American Indians Curtis replied that he had indeed already thought about doing just that The idea dawned on him Grinnell later recalled that here was a wide field as yet unworked Here was a great country in which still lived hundreds of tribes 1 Some of those groups Curtis had said still retain many of their primitive customs and their ancient beliefs 2 It would certainly CRITIQUES OF CURTIS Though he was well-meaning and a gifted photographer several modern Native observers say Curtis too often tried to romanticize Native Americans His goal they explain was to make them appear as the stereotypical noble savage of the past This ignored the reality that their cultures were already changing Some wished to adjust to modern American life Others kept their traditions as best they could as the US government outlawed their religions and languages and separated them from their children in government boarding schools Curtis is attacked most often and most legitimately art historian Lucy Lippard writes for failing to depict American Indian life and customs accurately His soft focus blurred what might have been improper details she says He staged scenes routinely retouched and faked night skies storm clouds and other dramatic lighting effects He erased unwelcome signs of modernity such as clocks and early automobiles 3 be a great achievement he added to use photography to preserve what was left of those cultures Today the use of words such as primitive in relation to Native cultures is jarring and racist but at the time the two men considered themselves sympathetic friends to the tribal members they met and photographed Grinnell wanted to help his friend make up his mind about tackling such a grand project To that end he invited Curtis to go with him to Montana There Grinnell said they would visit the Piegans or Pikuni one of the tribes of the 6
The Piegan camp 1900 Blackfoot Confederacy Each summer they came together in a large camp There they held an ancient religious ceremony called the sun dance The US government had outlawed the ritual and most similar Native American religious expressions in an effort to stamp out tribal cultures but the tribe defied the order The curious Curtis hoped to witness that ritual and in early summer 1900 the two men rode to Montana Take Plenty of Time and Smile a Lot The two travelers crested the top of a low hill Curtis described the experience of riding up to the camp Suddenly Curtis later recalled he and his companion rode out in full view of the Piegan encampment and beheld a truly thrilling sight 4 Curtis estimated there were more than 200 large lodges or teepees 7
Entering the camp Curtis immediately became fascinated by Piegan culture He found all the tribe’s generations from children to grandparents living together in one village Grinnell cautioned him to take plenty of time in getting to know the residents He should also smile a lot to put the Piegans at ease Curtis carefully followed this advice He smiled almost constantly and most of the villagers smiled back DO NOT SAY CHEESE Some of Curtis’s modern critics have pointed out that the smiles and laughter he reported did not come through in his photos of the Piegans and other Natives Curtis is known to have posed his subjects to fit his conception of what Indians should look like Indeed The common theme throughout Edward Curtis’s portraits is stoicism says Cherokee scholar and blogger Adrienne Keene None of his subjects smile Ever Yet To anyone who has spent any time with Indians you know that the stoic Indian stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth Natives joke tease and laugh more than anyone I know I often leave Native events with my sides hurting from laughing so much 6 Curtis eagerly got to know White Calf chief of the Piegans That leader introduced him to other members of the tribe who came to like and trust the young photographer They told him about their lives and were even candid about their recent problems with hunger Their main food source the buffalo was swiftly disappearing from the plains they explained As a result a few years before one-quarter of the tribe had died in a single winter 5 8
Piegan women play an integral role in the sun dance Curtis wrote down nearly everything the Piegans told him He also took numerous photos of both individuals and customs White Calf said he would allow him to photograph almost anyone and anything he desired The one exception was the sun dance ceremony itself It was extremely private the chief said and must be observed only in person by selected guests When it came time for that sacred ritual to unfold Curtis watched all of it closely He also took careful detailed notes 9
