Ethnographic Map of the Indian Tribes of the United States 1849 - 1855

Seth Eastman made this Ethnographic Map around 1850, using watercolor and ink on paper. These were typical materials for the production of maps at the time, but this example carries a strong social charge. Eastman was a military officer, and his artistic skill was often used for documentation. Here, he delineates the territories of different Native American tribes, using a delicate hand to apply washes of color. Look closely, and you'll see that the map is overlaid with a grid, a symbol of imposed order, and a tool of colonial power. The very act of mapping is a form of taking possession, and this map reflects the U.S. government's agenda of claiming land. Eastman’s expertise was deployed as a tool of dispossession. By understanding the materials and the context, we can see how this object transcends its apparent function, and becomes a potent symbol of cultural conflict.