Objects made by these artists would be used only during religious ceremonies. Examples are things like masks and written scrolls made out of birch bark. Utilitarian art refers to art forms made for everyday life. Artists making utilitarian objects might produce things like ceramic pots or beaded clothing. The McMichael has examples of each of these art forms in its collection but mostly it focuses on contemporary First Nations art.
Contemporary art means art that is produced by artists who are living and working today.
In particular, there is one group of First Nations artists called the Woodland School. These artists started working in the 1960s. Skyman, by Norval Morrisseau from Native American Art Pages Norval Morrisseau is known as the father of this school. He and many others produced paintings to teach the rest of Canada about their native cultures. Often the subject of their paintings refer to their legends, spiritual beliefs and traditional art forms.