Native American nature photographers?

Hi folks - some of you may remember that I did an article for

photo.net about female wildlife photographers a few years ago and it

was pretty well received.

 

http://www.photo.net/learn/nature/ghopkins/women/index

 

I'm toying with an idea about doing something similar with native

American photographers, but I only know of one other than myself.

 

If you have some native blood, or know of a nature photographer with

native blood, please write me at gloria@gloriahopkins.com ? I'd love

to talk with you.

 

Thank you, and have a wonderful week!

Gloria

 

 

PS: I have a visitor coming for a week and won't be spending a lot

of time online for awhile, please email me rather than leave

responses here. gloria@gloriahopkins.com

 

PPS: for anyone following my composition series - after much delay,

article four is coming out soon - edited by none other than the

fabulous Mr. Spinak :-)

Gloria,

 

I am confused. Most residents/citizens in the US are native american born.

 

Is your use of "native american" the currently politically correct term for American Indian, such as in Choktaw, Hopi, Navajo, Creek, Sioux, ... ?

 

What is native blood to you? What is "some native blood"?

Which of those whose forfathers have been in the US for many centuries/generations can be sure there is no indian blood in him/

her? We all have it, even if we think we don't ... So is life and sex.

 

So: Is this another racist project, a la Leni Riefenstahl and the Nubians etc, or even worse?

 

I think that photographs are made by the photographer and his/her visual perception, and that influences of family, heritage, gender, race, class etc are very minor factors in the resulting art.

 

But you are certainly entitled to your own (mis)conceptions and weird racisms or genderisms here on phnet.

 

Good luck, Gloria!

Gloria,

<br><br>

Look up Leroy DeJolie. He's a large format photographer working in the Navajo Nation (N. Arizona) and has some fantastic work. You may even want to join one of his workshops - he can gain access to places in the reservation normally closed to tourists.

<br><br>

Guy<br>

<a href="http://www.scenicwild.com">Scenic Wild Photography</a>

Is your use of "native american" the currently politically correct term for American Indian, such as in Choktaw, Hopi, Navajo, Creek, Sioux, ... ?

 

Yep, that's what I mean. And yea, I agree it's a pretty unclear thing these days. As to all the other stuff you mentioned, I really have no idea what you are talking about.

 

Good luck Frank!

Cindy Mead, on NPN. All of the Indians I know don't refer to themselves as "native Americans," but instead by tribal heritage such as Sioux or Cherokee. Even then, they seem to identify by sub grouping such as "Nakota Sioux," or "Lakota Sioux" etc. There is another guy affiliated with Pine Ridge that lives in Rapid City that takes photos, too. Can't think of his name. The Rapid City arts store, "The Prairie's Edge" would know.

 

 

Kent in SD

Gloria, send email inquiry to the Artists Coalition of Flagstaff, info@flagstaffarts.org. They may be able to provide you with some links to Navajo or Hopi photographers.

Many thanks Guy and Kent. I will definitely look them up. And, I know Cindy! She's awesome.

 

Sorry to all if I am politically incorrect! My folks still call themselves native Americans. When talking to other native Americans or someone who knows American Indian history they will get specific and name tribes, but in general, they just say "we're native American."

 

That's wrong today? I really don't want to get into a whole other discussion, but I don't want to insult anyone either!

Mike and Gloria- I think it's that Frank's shorts are just too tight today.

Many kind thanks Mike. You're a true friend.

 

My photo.net experience wouldn't be complete without a little harassment from Frank. I have accepted it. It's kind of like having my own personal internet stalker, lol!

 

Pick someone else Frank - I've grown bored with internet sparring and I certainly don't have time for the likes of you.

 

I find myself wondering what happened in your life to make you such a miserable person. How tragic.

"All of the Indians I know don't refer to themselves as "native Americans," but instead by tribal heritage such as Sioux or Cherokee."

 

 

My wife and I (neither of us are Native Americans ("American Indians")--though I am part Indian--the kind our friend Christopher thought he'd found when he was lost--work with Native Americans in our professional lives. I can assure you that members of all the tribes and nations that we work with (NW US) often refer to themselves collectively as Native Americans, or the Native Peoples. On both of our university campuses the students are members of Native American Student Organizations, host Native American Film Festivals and the like.

 

Go for it Gloria--and don't wince at the limitations of the small minds.

here is an extremely nice person I exchanged a few pleasant emails with... (seems like he is still active, I hope it's okay to post)

 

http://www.photo.net/shared/community-member?user_id=941567

I don't know what you and Frank have been up to, but I have to say I share his skepticism to a point. I think what you would be best served by searching for is people who have maintained tribal ties. For example, even I am 1/16 Cherokee but I am in no way Native American. I know African Americans who are Native Americans in every way dating back to when their forefathers escaped slavery and joined Indian Nations. Some of our Northwestern tribes are called tribes of lawyers. They live on reservations, have blonde hair and blue eyes, and have Norwegian sirnames. I know a Sioux woman who claims that the Cherokee married everyone.

 

But forget all of that. If you can come up with a strong body of work tied together by any string, no matter how tenuous, go for it. If you are doing journalism, it is your duty.

Frank Uhlig: In your Biography, it says: "Mathematician, father, husband, German who photographs since age ~10."

 

Who is a German? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Miss Hopkins, Glad to hear about your background. All the best to you!

Ndns know who we are. . .

I work and live with Navajos everyday. The refer to themselves as Dine. They also use the term Indian.

 

I believe Amerind in the term that is most accurate in a scholarly way.

 

My wife has DeJolie's daughter in her drama class. Super nice family.

 

 

Most of the Navajos I photograph are not real interested in cameras. But I suspect some of the less "traditional" ones are out there snapping away. You just gotta find 'em.<div></div>

Gloria - greetings from Scotland.

 

"I'm toying with an idea about doing something similar with native American photographers, but I only know of one other than myself."

 

The responses to this thread should give you all the impetus you need to take this forwards. There seems so much confusion about who/what a 'Native American' is, strikes me a foray by you into this morass would lift a few veils and reveal........something. Whatever it reveals will be pretty interesting. What the responses will be to that work from some of the previous posters (no names) can only be guessed at, but I'll bet their responses will be interesting too!

 

Travelling by m/cycle in NM one year with a Scottish flag on my bike I got stopped by a huge Native American Policeman (Chisoe Irons) whose great-grandmother was, he told me proudly, a MacGregor who came from Scotland. We sat together out in the boonies and drunk beer all afternoon, watched buffalo, and listened to a Native American rock group playing The Beatles greatest hits (with a heavy drumbeat) on his cassette player. A wonderful afternoon.

 

How many of you share my blood! Native Scot and proud here, saluting my Native American brethern!

 

Go for it Gloria! And good luck.

"Aboriginal" American or "indigenous" American are better terms, but they haven't exactly caught on, have they?<div></div>

Hey, thanks for the photo of Tom Phillips! My wife and I are hiring his services this October

for 2 4-hour sessions at Monument Valley. He seems like a really great guy on the phone. I

first read about him at Norman Koren's website.

Gloria, I am 'Native American'. Call myself an 'Indian', always have. Both GrandParents also Native American and have "maintained Tribal ties". I enjoy making photographs with a passion. Please email me if you think I can be of any assistance to you. d.d.