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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Native American Art Show this weekend

The work of ledger artist George Flett is on display at the Native American Art Show and Sale at the North Idhao Museum. Ledger art is a traditional Indian art form, which began when Plains Indian warriors obtained ledgers through trade or by force, and drew upon them pictographic representations of sacred visions and heroic actions. Photo courtesy of George Flett (Photo courtesy of George Flett / The Spokesman-Review)
Maggie Capwell Staff Writer
The work of ledger artist George Flett is on display at the Native American Art Show and Sale at the North Idhao Museum. Ledger art is a traditional Indian art form, which began when Plains Indian warriors obtained ledgers through trade or by force, and drew upon them pictographic representations of sacred visions and heroic actions. Photo courtesy of George Flett (Photo courtesy of George Flett / The Spokesman-Review)

COEUR d’ALENE – The Museum of North Idaho is holding its Native American Art Show and Sale today and Sunday.

The art show, titled “Lotmip: Surrounded by Mountains, Lake Coeur d’Alene and Artists,” is a fundraiser for the museum.

Sponsors include Specialty Tree Services, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics, Yellow Book USA, Spokane Teachers Credit Union and Avista.

George Flett will be featured. Flett, who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Wash., is one of the most prominent Indian artists in the area. He also is one of a growing number of local artists who are preserving the tradition of ledger art.

Ledger art is a traditional Indian art form that began when Plains Indian warriors obtained ledgers through trade or by force and drew pictographic representations of sacred visions and heroic actions on them.

Flett’s art includes collected ledgers as well as other historical documents pertaining to the Northwest.

His style, varying from traditional to more modern mixed media, represents the transition from historical to contemporary local art. Some pieces contain embossing and beadwork, and some are done on pipe bags and elk skin.

The art show is part of the Coeur d’Alene museum’s effort to “preserve and expand cultural ties” with the history of the region, museum director Dorothy Dahlgren said in a recent news release.

The museum also is featuring the exhibit, “Ties to the Past: The Railroad History of the Coeur d’Alene Region.” It explores the development of local railroads, their economic impact on the community and their subsequent dying-out.

The museum contains the area’s main stockpile of historical materials on the Coeur d’Alene region, including Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone counties.

Visitors can explore the history of the region through interactive touch screens with information on communities, recreation, industry, natural disasters and the Coeur d’Alene Indians. They also can watch historical videos, see photos and models of early steamboats and ring the signal bells from the steamboat Flyer.