Great War Chief, Navajos, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N36) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This lithograph from Allen & Ginter's American Indian Chiefs series showcases symbols deeply resonant with identity and status. A cluster of feathers, tipped with red, rises above a shield and decorated sheath. In many cultures, feathers signify honor, power, and a connection to the divine. The red tips may symbolize bravery or a life force. Consider how feathered headdresses appear throughout history— from ancient Egyptian royalty to Renaissance depictions of classical gods. What emerges is a shared human impulse to visually assert authority and spiritual connection. Here, the Navajo chief is presented with the same intensity and reverence found in portrayals of European leaders. This commercial image seeks to ennoble a 'Great War Chief', but it also subtly assimilates him into a Western visual language of power. The symbol of feathers has a cyclical progression. The feathers are not merely decorative; they are powerful emblems loaded with cultural memory, continually reappearing and evolving across time.