David Yanez of the Aztec Nation. Alcatraz Island Sunrise Ceremony CA, 2014.
Size: 6775h x 5420w
Caption:
Lilli Lucero of the Navajo Nation. Queens County Farm Powwow. 2013.
Size: 6695h x 5359w
Caption:
Raven of the Mohawk and Iroquois Nations, Earth Day Powow at Sunset Park, Brooklyn. 2018.
Size: 4314h x 3493w
Caption:
Lidia Diaz of the Aztec Nation. Alcatraz Island Sunrise Ceremony, 2013.
Size: 6728h x 5415w
Caption:
Four generations, Queens County Farm Powwow, 2013.
Size: 2491h x 3132w
Caption:
Robert Magpie, Lakota Dancer. Queens County Farm Powwow, 2014.
Size: 3129h x 2485w
Caption:
Queens County Farm Powwow, 2014.
Size: 3140h x 2491w
Caption:
Valerie of the Taíno Nation, Earth Day Powow at Sunset Park, Brooklyn. 2018.
Size: 4320h x 3500w
Caption:
Queens County Farm Powwow, 2013.
Size: 6759h x 5392w
Caption:
Alcatraz Island Sunrise Ceremony CA, 2013.
Size: 6417h x 5071w
Project Text
Indigenous people are referenced in the past tense throughout American history books and are often misrepresented in the media through stereotypes. Colonization of the Americas killed an estimated 100 million Native Americans- around 90% of the population. Indigenous communities have repeatedly proved their resilience in the face of genocide, wars, assimilation attempts, stolen land, and poverty. Despite facing adversity, Indigenous people have persevered through these hardships and passed down their culture for generations to come.
These portraits were created to honor Indigenous people celebrating their culture at various pow-wows across the U.S. By referencing the past with black and white medium format film, these present-day portraits show that Indigenous people are not only an essential part of American history- they are also an integral part of America's present, and future.
Erin Lefevre is a documentary photographer from New York City whose work focuses on under-reported social issues. Erin studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Associate Degree in Photography. She then...