How Did Edward S. Curtiss Impact On Native American Culture
Photographer and ethnologist Edward S. Curtis, is an example of an artist who represented and spread false ideas of Native American culture. In the early 20th century, Curtis traveled throughout the western United States documenting what he considered “the vanishing race.” While his portraits are acclaimed for their beauty and historical significance, they are often attacked for being romanticized, colonial, and staged. Considered incredible documentary treasures, they are also biased, and artistically contrived images. Leaving them simultaneously valued and rejected by both scholars and Native Americans. These images have directly impacted the sub-conscience idea of an Indian, and are the reason many Natives struggle with re-defining their …show more content…
Curtis produced his magisterial opus The North American Indian (See Appendix A).” Curtis’ work is so controversial because these images assist in making the ideas most people associate natives with more concrete. In 1906, Curtis was provided with $75,000 to produce a series of work on Native Americans. His goal was to not only photograph, but also document as much of Native American traditional life as possible before that way of life disappeared. The over 40,000 photographic images that Curtis took, depict stereotypical traditions and themes Indians are often associated with such as, headdresses and riding horses off into the sunset. At the time that his work was being published, Curtis truly believed that the Native population would soon disappear forever, therefore he took it upon himself to photograph as much of Native Americans as possible. Through his work, Curtis intended to portray what he thought a “real” Indian
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