It's Been Over 100 Years Since An Artist Has Done This In America.
The Tacoma Art Museum
Photographic Proof of Contemporary Indians:
Matika Wilbur's Project 562
[url=http://postimage.org/][img]
[/img][/url]
Washington photographer Matika Wilbur, a member of the Swinomish and Tulalip tribes, showcases her work-in-progress, a new collection of images of contemporary American Indians. Her goal is to photograph members of all 562 federally-recognized tribes in the United States. This artistic and spiritual journey has already taken Wilbur on a 1,000-mile adventure across the country. She began her project in the Northwest and has traveled extensively through California and the Southwest. Her work on Project 562 has been featured in Seattle Met Magazine, The Stranger, NBC.com, and Indian Country Today.
"I had this incredible experience at the bottom of The Grand Canyon. The elders appointed a teenage boy to help me carry my equipment to photo shoots (since there aren't cars down there, and I'm clumsy on a horse). He was kind of quiet at first, standoffish even.
But after the first interview and photoshoot, he was excited for the next one. He started suggesting ideas. I could see him listening as we spoke to his elders.
That evening, he revealed that he had walked a despairing path, having struggled with depression and his own sense of Tribal identity. As I was leaving, he shyly pulled me aside, and told me that this project gave him a new sense of hope. He said that he believed in me. He said that I was the first lady that he'd ever met that had went on to "do something". He thanked me for giving him hope. He said that his experience with Project 562 had meant more to him than he could articulate."
-Matika Wilbur
Organized by Tacoma Art Museum. This exhibition was generously sponsored by ArtsFund, KeyBank, and Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund. Additional support provided by Helen and Peter Bing.
http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/Page.aspx?nid=513
More than a century has passed since a photographic journey explored Native Americans with such a broad scope and in this amount of detail. In 1906, photographer Edward S. Curtis was commissioned by J.P. Morgan to capture the “disappearing” race.
In 2014, to change perceptions about Native Americans, photographer Matika Wilbur believes we have to update the kind of imagery we're looking at when we think of her race. It's a beautiful — and important — idea.
Watch the video here.
https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/824212/video-331460-h264_high.mp4
http://www.upworthy.com/its-been-over-100-years-since-an-artist-has-done-this-in-america-about-time-someone-did-it-again?g=2&c=upw1
= new reply since forum marked as read
Interior Alaska, but I was thinking of the entire state - and all the Natives!! Southeast, south-central, Southwestern, Interior, Arctic - so many different tribes, and so much beauty in each! Amazing artwork, incredible people.
I appreciate, no that doesn't quite say it, I am mesmerized and enthralled with black and white photography.
It's past time they were given their due.
Interior Alaska! Wow. I have never been, yet my grandfather when he was in his eighties traveled alone with a group. Not sure where they visited.
Thanks raven!
They capture joy. The UAF (university) museum here has some great stuff, but I'd love to see her do some in real-time.
And you're welcome anytime - there's so few of us, visitors are always welcome!
(Founders, Tanana Chiefs Conference)
the old adage,"lord willing and the creek don't rise." Turns out---as he told me-- the real saying referred to Creek Indians, not the water creek.
I looked it up and he was right...but I also couldn't help but wonder why he would be so familiar with this atrocity. 
ANd yeah, the creek Wars are a big feature of Alabama history classes - dunno about other states. I DO know that what I learned was disturbingly one-sided and pretty much uninformative, except as a general "woo, white people!" kind of thing.
In 1997, no less.
Aaaand yeah, you changed Cree to "creek Indians." I was really puzzled, since the Cree are up in Canada...
In Lak'ech Ala K'in
Photographic Proof of Contemporary Indians:
Matika Wilbur's Project 562
Again, looking forward to catching up with links that take more of my attention.. possibly tonight and/or tomorrow.
Thanks Cha~
Mahalo, she! 
It was the other way around. Curtis had to petition Morgan (and his librarian, Belle da Casta Greene) to fund his "North American Indian" project. Strangely, it was Teddy Roosevelt that suggested Curtis appeal to Morgan for support. Strange, since they weren't exactly friends after Roosevelt took on Morgan's railroad and coal monopoly and won.
Regardless, what Matika is doing is really wonderful. And quite an endeavor. 
From another actual contemporary Indian. 
Why thank you. I wish I could go to Tacoma Art Museum and see it in person, it will be amazing!
