Browse Exhibits (1 total)

Introduction

This exhibit seeks to further understand the extent of Indigenous representations in art, photography, education, and film media. In order to better understand that state of current representation, we must deep dive into history of master narratives of Indigenous history. The first section of this exhibit brings the audience to the 1500s, the dawn of visual representation of Indigenous peoples in the United States. This section focuses primarily on the works of three European colonists and dually-dubbed artists. The exhibit then fasts forward to the late 1800s and early 1900s in which photography was introduced to Indigenous communities. These sections were chosen as these two historic references have largely shaped the “savage” and “stoic” archetypes that plague the realm of Indigenous representation and symbolism. Second one and section 2 lead into the third section which analyzes the prevalence of re-telling Indigenous histories inaccurately and who narratives are controlled by, which leads to the fourth section. This section explores the retelling of history and reclaiming of narratives by Indigenous photographers, filmmakers, and educators. Which leads to the final page about the importance of accurate representation.

Influence of Colonists (Artists) 

The origins of Indigenous mis-representation in a visual sense stems from the limnings of early European colonists. In particular, depictions of Indigenous peoples from what is now known as the continental United States were largely influenced by early Anglo colonists. Though many scholars, academics, and students believe these to be the 15th century equivalent to photography, these scholars fail to examine the context and linkages between the English conquest of Ireland and pre-dating biases that were handed to the curious, rapidly expanding British Empire from competing colonizing powers: The Spanish, Portuguese, and Italians. 

Prior to the English’s colonization and forceful presence in Turtle Island, England was in the process of colonizing Ireland. Under Queen Elizabeth the 1st’s rule in the mid-1500s, the English set forth their plan to colonize the Native Irish in Gaelic areas of Ireland. The English-Protestant rule believed the Catholic Gaelic-Irish to be inferior to their own people. The devout, secular Catholicism in which the Gaelic-Irish practiced was viewed as “paganistic” and needed reform. Thus, the English moved towards colonizing Northern Ireland under the guise of defending the public good (Canny 1973, 576-578). 

Prejudices held against the Irish helped shape the course of action the English would take in colonizing the Americas. On top of this, the English were not the first to step foot in the so-called “New World”. Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian conquistadores/colonizers were the first to engage in the brutal colonization of Turtle Island. After falsely believing that the Indigenous peoples of this region were Asian Indian, the competing imperialistic powers documented their “findings” of Indigenous peoples’ cultures, customs, and beliefs. These written accounts were plagued with inaccuracies powered by xenophobia (Canny 1973, 594). 

Indian Photography and Curtis’s Legacy

American Indian caricaturism has followed through the centuries, up to the present day. At the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, notably during the same period as massive forms of legislation such as the Indian Removal Act, the Dawes Act, the Allotment Act, the Indian Reorganization Act, the medium of photography was developed. Although individual portraits of American Indians were prevalent prior to this period, photography has immensely shaped (and distorted) perceptions of Indigenous peoples. The “Real Life Indian” was concepted. But how “real” was this version of the “Indian”? 

The Infamous Edward Curtis was an American photographer during the late 1800s-early 1900s. During this time of increased westward expansion, Curtis (and other white American)’s interest in Native populations arose. He began traveling across the country to produce still photographs of Indigenous peoples (Gascoigne 2018). 

The political involvement of the progression of caricaturism from savagery and paganism to noble stoicism is important to note. Similar to realities regarding leading anthropologists conveyed in Lee Baker’s From Savage to Negro (2007), Edward Curtis was backed by President Theodore Roosevelt and political machine J.P. Morgan (Wilbur 2018).

The North American Indian, published in 1896, was a collection of thousands of photographs of Indigenous peoples in the continental United States. This piece of media was one of the largest projects completed to showcase Indigenous peoples. Many scholars, analysts, and reporters have deemed his project a “feat” in establishing visibility for Indigenous peoples (King, G. 2012). Despite this, many Indigenous peoples and communities who were impacted by Curtis’s photography and ethnographic analysts share a different perspective. 

Prevalence of Caricatures

The main argument of this project is to demonstrate the prevalence and pervasiveness of American Indian Caricaturism. How has the mis-represeentation of Indigenous peoples affected spheres of education and modern media? Page three goes in depth in explaining that the pervasiveness is incredibly important in broadly assessing the impacts of Indigenous representation.  

Real representations from Real Life Indians

The 4th page of the exhibit focuses primarily on contemporary works of media and resources from Indigenous creators. This section will discuss the ways in which dominant oppressive narratives are being challenged through contemporary forms of media. The intent of this section is to demonstrate how Native peoples represent themselves in their own productions and educational materials. Additionally, this section seeks to demonstrate how Indigenous peoples are counteracting previous and still-upheld distorted representations. Giving agency to Indigenous peoples for the ways in which we are represented can challenge and reshape previous representations and positively impact Native peoples. 

Quality versus Quantity versus Impact: a Discussion 

Lastly, the final page of my project explores discussion of quality over quantity and the importance of accurate Indigenous representation. Although there is not much concrete data (ie. peer-reviewed research articles) regarding how caricaturism impacts Indigenous peoples and our sense of self, it is abundantly clear that increased Indigenous agency in our portrayal has a positive impact on our self view. 

In all, inaccurate representation may serve a purpose as it is an important aspect of retelling the story of Indigenous and American history as a whole. Accurate, real portrayals are of utmost importance and should outweigh inaccurate representations. In order to examine inaccurate representation and include this in our curricula and media, the true stories behind these mediums need to be addressed and the fact that much of what the American public believes to be true about Indigenous peoples has been fabricated, falsified, and ultimately caricaturized.

References:

Baker, Lee D. From Savage to Negro: Anthropology and the Construction of Race, 1896-1954. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press, 2007.

Canny, Nicholas P. “The Ideology of English Colonization: From Ireland to America.” The William and Mary Quarterly 30, no. 4 (1973): 575. https://doi.org/10.2307/1918596.

Gascoigne, Ellie. “Edward Curtis and ‘the North American Indian’: An Exploration of Truth and Objectivity.” Photography Ethics Centre. Photography Ethics Centre, January 27, 2022. https://www.photoethics.org/content/2021/2/24/edward-curtis-and-the-north-american-indian-an-exploration-of-truth-and-objectivity.

King, Gilbert. “Edward Curtis' Epic Project to Photograph Native Americans.” Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, March 21, 2012. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/edward-curtis-epic-project-to-photograph-native-americans-162523282/.