Dancing for Our Tribe

Illinois Artist: Sharon Hoogstraten

In the heyday of the Anishinaabe Confederacy, the Potawatomis (Bodéwadmi) were spread across Canada, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Pressured by the westward expansion of the fledgling United States of America, they became the most treatied of any Indian Tribes. Forced removals and multiple treaty era relocatiojns resulted in cultural chaos and an enduring threat to the connections to their Potawatomi ancestors. Despite these hardships, they have managed to maintain (or restore) their rich heritage.

While the old silver monochrome portraits that captured Native life at the turn of the last century are a priceless record of those times, they unjustly contribute to the impression that Woodland Tribes exist only as obscure remnants of a dimly rememered past. In Dancing for Our Tribe, more than 150 formal portraits with illuminating hand-written statements portray a fresh reality of Native America and regalia.

Traveling first to Citizen Potawatomi Nation, her home reservation in Shawnee, Oklahoma, photographer Sharon Hoogstraten called on nine nations of the scattered Potawatomi Tribe. The resulting monograph of contemporary Powatatomis illustrates traditional regalia adapted to reflect the influence and storytelling of their present-day lives; proud descendants who live in a country of assimilation, sewing machines, polyester fabrics, duct tape, tattoos, favorite sports teams, military service, and high resolution digital cameras.

The Potawatomi Nations have merged loss and optimism to reinforce the legacy of the ancestors. The old arts of language, ribbonwork, beading, and quillwork are being learned from the elders with a renewed sense of urgency. Preserving Potawatomi culture, tribal members are translating traditional designs into their own artistic celebration of continuing existence - thus lighting the path forward for the next seven generations and beyond.

Tribal members learning the art of regalia will find these portraits provide an inspiring reference. For Americans who doubted, Dancing for Our Tribe presents vivid proof that in this new millennium, "WE ARE STILL HERE."

Details:
Dimensions: 9.5 in x 13.25 in x 3 in