Book Description

"This book is a selection of historic photographs of American Indians by Edward Sheriff Curtis, with each photograph accompanied by an appropriate verse, poem, song, or prose from the associated tribe. There are ten tribes featured in the book. While there were many photographs taken of American Indians beginning in the 1860s, very few match Curtis's quality and beauty. Between 1900 and 1927, Curtis would visit eighty different tribes, travelling from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Arctic Circle, from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast. He would take over 40,000 photographs, record songs and stories, interview famous tribal leaders, and produce a full-length silent film of the Kwakiutl people. The interviews Curtis conducted with individuals give incredible insight into their lives. His biographical sketches and personal observations of ceremonies and daily life of American Indians are unequalled. While the photographs are beautiful and works of art, they also serve a greater purpose. They allow American Indians of today to look back on a way of life their ancestors experienced, as well as give some of them the ability to see pictures of their relatives that would have been nonexistent if not for Edward S. Curtis. The beautiful words accompanying the photos are the prayers, songs, and wisdom of the American Indian tribes included in this book. They give voice to the artistic photographs. Wisdom comes from teachings through stories and instruction. From father to son, mother to daughter, and grandparents to grandchildren, ancient stories are handed down through generations. The words in this collection give the reader a respect and understanding for the philosophy and ideals of these tribal cultures and an appreciation for their love of the natural world"--