Embarking on the first traveling studio shoot in 2010, at my home reservation in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and ultimately visiting all nine scattered nations of the Potawatomi tribe, I’ve created this legacy portrait collection for our future seven generations and for the artful education of those who regard eastern Native America as a vanquished race. Using a PhaseOne back on a Hasselblad and image processing technology, I’ve photographically reunited the richly detailed regalia with native woodlands or the western environments to which so many of our tribe were relocated. This visual effect is reminiscent of the painted backdrops of the 1900’s Indian portrait photographers. During the heyday of the Anishnaabe Confederacy, the Potawatomis were spread across the Great Lakes woodlands. Pressured by forced removals and treaty era Indian “territories”, this tribe suffered an enduring threat to their connections to the ancestors, yet they have resolutely maintained (or restored) their rich heritage. I have spent a decade photographing regalia, while exploring Potawatomi history, and life at present. In my portrait project, Dancing for my Tribe, I portray a fresh reality of the descendants: People who live in a world of sewing machines, synthetic fabrics, military service, favorite sports teams, high resolution digital cameras and a new millennium. They have merged loss, optimism, and contemporary life by creating a riveting celebration of continued existence—loudly declaring, “WE ARE STILL HERE!” —Sharon Hoogstraten
