Home»American Indians: Color

These portraits of Native American Indians amaze me. Various photographers traveled far to photograph men, women and children, sometimes setting up backdrops that did not fit the setting. Some photos need restoring, all have color and some I have chosen to change the background. I am no expert on the cultures of the beautiful people who first lived on the lands we now call the United States. Their stories haunt me, the portraits, poignant. I hope my respect for the tribes comes through as I research the clothing, the adornments and the people themselves. As a photographer, I often wonder how the scene came to be. Did an assistant arrange the pose, the hair, the beads? Were the subjects told not to smile? How did they communicate? And, lastly, what did the person in the portrait think? I see vast strength in most of the photographs, but I can't help but think about the coming years when a way of life would be gone forever. Hopefully, I honor the memories. Susan Riley