"The Artifact Piece," presents Native American installation artist James Luna lying in a museum display case full of sand and wearing a breechcloth. The presence of a real Indian displayed as an artifact questions the underlying premise of museums' authoritative role in defining perception of cultural authenticity and identity. Another Luna installation piece will be on display at the Tozzer Library Oct. 21-Dec. 31.

Tozzer Library, the anthropology library of the Harvard College Library, is celebrating its 25th year as a free-standing library with an installation by Native American artist James Luna and a month-long film series.

Luna employs humor, irony, and parody as tools to criticize historically and socially rooted misconceptions about Native American existence and identity in his performance piece, The Shameman. Photo by Francisco Dominquez.

The central figure, the Shameman – part healer, preacher, and satirical judge – chastises mainstream culture’s treatment of marginalized peoples but also criticizes native people who have "sold out." Through his art Luna confronts serious yet sensitive issues like alcoholism and Indian stereotypes. Criticized at times for making fun or light of such serious matters, Luna insists that the only way to solve problems is by talking about them. One of Luna’s strengths lies in his insightful ability to employ humor, irony, and parody as tools to criticize historically and socially rooted misconceptions about the realities of American Indian existence and identity.