This artist is Navajo, but don't call his work 'Native American art'

John Feodorov is Native American. And he’s an artist. But don’t call his work “Native American art.”

While he may not work in traditional Native idioms, Feodorov is critical of non-Native artists who appropriate those designs in their own work. Now an art professor at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College, Feodorov says students often ask if it’s okay to borrow imagery from other cultures.

“I can’t understand the artist that needs to do that, you know?” Feodorov says. “Many people approach me, and say, ‘I wish I had a culture.’ Just turn on the TV!”