Meat Catchem, North American Chief, from the Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1888

This is a collectible card titled 'Meat Catchem, North American Chief' made by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. Cards like these were commonly included in cigarette packs and reflect a period of intense colonial expansion and the rise of ethnography. The series title, ‘Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers,’ immediately situates the depicted individuals within a hierarchy, positioning Western societies as superior. Meat Catchem’s image is imbued with the visual cues that mark him as a ‘chief’ - feathers, jewelry, and detailed clothing. Yet, this representation flattens cultural complexities into easily digestible stereotypes. The romanticized depiction obscures the violent realities of displacement, assimilation, and cultural erasure experienced by Indigenous peoples. These cards participated in constructing and perpetuating narratives that justified colonial domination. It’s essential to consider how the circulation of these images shaped perceptions and contributed to the erasure of Indigenous voices and experiences.