Chiefs & Warriors

Photographs of noble chiefs and courageous warriors from Native American tribes figure prominently in Edward Sheriff Curtis's landmark work, The North American Indian. From its original volumes and portfolios, Curtis expert Christopher Cardozo has selected Curtis's best portraits and images of tribal leaders and braves for inclusion in this volume. The character of the individuals as well as the styles of dress and aspects of life among native peoples are captured in Curtis's photographs, taken from the 1890s through the 1930s. The Mandan, Piegan, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, and Navaho are just a few of the tribes represented in the chosen images. Portraits of famous chiefs and braves of their time, such as Chief Joseph, Chief Garfield, High Hawk, Good Lance, Medicine Crow, and Red Cloud, are featured. Accompanying the photographs are excerpts from Curtis's original text, which either present the biographies of the individuals depicted or examine a tribe's history or customs. As was his intention, Curtis's words and pictures preserve what he perceived to be a vanishing way of life.