Indian Country

by Gwendolyn Cates, W. Richard West (Foreword), Sherman Alexie (Introduction)

Indian Country is a major work of a beautiful, affecting, and candid portrait of Native Americans today. Photographer and author Gwendolen Cates has been going to Indian Country since she was a child. For this book, she traveled all over the country photographing people of many different tribes and nations and the lands in which they from the Navajo of the Southwest to the Tlingit of Alaska, from the Seneca in New York State to the Miccosukee in Florida, from Yurok to Cheyenne, Ojibwe to Hualapai. And her subjects are not drawn from her conversations with them, their words, on subjects including identity, history, language, motherhood, spirituality, art, the rez, the environment, and more, are a powerful complement to the images.

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2001

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

One look at the cover should tell you that "Indian Country" is not a "coffee table book." Inside, you will find exceptional photos of peoples of Native North America. Even though cameras have the reputation of being "objective," somehow the attitude and intention of the photographer always shines through. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cates at NYU, where we were both attending a lecture by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (author of "An Indigenous People's History of the United States") Cates is a serious photojournalist who has also documented the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, which honored the 400 year old treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the early Dutch immigrants. The campaign sent hundreds of Native and non-Native allies paddling down the Hudson River, and Ms. Cates was among them. All of her work contributes toward the goal of Two Row, which is to bring peoples together in mutual understanding and respect so that together we can save Mother Earth. 5 stars for this book!

[N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning coffee table book with photos of Native Americans from around the country and quotes by some of those shown. The focus is on community, ancestry, spirituality, and connection to nature/the planet. Gorgeous photography and a lot of the passages were very moving. Lots of talk about invisibility as a culture and determination to connect and grow, restore their history, and challenge perceptions.

[jedioffsidetrap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photo journey to contemporary Indian Country. Read on Indigenous Peoples Day.