This project was initiated by the Analytical Research Services Laboratory of the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in 1984 in order to document the pigments and binding media used by the various native groups from pre-contact times to the early part of the 20th century. Topics under investigation include the identification of native pigments primarily of vegetable or mineral origin, the introduction of trade pigments, the progression of trade pigments available, and the use of synthetic organic pigments starting in the late 19th century. This information will enable CCI to assist curators and conservators in establishing the provenance, date, or degree of previous restoration, in confirming published historical information and in selecting appropriate display and treatment conditions. Such questions have frequently been asked but response has often been hindered by lack of reliable analytical reference data.