In Our Hands

I finally got over to the Minneapolis Institute of Art on Sunday for the last day of the In Our Hands show of Native photography, 1890 to now. I regret not seeing it in time to recommend it to others.

There were so many moving photos from the past and present, plus some humor. The "Warrior Sleeping" series by Shelley Niro made me laugh. (Rather than try to make my own images, check out her work here.) I found myself closely studying the historically oriented work by Tuscarora artist Jolene Rickard because her images deal with the area where I grew up.

I have only a couple of photos I took to share.

One is called But There's No Scar II, 2019:

Transparency in lightbox by Tenille Campbell, beadwork by Catherine Blackburn. 

The two artists are cousins, both associated with the English River First Nation Dene. Catherine Blackburn's beadwork can be seen on her website. Here's a close-up of the beadwork:

The other photo I took is this, from 2019 by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) of Dr. Henrietta Mann:

The accompanying card said Mann is a:

Cheyenne-Arapaho scholar and activist.... Mann, a leading figure in the establishment of Native American studies programs, has spent her life uplifting and developing Native American education. She was recently awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Biden.

The low camera angle makes the subject powerful, as she stands against the dramatic sky with her skirt merging into the dark grass. She is clearly an elder, and she's looking up and out, with a slight smile, suggesting she sees something the viewer cannot.