NATIVE NATIONS: Journeys in American Photography

Rating:
Summary: Landmark text that should be in everyone's collection...
Review: The challenge with a book such as this lies in hearing the voices of both native and non-native perspectives regarding how to interpret the various histories of the photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries that are presented to the viewer. Critical issues of representation were raised on the periphery by the very act of being inclusive with who was selected to both write essays and present photographs. In this sense, it is a landmark text that hears the articulate voices of First Nations intellectuals having a very informed discourse about issues of representation on many different levels. A note of appreciation needs to be extended to the Barbican Gallery in London for being smart enough to realize that this was the only viable approach to accomplish their goal of presenting the various photographic histories of American Native Nations.

The essays by Theresa Harlan, Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, and Jolene Rickard echo with a resonance that comes from the heart of our Native communities, which is why I place the most value on their essays in the catalog. They were also instrumental in assuring that contemporary Native photographers were well represented in the exhibition, and I would like to thank them formally for this act of sharing and giving, because they have a history of doing this that goes back to before anyone was considering showing the work of First Nations artists using photography as their art medium.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the special order!
Review: This hard-to-get catalogue beautifully illustrates a ground-breaking exhibition held at the Barbican Art Gallery in Fall 1998 of contemporary and historical Native American photography. The massive exhibition is well illustrated in the equally large catalogue of important historical images and the journeys or interpretations of these images by the authors is compelling. I especially enjoyed the contemporary Native American photographs by well known artists Larry McNeil (Tlingit/Nisgaa), Dugan Aguilar (Pit River/Maidu/Paiute), Lee Marmon (Laguna Pueblo), Shelley Niro (Mohawk), Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie (Dine/Seminole/Muskogee), Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora Turtle Clan), and Pamela Shields (Blackfoot/Blood Band).

Rating:
Summary: Worth the special order!
Review: This hard-to-get catalogue beautifully illustrates a ground-breaking exhibition held at the Barbican Art Gallery in Fall 1998 of contemporary and historical Native American photography. The massive exhibition is well illustrated in the equally large catalogue of important historical images and the journeys or interpretations of these images by the authors is compelling. I especially enjoyed the contemporary Native American photographs by well known artists Larry McNeil (Tlingit/Nisgaa), Dugan Aguilar (Pit River/Maidu/Paiute), Lee Marmon (Laguna Pueblo), Shelley Niro (Mohawk), Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie (Dine/Seminole/Muskogee), Jolene Rickard (Tuscarora Turtle Clan), and Pamela Shields (Blackfoot/Blood Band).