ix, 68 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / In 1958 Yanktonai Sioux painter Oscar Howe's (1915-1983) submission to the Annual National Indian Painting Competition at the Philbrook Museum of Art was rejected for deviating too far from the established conventions of "traditional Indian painting." Howe's innovative use of style and his subsequent declarations against the premises of his rejection established the artist as a major figure in the development of Native American painting in the twentieth century. The existing literature on Howe is predominantly biographical and lacks contextual or stylistic analysis. In particular, an under-analyzed relationship is prevalent between his mature style and his early works. This thesis aims to address the social, cultural, educational, political, and stylistic influences that prepared the artist to evolve the formal aspects of his painting. This discussion will expand the discourse on Howe by revealing trends of continuity in the artist's transition from his earlier style to an experimental style and showing that neither is without the influence of the other. / Committee in Charge: Leland M. Roth, Chair; Joyce Cheng; Brian Klopotek