John Yellow Flower, Ute, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N2) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This small card, created by Allen & Ginter, depicts John Yellow Flower of the Ute people, part of a series promoting cigarette brands. His adornments speak volumes: the fur, the beads, the single feather, each carries meaning, each a marker of identity and status. Consider the feather. Across cultures, feathers are potent symbols of spirituality, freedom, and connection to the divine. In ancient Egypt, the feather of Ma'at was used to weigh souls in the afterlife. Here, among the Ute, it signifies honor and a bond with the natural world. Yet, its placement, almost an afterthought, hints at the cultural appropriation inherent in these commercial depictions. The gaze of John Yellow Flower is intense. He confronts the viewer, a silent challenge to the commodification of his image. This image becomes a poignant reminder of how symbols are constantly reinterpreted, their original power sometimes diluted, sometimes amplified, by the ever-turning wheel of history.