Class Description
When the technology of photography emerged in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera was adopted by the U.S. government for purposes related to westward expansion, scientific inquiries, and ethnographic documentation. Through the lenses of Euro-American photographers, countless photographs of Native Americans were made during this time of social turbulence, inscribing a false but persistent cultural narrative about Indigenous peoples. If we reorient our perspective of the encounters with the camera, what alternative histories might begin to surface in these historical photographs of Native Americans?
This course examines these nineteenth-century photographs, proposing an interpretive framework that considers the agency of the Native subjects in the photographic encounters. Through readings, discussions, and slow looking, the contingencies of these photographs are addressed through visual and historical context, underscored by Indigenous perspectives and the concept of visual sovereignty. Participants will gain deeper visual analysis skills and insights into the cultural history and malleability of photographic images.
The course will also include a presentation of photographic objects from the Newberry’s Edward E. Ayer collection, one of the world's premiere sources of primary documents on American Indians.
Kristie Kahns works in the photographic field as an educator, image-maker, writer, and independent researcher. She received an MA in Arts Administration & Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago.
Materials List
Required
- Instructor-Distributed Materials
- Digital Course Packet for first reading only
First Reading
- Read: Martha A. Sandweiss, “Introduction,” in Print the Legend: Photography and the American West, Yale Western Americana Series (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 2-14.
Optional Readings
- Ned Blackhawk, “Introduction,” in The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2023), 1-11.
- Linda Tuhiwai Smith, “Chapter 1: Imperialism, History, Writing and Theory” in Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples, 20-43.
A Brief Syllabus
- Historical Overview
- Survey Photography
- Photography along the Frontier
- Delegation Photography
- Newberry Collection Presentation
- Reclaiming Histories
Cost and Registration
6 sessions, $245 ($220 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($245), Community Supported ($230), and Sponsor ($260). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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