Albert Batiste Rancine, also known as Apowmuckon, or Running Weasel (April 19, 1907 – 1984) was a

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...

artist from

Browning, Montana Browning is a town in Glacier County, Montana, United States. It is the headquarters for the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and the only incorporated town on the Reservation. The population was 1,018 at the 2020 census. The town was named in 188 ...

in the United States. He started his career as a painter, and by 1936 he was a sculptor. He is noted for his relief wood carvings depicting the life and culture of the

Blackfeet The Blackfeet Nation ( bla, Aamsskáápipikani, script=Latn, ), officially named the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, is a federally recognized tribe of Siksikaitsitapi people with an Indian reservation in Monta ...

Biography

Racine was born in Browning,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, attending Browning Public Schools and the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. Racine studied under German artist

Winold Reiss F. Winold Reiss (September 16, 1886 – August 23, 1953) was a German-born American artist and graphic designer. He was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, the second son of Fritz Reiss (1857–1914) and his wife. He grew up surrounded by art, as his fa ...

at his summer school at Saint Mary's Lake, Montana. He also studied art under sculptors

Adrien Voisin Adrien Alexandre Voisin (1890–1979), was an American sculptor. He was known for his bronze work, and had been one of the lead architectural sculptors at Hearst Castle. Early life and education Adrien Alexandre Voisin was born on May 8, 1979 i ...

and

John Louis Clarke John Louis Clarke ("Cutapuis"; May 10, 1881 – November 20, 1970) was a Blackfoot artist and woodcarver from East Glacier, Montana who was deaf and mute, he was noted for his wildlife carvings related to Glacier National Park. His Blackfoot nam ...

; and was a student of Edward Everett Hale Jr., and Carl Hertig Sr. Racine first exhibited his work in 1927 and in 1938 created a carving of da Vinci's The Last Supper for the Browning Methodist Church, beginning his career as a wood carver. Racine joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in 1942 and served throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. As a student at Browning Public Schools, Racine developed an interest in the Blackfoot folk hero Napi, who featured in short plays staged at the high school. Racine created a signature sketch of Napi, whom he envisioned as a skinny figure with a potbelly, large hat, and mischievous smile. According to museum curator

John C. Ewers John Canfield Ewers (July 21, 1909 – May 7, 1997) was an American ethnologist and museum curator. Known for his studies on the art and history of the American Plains Indians, he was described by ''The New York Times'' as one of his country's " ...

, Napi was an amalgam of two well-known older Indians. During the war, Racine was deployed in North Africa and sent sketches of Napi in uniform back home to Montana. Variations of this sketch were featured on commercial signs in Browning as well as in his carvings and sketches. For a few years, Racine operated the Blackfeet Indian and Western Art Gallery in Browning where he sold leatherwork and beadwork by local craftsmen alongside his own sculptures, carvings, and paintings. His work has also been displayed at Browning's Museum of the Plains Indian, operated by the

Indian Arts and Crafts Board The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior whose mission is to "promote the economic development of American Indians and Alaska Natives through the expansion of the Indian arts and craft ...

References

External links

Albert Racine Military Record on Fold3
{{DEFAULTSORT:Racine, Albert 1907 births 1984 deaths Native American male artists Native American woodcarvers Blackfeet Nation people People from Browning, Montana