Ouray, Ute

 

This postcard of a Ute leader features a photo from the Colorado Historical Society. Its unusual for a postcard to include specific details about Native people; this is a significant shift from older cards that often did not even include the subject's name or tribal affiliation.

Ouray's father was Jicarilla Apache and his mother was Uncompahgre Ute. He grew up in the Taos Pueblo and spoke multiple languages (Ute, Apache, Spanish, English). He became a leader at age 27 and in 1880 traveled to Washington to negotiate for his people. However they were removed from their lands in Western Colorado and placed on a reservation in Utah in 1881

Haida Mask

 

This older card from the UBC Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver features "After He Has Seen the Spirit" a Haida mask made by Robert Davidson sometime around 1980. The mask is made of wood, feathers, and shell. 

Davidson (b. 1946) is a sculptor, painter, print maker and jeweler of Haida and Tlingit heritage. His work is found in museums, art galleries and private collections

Charles Moses Keokuk

 

This portrait of Charles (1854-1904), grandson of Keokuk (Sac/Fox) was probably taken around 1868 by Matthew Brady or Antonio Zeno Shindler as he accompanied his father and other members of a tribal delegation visiting Washington DC.

This modern card is part of the Faces of the First People, Native American Portraits 1865-1935, postcard book published by Pomegrante

Tenskwatawa

 

This Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum card features a portrait of Tenskwatawa (1775-1936), a Shawnee religious leader also known as The Open Door. He was brother to Tecumseh who organized a failed Native resistance movement, and was defeated at the Battle of Tippecanoe located in Indiana. The Prophet accompanied his community to a reservation in Kansas and died in 1836. 

His portrait was painted by George Catlin

Lakota Dress

 

This card from the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum depicts a beaded dress made around 1900 by Victoria Conroy (1866-1964). She lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and had 6 children. The museum website indicates that the dress weighed 50 pounds and was traded for $1000 worth of horses. It was later acquired by the Spotted Weasel family

National Museum of the American Indian

 

This card shows the Smithsonian's NMAI located on the mall in Washington DC. Built in 2004, the building was designed by Indigenous architects with a more natural stone look and a peaceful water park. Inside the cafe offers native foods to visitors, an open space for dancing and galleries displaying a small amount of the museum holdings. The gift shop sells postcards and native art objects

Thunderbird

 

Thunderbird by Peter Dawson, Kwakwaka'wakw

available from Native Northwest

The Thunder Beings are common to many Native peoples and generally seen as strong, helpful beings that cause thunder and lightning. These are seen as the Thunderbirds battle their enemy, Underwater Serpents that cause humans to drown

Buffalo Bull's Back Fat

 

This Smithsonian postcard features the portrait of a Blood leader that was painted by George Catlin in 1832, exhibited in France in 1846, and gifted to the Smithsonian's American Art Museum. Buffalo Bull’s Back Fat (named after a prized cut of bison) was a chief of the Blackfoot, a tribe of the northernmost Plains whose territory straddled the present-day border between the United States and Canada.

"I have this day been painting a portrait of the head chief of the [Blood tribe] ... he is a good-looking and dignified Indian, about fifty years of age, and superbly dressed; whilst sitting for his picture he has been surrounded by his own braves and warriors and also gazed at by his enemies, the Crows and the Knisteneaux, Assinneboins and Ojibbeways; a number of distinguished personages of each of which tribes have laid all day around the sides of my room; reciting to each other the battles they have fought, and pointing to the scalp-locks, worn as proofs of their victories, and attached to the seams of their shirts and leggings. The name of this dignitary of whom I have just spoken is Stu-mick-o-sucks (the buffalo's back fat), i.e., the 'hump' or 'fleece' the most delicious part of the buffalo's flesh. ... The dress ... of the chief ... consists of a shirt or tunic, made of two deerskins finely dressed, and so placed together with the necks of the skins downwards, and the skins of the hind legs stitched together, the seams running down on each arm, from the neck to the knuckles of the hand; this seam is covered with a band of two inches in width, of very beautiful embroidery of porcupine quills, and suspended from the under edge of this, from the shoulders to the hands, is a fringe of the locks of black hair, which he has taken from the heads of victims slain by his own hand in battle. ... In his hand he holds a very beautiful pipe, the stem of which is four or five feet long, and two inches wide, curiously wound with braids of the porcupine quills of various colours; and the bowl of the pipe ingeniously carved by himself from a piece of red steatite of an interesting character, and which they all tell me is procured somewhere between this place and the Falls of St. Anthony, on the head waters of the Mississippi."

— George Catlin, Letters and Notes, vol. 1, pp. 29–31

Crow Chiefs

 Another modern card that reproduces an older photograph: Crow Chiefs Gathering for Parade, made by Elsa Spear Byron in 1924. The image features well known tribal leaders Plenty Coups, White man Runs Him, and Plenty Hawk. This photo was taken at the annual Crow Fair at the Crow Agency in Montana...this event is still held and features a large number of tipis in the encampment.

Byron was an woman photographer, born in Wyoming. She photographed many of the Crow Fairs from 1911 until the 1950s, as well as some of the native people who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn

Raven cards

 

Raven by Charles Silverfox, Tlingit

Raven Box by Allan Weir, Haida

Raven cards purchased from Native Northwest, a Vancouver Canadian based website that sells NW Coast Indigenous art. Raven is the regional trickster responsible for helping humans emerge, protecting us from various dangers, releasing the Sun/Moon/Stars into the sky and other interesting adventures that offer moral guidance to story audiences

Bagwis Mask

This Canadian postcard from the Kwagiulth Museum and Cultural Centre features a dance mask depicting a mysterious forest creature that lures men, captures their souls and transforms them into other Bagwis. This mask is made of red cedar, horse hide, and horse hair.

This card offers excellent text information:"This was one of the ceremonial artifacts confiscated by the Canadian Goverenment in 1922 and returned to the Kwagiulth people in 1979."
 

Cherokee beadwork

 

There is a long history of Native people working in the tourism industry, including jobs in recreated villages. Often tribal members are employed as interpreters, guides, and craft demonstrators. The Ocanaluftee Indian Village in Cherokee North Carolina began in 1952 and offers a view of life in the late 1700s. Living history museum visitors can explore a village, observe people working, watch dancing and of course hit the gift shop!

Although this card text states "Cherokee Indian bead-workers are reviving an ancient and colorful art..." the bead style and colors are modern and do not actually reflect pre-removal art. Look instead at work made by Martha Berry for a better sense of SE bead designs

Cahokia

 

Cahokia was a large urban community located east of present day St. Louis Mo and occupied during the Mississippian era. Having access to rivers and forests provided occupants with food, farm land, trade, clay for pottery and enough firewood. Art, religion and politics were all complex but the site is known for earthen mounds, ceramics, and art reflecting ideas about both war and fertility. After its decline many groups migrated out of the region. Sadly many earthworks have been damaged by modern development, farming and railroad construction

It is recognized as a UN World heritage site and I send cards to folks who collect this category

Haskell KS pow wow

 

This 1994 postcard celebrates the annual pow wow held at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

Haskell began as a Native boarding school in 1884, part of the federal program to assimilate Native youth with academic classes and manual training. In 1970 it was transformed into the Haskell Indian Junior College, and became a University in 1992.

Chippewa Girl

 

 

Although this postcard was printed in Holland by Unlimited, it reproduces a 1904 photo made by Alfred S Campbell (1840-1912). Campbell emigrated from England and had a NY studio, with some of his work held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Unfortunately, like many photos of Native women produced at the time, this subject is not identified. Her dress and moccasins may be studio props as they are more Plains in style. She is seated on a Great Lakes woven mat.

Cherokee Stickball Game

 

Published by the Ashville Post Card Co in North Carolina, this 1930s or 40s linen card text nicely identifies the topic:

Ani-Tsage (Indian Ball) being played by Cherokee Indians on Reservation in Western North Carolina adjoining Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Southeastern stickball is similar to Lacrosse, uses a stick with deer hide webbing to move a deer hide ball towards a post. Generally played by men it was known as the Little Brother of War and used to maintain athleticism as well as settle disputes. It is still played today in the Southeast and Oklahoma. There is also a social version that features women players

Vintage Southwest Curt-teich

 

 

This American company published cards for 100 years, including linens. Many of these feature Native American subjects such as these 3, distributed by Southwest Post Card Co, Albuquerque NM. They are undated but are probably 1930s or 1940s

Indian Pueblo Family, New Mexico shows the transition of adults in traditional clothing and silver/turquoise jewelry, with children in more American dresses.

Navajo Mother and Daughters Petting their Lambs Dine (Navajo) women own the sheep that were used for wool and occasionally meat. They are gifted to daughters and granddaughters but cared for by the whole family. Fewer Dine weave today due to time constraints but hand woven textiles are still greatly valued

Navajo Fire Dancers. card text states: "This dance is one of a nine day ceremony for healing called Mountain Chant. The fire dance is very spectacular with dancers waving burning embers and leaping through great fires."