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Miniature canoes, houses and totems, and human figurines have been produced on the Northwest Coast since at least the sixteenth century. What has motivated Indigenous artists to produce these tiny artworks? Are they curios, toys, art, or something else? So Much More Than Art is a highly original exploration of this intricate cultural pursuit. Through case studies and conversations with contemporary Indigenous artists, Jack Davy uncovers the ways in which miniatures have functioned as crucial components of satirical opposition to colonial government, preservation of traditional techniques, and political and legal negotiation. This nuanced study of a hitherto misunderstood practice demonstrates the importance of miniaturization as a technique for communicating complex cultural ideas between generations and communities, and across the divide that separates Indigenous and settler societies. Most of all, So Much More Than Art is a testament to the cultural resilience of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast.

Miniature objects are part of our everyday lives, but it is rare that we interrogate them effectively. This article uses a toy Lego snowmobile as an example with which to explore the three technical elements which comprise miniaturization and the ways they can obscure the toy's relationship with the serious contemporary issue of Arctic mineral exploitation.