Bancroftiana, Number 118 Spring 2001: Images of Native Americans

Images of Native Americans

"View of the Great Treaty at Prarie Du Chien," Aboriginal Portfolio, James O. Lewis

The Friends of The Bancroft Library proudly hosted the opening reception and lecture for "Images of North American Indians," an exhibition of rare and unique materials including rare books, pamphlets, and journals,

in addition to selections of original photographs, lantern slides, sketches, and a series of notable nineteenth and twentieth century paintings. William E. Brown Jr., Coordinator for Research and Instruction at The Bancroft Library, collaborated with numerous curators and staff members to draw from Bancroft's world-class holdings on the history of Western Americana and the many visual images of North American Indians. The selection of materials offered a compelling and dramatic perspective on the history of Indians in our society.

The four major nineteenth century colorplate volumes of North American Indians served as the cornerstone of the exhibition. Primary among these works was a newly acquired treasure, the University Library's nine millionth volume, The Aboriginal Portfolio, or, A Collection of Portraits of the Most Celebrated Chiefs of the North American Indians, by James O. Lewis. Published in Philadelphia in 1836, this volume is the first great book of portraits of Native Americans. The large folio volume contains 72 hand-colored lithographs including portraits of Indian chiefs done from life at various treaty conferences in the early 1830s. The Lewis Portfolio joins three other major color plate works of nineteenth century Native American portraiture: History of the Indian Tribes of North America, with Biographical Sketches and Anecdotes of the Principal Chiefs. Embellished with One Hundred and Twenty Portraits, from the Indian Gallery in the Department of War, at Washington. by McKenney and Hall (Philadelphia: 1838-44; 3 volumes); Reise in Das Innere Nord- America in Den Jahren 1832 bis 1834; by Maximilian, Prinz zu Wied, published in Coblenz, by J. Hoelscher, 1839-41, with Karl Bodmer's illustrations; and Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio. Hunting Scenes and Amusements of the Rocky Mountains and Prairies of America, by George Catlin (London: 1844) to complete The Bancroft Library's collection of landmark works in this field.

Lewis' rare and stunning work required extensive conservation treatment in order to mend tears to individual pages and to repair and reinforce a worn and separated binding. The Bancroft Library published a commemorative poster to mark the occasion, selecting the portrait, "WAA-NA-TAA or the FOREMOST IN BATTLE, Chief of the Sioux Tribe," in a numbered edition of 1,000.

Gerald Vizenor delivers his remarks.

Professor Gerald Vizenor, a mixedblood member of the Minnesota Chippewa tribe and Professor of Native American Literature at the University of California, Berkeley offered opening remarks and a slide presentation. In his remarks, Vizenor examined the historical evolution of images" of "images" of North American Indians, views that were crafted and created by non-Indians. Simple questions, Vizenor reminded us, are crucial to understanding the ultimate value or use of an image as a "truthful" document. "Who created an image?" "What audience(s) was an image intended to entertain or inform?" "How is an image shaped by the personal views of an artist, photographer, or illustrator? " These questions and others are a vital aspect of all images of North American Indians. In an informative and thoughtprovoking slide presentation, Vizenor juxtaposed images created by non-Indians with images created by Native Americans.

"There are no eternal, authentic images of natives; what we review and construct as a cultural object was either an intentional simulation, or an act of creation. Once discovered and possessed, however, the distinctions between simulation and creation are lost. Surely, we cannot do without the will to critique the simulations of natives" Professor Vizenor cautioned. He also placed the study of images and and their multiple meanings in a scholarly context: "The critique of the many images of natives, artistic and photographic, has become more important in cultural studies and history. Clearly, the stories of natives are never the same once the simulations have been revealed and compared; the notions of authentic cultural images are overturned by closer study."

—William E. Brown, Jr.
Coordinator, Research and Instruction