Wishham Girl, Profile 1910

This sepia-toned photograph titled Wishham Girl, Profile was created by Edward S. Curtis, though the date remains unknown. Curtis sought to document what he perceived as a vanishing race of Native Americans. Notice the young woman’s elaborate traditional attire, adorned with beads and coins. While Curtis aimed to capture an authentic representation of Native American life, his work often romanticized and essentialized Native cultures. He glossed over the complexities of identity and history, and the impact of colonization. Consider the power dynamics at play. Curtis, a white photographer, capturing the image of a young Indigenous woman. How might her own story and perspective differ from the one presented in this photograph? How does the photograph affirm or challenge prevailing stereotypes? It invites us to reflect on the politics of representation and the importance of amplifying Indigenous voices and narratives.