Two Ojibbeway Warriors and a Woman 1861 - 1869

George Catlin painted these Ojibbeway Warriors and a Woman using oil on canvas in the first half of the 19th century. Catlin was an American painter who made it his mission to document the appearance and customs of Native Americans. Here, two men stand proudly, adorned with feathers and weapons that signify their roles as warriors, while a woman stands beside them holding a cradleboard. The background of the painting is a clear, open sky and a grassy plain, the landscape of the American West. Catlin's work gives us invaluable insight into the lives of the people he depicted, but as historians we must remember that his images were shaped by the culture in which he lived, a culture that was rapidly displacing Native Americans. To fully understand this painting, research into the history of the Ojibbeway people, the life of Catlin himself, and the policies of the US government at the time would be invaluable.