Pa-da-no-a-pa-pe, He Whom a Rockawee Struck. Head Chief of the Yankton Sioux [Lakota], Dakota. c. 1857 - 1870

Curator: This photograph, held at the Harvard Art Museums, captures Pa-da-no-a-pa-pe, or He Whom a Rockawee Struck, Head Chief of the Yankton Sioux. It was taken by the McClees Gallery. Editor: The sepia tones lend an aura of solemn dignity, wouldn't you agree? His gaze seems both direct and distant. Curator: That single feather is powerfully symbolic; it suggests honor and leadership within the Lakota nation. The photograph itself, in this period, was a deliberate act of documentation. Editor: Indeed. Note how the texture of his clothing and blanket are carefully rendered, yet his chair appears generic, almost a prop. It raises questions about the staging and the photographer's intentions. Curator: We see a tension between preserving cultural identity through these symbols while also engaging with the evolving, and often exploitative, representational practices of the time. Editor: Absolutely. The material reality of the photograph—the chemicals, the paper—became a tool for shaping perceptions of indigenous peoples, often detached from their lived experiences. Curator: Reflecting on this image, we're reminded that symbols and materials are both powerful in shaping and conveying culture. Editor: And ultimately, considering who is doing the looking and doing the making of the images.