan and North America, Various Versions of Truth.
Invited speaker, Hokkaido Kyōiku Daigaku (Hokkaido Educational
University). Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan, 2006.
Perspectives on Issues between the Dominate Cultures and the Indigenous
Peoples of Japan and North America. Invited speaker, Hokkaido Tokai
Daigaku's Modem Civilizations Lecture Series, Sapporo and Asahikawa,
Hokkaido, Japan, 2005.
The Development and Message of the Smithsonian Institution's Exhibition,
“Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People, 1999-2000." Invited keynote speaker,
Celebrating Ainu Culture and the Role of Museums Symposium, Research
Center for Ainu and Pacific Rim Cultures, Tomakomai Komazawa University,
Japan, 2005.
Contemporary Art of British Columbia's Gitksan Tsimshian, and Its Role
on the Successful Revival of Lost Traditions at 'Ksan. The 25th American
Indian Workshop, Leuven, Belgium, 2004.
Cultural Survival of the Ainu, from Prehistory to the Present. University of
Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 2004.
Bikky Sunazawa and His Use of Ainu Traditional Myths As a Statement of
Ethnic Pride. College Art Association Conference, Seattle, Washington, 2004.
Evolution of the Northwest Coast Indigenous Culture and the Changing
Image of the Copper Icon. Invited speaker, Minnesota State University - Akita,
Japan, 2002.
Metal and Its Early Artistic Use in the Indigenous Cultures on the North
Pacific Rim. Invited speaker, the Northern Archaeological Congress, KahantyMansiisk, western Siberia, Russia, 2002.
Indigo Blue in Northern Japan. Invited speaker, A Symposium supporting the
All About Blue traveling exhibition, The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery,
University of Victoria, British Columbia, 2002.
Ainu-e: Japanese Genre Paintings from the Eleventh Century to the Early
Twentieth Century. Invited speaker, Seattle Art Museum, 2000.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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Traditional Ainu Material Culture, Art or Craft? Invited Speaker, Seattle
Art Museum, 2000.
Ainu Contemporary Art, A Question of Respect. Invited Speaker, Seattle Art
Museum, 2000.
The Ainu of Japan, a Case of Paradise Lost. Invited keynote speaker, Asian
Pacific Heritage Month Celebration, DeAnza College, Cupertino, California,
2000.
A Memorial to Celebrate the Life of Motoko Ikeda Spiegel. Invited speaker,
New York, New York, 2000.
Ainu: The Enduring Indigenous People of Japan - History, Politics and Art.
Invited speaker. Center for Asian-Pacific Initiatives; University of Victoria,
Victoria, British Colwnbia, 2000.
Honoring Our Past - Imagining Our Future. Invited speaker. National Forum
on the Future of Alaska Natives. Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution,
1999.
Canadian First Nations Influence on Contemporary Ainu Culture. Opening
for the exhibition, Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C., 1999.
Changes in Ainu Traditional and Contemporary Culture. Invited speaker,
Ainu Exhibition Seminar, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, New York,
1995.
The Salmon Ceremony of the Northwest Coast, and the Ainu Salmon
Ceremony, Are They Really Different? Invited speaker, Burke Museum, in
conjunction with the exhibit "Reaching Home: Pacific Salmon, Pacific People,"
Seattle, Washington, 1995.
The Elusive Power Figures of the Coast Salish. Native American Art Studies
Association, Tulsa, OK, 1995.
The Influence of Haida Culture on Ainu Culture. Native American Art
Studies Association, Santa Fe, NM, 1993.
Native Material Culture of the North Pacific Rim, Parallel Development or
Direct Contact. Native American Art Studies Assoc., Sioux Falls, SD, 1991.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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Books:
Author: "Ainu Fashion: Gifts to the Gods" (32 pages plus 20 illustrations),
solicited book chapter in volume six, East Asia in, the Encyclopedia of World
Dress and Fashion. Publisher: Berg Fashion Library Ltd., United
Kingdom, 2010.
Author, "Her Name is Peramonkoro!" A monograph in Sky Woman:
Indigenous Women Who Have Shaped, Moved or Inspired Us. Published
by Native Women in the Arts! Theytus Books, Ltd., Penticton, B. C., Canada,
2005, pages 40-46.
Author, From the Playground of the Gods: the Life and Art of Bikkv
Sunazawa. Published by the Arctic Studies Center, National Museum of
Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Distributed by University of Hawaii
Press, 2004, 164 pages, 85 illustrations, 2 maps. Recipient of the Rounce and
Coffin Western Books Award, 2005.
Author and co-editor, Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People, with William
Fitzhugh (415 pages, over 500 photographs). A book with chapter contributions
which include "Ainu Art: The Beginning of Tradition" and "The Journey of
Ainu Tourist Art to Fine Art." Published by the Arctic Studies Center, National
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and University of
Washington Press. 1999
Books in
Progress:
Author, "The Tsimshian Artists of the Gitksan," working title for a book on
the professional artists movement among the Tsimshian Gitksan from
prehistory to contemporary times.
Author, "The Art of the Northwest Coast 'Copper' Icon," working title for
a book on the cultural evolution of the Copper, an important Indigenous icon on
the Northwest Coast.
Other
Publications:
Author, "The Ainu and Their Culture: A Critical Twenty-First Century
Assessment," solicited article (65 pages, 48 illustrations) in Japan Focus, an
Asian Pacific E-Journal. [email protected]. Publishing date November 2007
(peer reviewed).
Author, "Ainu Art and Culture, A Call for Respect, an interview with
Chisato O. Dubreuil," in Kyoto Journal, Issue 63, Spring 2006. Front and
back covers, pages 4-16, 35 illustrations (peer reviewed). This issue also
reprinted the monograph, "Her Name is Peramonkoro!," originally printed in
Sky Woman: Indigenous Women Who Have Shaped, Moved or Inspired Us.
Published by Native Women in the Arts/ Theytus Books, Ltd., 2005.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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Author, "Ainu-e: Instructional Resources for the Study of Japan's Other
People," an article for Education About Asia, a publication of the Association
for Asian Studies, Volume 9, Number I, Spring issue, 2004. Front cover, pages
9 - 17, 12 illustrations (peer reviewed).
Author, "The Enduring Art of the Ainu," a major article solicited by Tribal
magazine (formally the World of Tribal ARTS), Number 30, Spring 2003, pages
70-91, 46 illustrations, I map (peer reviewed).
Author, "Ainu Art on the Backs of Gods: Two Exquisite Examples in the
Detroit Institute of Arts Collection," a major article solicited for the Bulletin
of the Detroit Institute of Arts, Volume 76, No. 1/2,2002. Front cover, pages 417,20 illustrations (peer reviewed).
Co-Author, Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People, CD-Rom, published by the
Arctic Studies Center, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian
Institution, 2002.
Author, segment on the culture of the Ainu people of Japan, solicited by
Microsoft Corporation for their Encarta Encyclopedia website, 2001.
Consultancies:
The Ainu Museum, Shiraoi, Hokkaido, Japan, script author and thematic
consultant for the Northwest Coast Indigenous art section of the Exhibition,
"Art of the World's Northern Indigenous Peoples," 2003.
Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI. Revival of the Ainu permanent
collection display of the Museum, 2002.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania, Australia. Development for
the exhibition. "Islands of Art Around the North Pacific Rim," 2001.
Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College, Beloit, WI. To identify and
provide information on Ainu art and ethnographic objects in their collection,
2001.
Kantaiheiyō Senjūminzoku no chōsen (The Challenge of Indigenous Peoples
of the [North] Pacific Rim). Major contribution on the art of Bikky Sunazawa.
Edited by Harado, Shimodataira, and Watanabe, published by Tokyo Akeishi
Shoten, 1999.
Ainu Art and Material Culture. Selected Ainu art and artifacts, and consulted
with Burke Museum staff for the Ainu portion of the exhibit, "Reaching Home:
Pacific Salmon, Pacific People," Seattle, Washington 1995.
CHISATO O. DUBREUIL
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Ainu Material Culture. Ainu consultant for the British Museum for the
publication Ainu Material Culture, From the Notes of M.G. Munro, edited by
Birgit Ohlsen, 1994.
Ainu Culture. Ainu consultant for the publication Beyond the Tanabata Bridge,
edited by William Rathbun, Seattle Art Museum. Published by Thames and
Hudson with the Seattle Art Museum, 1994.
Community
Involvement:
University of Victoria Speakers Bureau
Speaking to community and civic organizations on the Native Peoples of the
North Pacific Rim including Northwest Coast art and culture, and the art and
culture of the indigenous culture of Japan, 2003-2004.
Professional
Memberships:
Japan Art History Forum
This multi-disciplinary association is a scholarly organization dedicated
to Japanese visual culture and art.
The College Art Association
This multi-disciplinary association is a scholarly organization dedicated
to the advancement of all areas of art and art history.
Native American Art Studies Association
This multi-disciplinary association is a scholarly organization dedicated
to the advancement of knowledge of Native visual culture and art of
North America.
American Anthropological Association
This multi-disciplinary association studies humankind in all its aspects.
Languages:
Japanese and English.