Native American History Month

In 1895 a Seattle photographer named Edward S. Curtis (shown above right), met and photographed Princess Angeline (aka Kickisomlo), the daughter of Chief Sealth of Seattle. This was to be his first portrait of a Native American. In 1906 Financier J.P. Morgan commissioned Curtis to produce a series on the North American Indian. It was to be in 20 volumes with 1,500 photographs. Curtis' goal was not just to photograph, but to document as much Native American traditional life as possible. He wrote in the introduction to his first volume in 1907: "The information that is to be gathered ... respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost." Curtis made over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings of Indian language and music. He took over 40,000 photographic images from over 80 tribes. He recorded tribal lore and history, described traditional foods, housing, garments, recreation, ceremonies and funeral customs, while writing biographical sketches of tribal leaders. Critics of his work have claimed he manipulated his images to remove western influence, and did not show the poverty and loss of rights suffered by his subjects. Still, in most cases, Curtis’s writings and photos are the only record we have of Native American life. ~ Laurie

Read more about Edward S. Curtis and Native Americans:
Edward Sheriff Curtis: Visions of the First Americans by Don Gulbrandsen
Shadow Catcher: The Life and Work of Edward S. Curtis by Laurie Lawlor
Sacred Legacy: Edward S Curtis And The North American Indian by Joseph Horse Capture, N. Scott Momaday, Christopher Cardozo, and Edward S. Curtis