Objects from the 20th century, a time of rapid change, global conflict, and modern innovation.
Her elaborate headdress, beaded dress, and symbolic ornaments offer a window into the rich cultural heritage of the Columbia River peoples, inviting viewers to explore the intersections of tradition, status, and adaptation in early 20th-century Native American life thru a Wishham girl.
Through his stance, his clothing, and the staff he holds, Running Rabbit embodies the role of a respected elder and knowledge keeper within his community, providing a first insight into Blackfeet society.
Captured in 1914, Coming for the bride depicts a dramatic wedding procession by canoe, where a masked dancer in the bow embodies the powerful thunderbird spirit, arms outstretched like wings, as oarsmen propel the vessel toward the bride's village.
Offering the Buffalo Skull, Mandan is a photograph created on November 19, 1908, by Edward S. Curtis. The image portrays a Mandan individual engaged in the ceremonial act of offering a buffalo skull.
The image of the Kominaka dancer is not merely a portrait of an individual; it reveals a ceremonial role embedded in a highly structured society where dance, lineage, and supernatural power are inseparable.
The Hu Kalowa Pi Ceremony invites exploration into the profound kinship-building traditions of the Lakota people, where bonds of family extend beyond blood, fostering unity, respect, and harmony in alignment with their deep connection to Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit.
Taken around 1900 the Snake priest invites viewers to explore the rich traditions of Native American ceremonies, where body paint, minimal attire, and symbolic adornments blend to evoke a profound connection between humanity, nature, and the divine.
This image not only offers a glimpse into the daily endurance of indigenous peoples but also sparks curiosity about their adaptive strategies in extreme environments, inviting viewers to explore the Apsáalooke winter camp.
The image portrays the men gazing skyward, holding rifles and one thrusting an arrow through a piece of bison meat pointed toward the sun, a bison skull at their feet symbolizing deep spiritual connections when swearing an oath.
The bonnets and lances of the war party symbolize ritualistic achievements—each eagle feather earned through heroic deeds—and reflect the Lakota's Seven Values, including woohitika (bravery) and wotakuye (kinship).
Slow Bull himself transitioned from a warrior—participating in 55 battles against tribes such as the Crow and Shoshoni—to a medicine man after a visionary dream in the late 1800s, serving as a subchief from 1878 onward.
Captured on a smoky day in 1923 by renowned photographer Edward S. Curtis, it features a Hupa man poised confidently on a rock midstream, spear in hand, as if ready to strike at passing salmon.