Red Cloud, Dakota Sioux, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N36) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph of Red Cloud, Dakota Sioux, was produced by Allen & Ginter for their series of collectible cards included with cigarette packs. At first glance, it is a vibrant portrait, but consider the context: this image was created during a period of intense conflict and displacement for Native American tribes, amidst government policies aimed at assimilation and land seizure. The depiction of Red Cloud, a powerful leader who resisted U.S. expansion, is complicated. While it presents him in a seemingly noble light, adorned in traditional attire, it also commodifies his image for the enjoyment of consumers, simultaneously exoticizing and reducing his identity to a collectible item. The inclusion of cultural objects, like the peace pipe, serve to both acknowledge and appropriate Native American culture. These cards circulated widely, shaping perceptions and reinforcing stereotypes about Native Americans, it reflects the complex and often contradictory ways in which dominant culture engages with marginalized communities, turning their stories into commodities.