Powwow: Native American Celebration

Windows To Another World.
by Kim Vaughan

Powwow: Native American Celebration is a commemoration of life and culture. A collection of fifty-four images that captures the pageantry, the people, the joy and tradition of Native America.

Powwow stimulates our senses to the beauty of Native America and reminds us that life has changed very much and very little. Hogarth’s images concentrate on the people. His insistence on close portraiture captures the humanity, strength, determination and pride of his subjects while acknowledging tradition in their attire, the everyday and sometimes humour in their accessories.

The quality of his work is exceptional, not only are the images beautifully composed and exposed but radiate both knowledge and spirit. Hogarth’s collection of images present a clear-eyed view of Native America that cuts through the stereotype, confusion and ambivalence that is often encountered in images of indigenous people. The images are felt rather than viewed and known rather than simply observed.

Rather than dominate, Hogarth provides a vehicle for his subjects to tell their own story. If indeed the eyes reveal the hum of the soul, then amid the feathers and paint the eyes of Danny Reyes encompass the eons of history, Jordan Guinon the joy of childhood, Adam Nordwall the determination of youth, and Sallie Black Eyes the wisdom and compassion of the elders.

A large portion of the accompanying wall story was written by Jack Little an Oglala-Brule-Lakota from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and his American wife Shirley Little. Jack was one of the last Native Americans to be born in a tipi in 1920, his grandmother was from a band of Lakota led by the famed chief Rain-In-The-Face. Jack’s grandfather Mahalhpaya was one of only a handful of male survivors from the Wounded Knee massacre on Pine Ridge, South Dakota in 1890.

Hogarth met Jack and Shirley Little in 1982 while spending time in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Jack then aged sixty-two worded as a guide lecturer at the Indian museum at Crazy Horse Mountain. In his capacity as guide lecturer Jack spoke to a great many people about the Lakota way of life. He was eloquent, direct informative and his message has that prophetic quality. His story is the personal side, the unconsidered information not included in the history books.

In November, 1985 Jack Little died in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was returned to Mother Earth in his Lakota birthplace at Spring Creek on the Rosebud Reservation. Powwow: Native American Celebration is dedicated to the memory of Jack Little and the indomitable spirit of the Native American people.