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Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes.
“This book is too important to miss. It is a vast, sprawling look at who we are as Indigenous people in these United States.”—Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho), author of There There
In 2012, Matika Wilbur sold everything in her Seattle apartment and set out on a Kickstarter-funded pursuit to visit, engage, and photograph people from what were then the 562 federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations. Over the next decade, she traveled six hundred thousand miles across fifty states—from Seminole country (now known as the Everglades) to Inuit territory (now known as the Bering Sea)—to meet, interview, and photograph hundreds of Indigenous people. The body of work Wilbur created serves to counteract the one-dimensional and archaic stereotypes of Native people in mainstream media and offers justice to the richness, diversity, and lived experiences of Indian Country.
The culmination of this decade-long art and storytelling endeavor, Project 562 is a peerless, sweeping, and moving love letter to Indigenous Americans, containing hundreds of stunning portraits and compelling personal narratives of contemporary Native people—all photographed in clothing, poses, and locations of their choosing. Their narratives touch on personal and cultural identity as well as issues of media representation, sovereignty, faith, family, the protection of sacred sites, subsistence living, traditional knowledge-keeping, land stewardship, language preservation, advocacy, education, the arts, and more.
A vital contribution from an incomparable artist, Project 562 inspires, educates, and truly changes the way we see Native America.
“This book is too important to miss. It is a vast, sprawling look at who we are as Indigenous people in these United States.”—Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho), author of There There
In 2012, Matika Wilbur sold everything in her Seattle apartment and set out on a Kickstarter-funded pursuit to visit, engage, and photograph people from what were then the 562 federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations. Over the next decade, she traveled six hundred thousand miles across fifty states—from Seminole country (now known as the Everglades) to Inuit territory (now known as the Bering Sea)—to meet, interview, and photograph hundreds of Indigenous people. The body of work Wilbur created serves to counteract the one-dimensional and archaic stereotypes of Native people in mainstream media and offers justice to the richness, diversity, and lived experiences of Indian Country.
The culmination of this decade-long art and storytelling endeavor, Project 562 is a peerless, sweeping, and moving love letter to Indigenous Americans, containing hundreds of stunning portraits and compelling personal narratives of contemporary Native people—all photographed in clothing, poses, and locations of their choosing. Their narratives touch on personal and cultural identity as well as issues of media representation, sovereignty, faith, family, the protection of sacred sites, subsistence living, traditional knowledge-keeping, land stewardship, language preservation, advocacy, education, the arts, and more.
A vital contribution from an incomparable artist, Project 562 inspires, educates, and truly changes the way we see Native America.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published April 25, 2023
174 people are currently reading
5509 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
May 21, 2023
Back in the mid-1970's (which doesn't seem that long ago to me!), I was attending Otterbein College (now Otterbein University). One of the elective courses I took was Black History. On the first day of the class, the two instructors (African American) proceeded to accuse our all-White group of being Racist. Now, the one thing you didn't do was place a negative label on a group of self-possessed college students who thought they were being socially aware by taking such a course. I have no idea if the intent was to start a dialogue, but the students were greatly offended and let the instructors know it. When it was time for the class to end, the responses of moral outrage were still being launched. Several of the offended students went to the Dean ... and, the next day, the instructors had been replaced. We felt justified and vindicated. We were no longer Racists.
I'm not certain of the original point of the instructors. My guess is that they were pointing out that our lifestyles and experiences had created a stereotyped image of "the Black Experience" in America ... one we were likely unaware that we had. (Of course, they may have been taking a "Sins of the Fathers" approach which wouldn't have been accepted by us.)
I mention this because PROJECT 562: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA was often confrontational. Recurring phrases such as "concentration camps also known as Reservations" and "what is now known as the United States" felt exactly like a finger was being pointed at me.
However, two things contributed to my continuing to read:
* I had already read two books that taught me a great deal that I hadn't learned in my formal education: AMERICAN INDIANS OF THE OHIO COUNTRY IN THE 18TH CENTURY by Paul R. Misencik, and THE OTHER TRAIL OF TEARS: THE REMOVAL OF THE OHIO INDIANS by Mary Stockwell. For me, they presented shocking revelations.
* Early in this book, the writer talks about one of her revelations in putting this work together. She had compiled standard questions for each interview and, when pressed, said that she wanted to learn "what it meant to be an Indian in this day and age." One of her subjects, noted activist John Trudell, observed that she would never find the answer. She needed a better question. "Try to understand what it means to become human from an indigenous perspective." (That distinction really stayed with me and I discussed it with friends for days.)
I don't believe it is hyperbole to say that reading PROJECT 562: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA has been as beneficial as a formal classroom course put together by a respected and acknowledged expert on the topic. I was absolutely fascinated. In fact, it took me much longer to read this work because there were points at which I stopped for days to ponder a revelation that hit me like a bolt out of the blue. And I also filled a notebook with things discussed that I want to learn more about.
The title came from there being 562 recognized Tribes in the United States. In the ten years that it took for the writer to travel, conduct interviews, take amazing photographs, and put it all together in the existing work, that number had grown to 574. The many interviews offered a huge kaleidoscope of perspectives that I had never known or considered before. My mind is still reeling. Each reading session offered a new journey. I can safely say that I am not the same person who began the book.
An incredibly sad aspect is that despite what I have learned and what I still plan to explore, there are vast aspects of the cultural diversity that are closed to me. Much of this has to do with trust issues arising from generations of betrayal, and a strong sense that there are perspectives that "outsiders" won't accept. It struck me that I know so many people who have begun religious journeys in a quest to satiate a spiritual hunger. Yet, the religious beliefs of so many native Tribes offered similar answers that my friends were seeking in Buddhism, Shinto or any number of other religions. If only those closed doors were opened!
One research topic has already caused an argument with a friend. Opinions are raised in the book denying the voluntary Statehood of Hawaii, claiming that the land was stolen from the rightful inhabitants. My friend asserted it was a historical fact that the population of Hawaii had voted for Statehood. Yet, I find the book's assertion to be compelling. I need to learn more.
From the impact of the forced Boarding Schools to the lasting effects of the Blood Quantum test, PROJECT 562: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA is a book I've sorely needed for a long time to improve my cultural understanding. And it has already influenced my comprehension of news stories I've seen recently. This one has been a Life Changer for me.
I'm not certain of the original point of the instructors. My guess is that they were pointing out that our lifestyles and experiences had created a stereotyped image of "the Black Experience" in America ... one we were likely unaware that we had. (Of course, they may have been taking a "Sins of the Fathers" approach which wouldn't have been accepted by us.)
I mention this because PROJECT 562: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA was often confrontational. Recurring phrases such as "concentration camps also known as Reservations" and "what is now known as the United States" felt exactly like a finger was being pointed at me.
However, two things contributed to my continuing to read:
* I had already read two books that taught me a great deal that I hadn't learned in my formal education: AMERICAN INDIANS OF THE OHIO COUNTRY IN THE 18TH CENTURY by Paul R. Misencik, and THE OTHER TRAIL OF TEARS: THE REMOVAL OF THE OHIO INDIANS by Mary Stockwell. For me, they presented shocking revelations.
* Early in this book, the writer talks about one of her revelations in putting this work together. She had compiled standard questions for each interview and, when pressed, said that she wanted to learn "what it meant to be an Indian in this day and age." One of her subjects, noted activist John Trudell, observed that she would never find the answer. She needed a better question. "Try to understand what it means to become human from an indigenous perspective." (That distinction really stayed with me and I discussed it with friends for days.)
I don't believe it is hyperbole to say that reading PROJECT 562: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA has been as beneficial as a formal classroom course put together by a respected and acknowledged expert on the topic. I was absolutely fascinated. In fact, it took me much longer to read this work because there were points at which I stopped for days to ponder a revelation that hit me like a bolt out of the blue. And I also filled a notebook with things discussed that I want to learn more about.
The title came from there being 562 recognized Tribes in the United States. In the ten years that it took for the writer to travel, conduct interviews, take amazing photographs, and put it all together in the existing work, that number had grown to 574. The many interviews offered a huge kaleidoscope of perspectives that I had never known or considered before. My mind is still reeling. Each reading session offered a new journey. I can safely say that I am not the same person who began the book.
An incredibly sad aspect is that despite what I have learned and what I still plan to explore, there are vast aspects of the cultural diversity that are closed to me. Much of this has to do with trust issues arising from generations of betrayal, and a strong sense that there are perspectives that "outsiders" won't accept. It struck me that I know so many people who have begun religious journeys in a quest to satiate a spiritual hunger. Yet, the religious beliefs of so many native Tribes offered similar answers that my friends were seeking in Buddhism, Shinto or any number of other religions. If only those closed doors were opened!
One research topic has already caused an argument with a friend. Opinions are raised in the book denying the voluntary Statehood of Hawaii, claiming that the land was stolen from the rightful inhabitants. My friend asserted it was a historical fact that the population of Hawaii had voted for Statehood. Yet, I find the book's assertion to be compelling. I need to learn more.
From the impact of the forced Boarding Schools to the lasting effects of the Blood Quantum test, PROJECT 562: CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE NATIVE AMERICA is a book I've sorely needed for a long time to improve my cultural understanding. And it has already influenced my comprehension of news stories I've seen recently. This one has been a Life Changer for me.
April 25, 2023
I have the hardest time reviewing the books that touch my heart the most.
This review is going to be a little different. A little less formal. A little more like a conversation. I want to tell you why this book brought tears to my eyes, filled my heart with hope, and will stay with me forever.
I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Growing up, my school district’s mascot was a word I can’t say, because it’s a slur now. It was wrong, then, too. They changed the mascot fairly recently.
There has been a lot of progress like that in the last twenty or so years. Indigenous folks are getting to tell their own stories, their way. Shows like Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, books from authors including Cynthia Leitich Smith, Angeline Boulley, Traci Sorell, Darcie Little Badger, and more are doing incredible work for Native representation.
But there is still an expansive archive of misrepresentation. Author Matika Wilbur shares a quote from Cherokee academic and author of Notable Native People Dr. Adrienne Keene in Project 562‘s opening, “Representation without us is representation done to us.” (Dr. Keene and Wilbur co-host a beloved podcast, All My Relations. I highly recommend it!)
So, Project 562. What is it? And why does it mean so much to me?
Project 562 was started by Matika Wilbur, a photojournalist who set out to change the narrative around what Native life is really like. This book is a selection of photos and interviews from Wilbur’s journey. It is full of wisdom, humor, heart, and broad representation. This collection captures the diversity of Indigenous lives, from babies, children, and teens to adults and elders. Girls, women, boys, men, non-binary, and two spirits are all represented. Tradish, Rez, reconnecting. Black Natives, brown Natives, light-skinned mixed heritage folks. Indian Country is a rich tapestry of Indigenous people, and Wilbur shares their stories. The result is a beautiful encapsulation of contemporary Indigenous life.
Wilbur has created a resource, a gift, a bundle of good medicine that shares Indigenous stories. It is unmatched, full of beautiful photographs of Native folks sharing their personal histories and stories. It’s a love letter to Indian Country, to Native communities, to Indigenous people across Turtle Island.
A common thread woven throughout the collection is the importance of Indigenous language. As a Cherokee language learner and strong supporter of Indigenous language preservation and revitalization, it filled my heart with hope to see this theme highlighted in these stories. In her opening note, Wilbur shares this:
Get to know us as we know ourselves. Learn to call us by our names. Say it in our language. As Marilyn Balluta says, “one word spoken is one less word lost.”-- Matika Wilbur, Project 562
That is the heart of this collection.
Why is this so important? Wilbur explains, “The way Native people see ourselves affects the way we treat ourselves.”
We need this representation. Our kids need this representation. I plan to keep this book out and available to my own children at all times. It’s so incredibly important for Native kids to see themselves represented positively. My kids have to fight so many battles already– misrepresentation at school, colonized history textbooks, generalized Native American stereotypes. This collection, these stories, those images– it is a gift to them. A hug. Encouraging words from kids like them, adults they can aspire to be like, elders they can admire.
All kids deserve this kind of representation. Aliheliga– I am grateful. This book is a gift to the world.
Wado, Matika Wilbur, for sharing your gift. My family, and many others, will treasure this collection. These pages will be worn, loved, cherished.
I’d like to close with a quote from the author herself. She says it best:
I’m dreaming about a modern world that doesn’t erase its Indigenous intelligence but rather embraces the rich complexity of Indigenous cultures. -- Matika Wilbur
Wado to NetGalley, Ten Speed Press, and author Matika Wilbur for an advanced digital copy such that I could share my honest opinions.
This review is going to be a little different. A little less formal. A little more like a conversation. I want to tell you why this book brought tears to my eyes, filled my heart with hope, and will stay with me forever.
I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Growing up, my school district’s mascot was a word I can’t say, because it’s a slur now. It was wrong, then, too. They changed the mascot fairly recently.
There has been a lot of progress like that in the last twenty or so years. Indigenous folks are getting to tell their own stories, their way. Shows like Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, books from authors including Cynthia Leitich Smith, Angeline Boulley, Traci Sorell, Darcie Little Badger, and more are doing incredible work for Native representation.
But there is still an expansive archive of misrepresentation. Author Matika Wilbur shares a quote from Cherokee academic and author of Notable Native People Dr. Adrienne Keene in Project 562‘s opening, “Representation without us is representation done to us.” (Dr. Keene and Wilbur co-host a beloved podcast, All My Relations. I highly recommend it!)
So, Project 562. What is it? And why does it mean so much to me?
Project 562 was started by Matika Wilbur, a photojournalist who set out to change the narrative around what Native life is really like. This book is a selection of photos and interviews from Wilbur’s journey. It is full of wisdom, humor, heart, and broad representation. This collection captures the diversity of Indigenous lives, from babies, children, and teens to adults and elders. Girls, women, boys, men, non-binary, and two spirits are all represented. Tradish, Rez, reconnecting. Black Natives, brown Natives, light-skinned mixed heritage folks. Indian Country is a rich tapestry of Indigenous people, and Wilbur shares their stories. The result is a beautiful encapsulation of contemporary Indigenous life.
Wilbur has created a resource, a gift, a bundle of good medicine that shares Indigenous stories. It is unmatched, full of beautiful photographs of Native folks sharing their personal histories and stories. It’s a love letter to Indian Country, to Native communities, to Indigenous people across Turtle Island.
A common thread woven throughout the collection is the importance of Indigenous language. As a Cherokee language learner and strong supporter of Indigenous language preservation and revitalization, it filled my heart with hope to see this theme highlighted in these stories. In her opening note, Wilbur shares this:
Get to know us as we know ourselves. Learn to call us by our names. Say it in our language. As Marilyn Balluta says, “one word spoken is one less word lost.”-- Matika Wilbur, Project 562
That is the heart of this collection.
Why is this so important? Wilbur explains, “The way Native people see ourselves affects the way we treat ourselves.”
We need this representation. Our kids need this representation. I plan to keep this book out and available to my own children at all times. It’s so incredibly important for Native kids to see themselves represented positively. My kids have to fight so many battles already– misrepresentation at school, colonized history textbooks, generalized Native American stereotypes. This collection, these stories, those images– it is a gift to them. A hug. Encouraging words from kids like them, adults they can aspire to be like, elders they can admire.
All kids deserve this kind of representation. Aliheliga– I am grateful. This book is a gift to the world.
Wado, Matika Wilbur, for sharing your gift. My family, and many others, will treasure this collection. These pages will be worn, loved, cherished.
I’d like to close with a quote from the author herself. She says it best:
I’m dreaming about a modern world that doesn’t erase its Indigenous intelligence but rather embraces the rich complexity of Indigenous cultures. -- Matika Wilbur
Wado to NetGalley, Ten Speed Press, and author Matika Wilbur for an advanced digital copy such that I could share my honest opinions.
March 30, 2023
I was expecting a book that was organized by tribe, so to see this book organized by people was wonderful. The book is stunning photographs and then a profile of the person photographed. It also includes events. There is a lot of information in the book. I can't wait to see the final book and reread it.
5 stars
5 stars
November 21, 2023
Stunning. I hope lots of people buy it for their coffee table... and then *read* it! I'm skimming, as, unfortunately, the print is very small. But the pictures, with most of the subjects in regalia, draw me in to learn at least a tiny bit more about each person featured.
And I am so impressed. Amazing role models for all of us, not just for Native people.
And I am so impressed. Amazing role models for all of us, not just for Native people.
Read
July 6, 2023A real eye-opening book. All the individual stories and amazing photographs helped to see things from different perspectives.
June 18, 2023
Beautifully photography and essays on individuals.
November 25, 2023
Extraordinary book that I feel does exactly what it sets out to do. I read every word and lingered over the pictures. The portraits are beautiful and the words reveal the individual differences and incredible variety of the subjects, while at the same time highlighting important recurring themes, such as connection to the land, false history, sovereignty, oppression and recovery of language, and education among others. This is a book I would like to own to return to favorite pictures and passages and even to leave out on my coffee table for guests to enjoy (if I ever had any guests).
One teeny tiny constructive criticism feedback: I appreciate the list of tribes and the map in the back, but I would have loved if instead of the numbers being in alphabetical order and so scattered over the map at random, the alphabetical list was assigned numbers from east to west or vice versus, or perhaps keep the numbers as is but add a grid over the map and a letter+number grid key to each tribe in the list. I understand that current political boundaries assigned by the United States are irrelevant in this context, but environment is important and some of the tribes I was unfamiliar with and I wanted to know up front whether the land being referenced was near the Arctic Circle, in the Everglades, on the shore of one of the Great Lakes, in the desert, the Pacific Northwest, or a Pacific island.
One teeny tiny constructive criticism feedback: I appreciate the list of tribes and the map in the back, but I would have loved if instead of the numbers being in alphabetical order and so scattered over the map at random, the alphabetical list was assigned numbers from east to west or vice versus, or perhaps keep the numbers as is but add a grid over the map and a letter+number grid key to each tribe in the list. I understand that current political boundaries assigned by the United States are irrelevant in this context, but environment is important and some of the tribes I was unfamiliar with and I wanted to know up front whether the land being referenced was near the Arctic Circle, in the Everglades, on the shore of one of the Great Lakes, in the desert, the Pacific Northwest, or a Pacific island.
June 25, 2023
less that I was expecting…
2.0 / 5.0 more to come when I have a moment to process a full review but i had high hopes for this and it really fell short.
2.0 / 5.0 more to come when I have a moment to process a full review but i had high hopes for this and it really fell short.
February 26, 2024
“Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America” is a nonfiction book focusing on documenting the life and culture of five hundred and sixty-two federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations through written narrative and visually stunning photographs.
The book consists of a listing of the book’s contents, an introduction, two hundred and one personal narratives, a list of Native nations (with Nations represented in the book highlighted in burgundy,) a map of the relative locations of the federally recognized Tribes in the United States at the time of this writing of this book, acknowledgments, a list of supporters, information about the author, and an index.
In the introduction, author Matika Wilbur provides the names of the native tribe she is descended from (Swinomish and Tulalip.) as well as her Indian names of Tsa-Tsique which means “woman who teaches children.” Wilbur is clear that this book is mean to document members of various Indigenous people as well as provide depth and clarity to the previous one-dimensional stereotypes created by the dominant white culture, mass media, and Hollywood movies.
After discovering that there was a lack of culturally relevant Native photography and after asking her higher power for permission to do this project, she begins Project 562 by searching online for the total number of federally recognized Tribes in the United States. In addition to federally recognized Tribes, (which as of 2023 are 574,) Wilbur also visited state-recognizes Tribes, urban Indians, international Tribal communities, Tribes across the borders, and Tribes which have been overlooked or eradicated by Congress. Throughout the book, Wilbur toggles between the terms Native, Indian, and Indigenous since that is how they commonly classify themselves.
Each narrative consists of a photo, the name of the Tribe represented, the name of the person or persons representing the Tribe followed by a narrative on various topics including the racism, respecting the land, keeping cultural traditions alive, shifting cultural traditions, working against tribal gender roles, the impact of Native children being adopted or living in foster care with Non-Native parents, and the past sterilization of Native woman by the US government without their consent.
In addition to the personal narratives, there are five essays focusing on the strong connection Native people feel to the water and deep connection to canoes, the fight to protect Native land in Hawai’i, protecting Native Women, The Story of Standing Rock, and Indigenous Women Hikers. While the personal narratives span one or two pages, the essays with photographs span three to nine pages.
As I finished reading this book, I felt that this Wilbur was successful in showing the history, beauty, and complexity of Native culture without the influence of white or Western culture. I learned so much from reading this book whether is it the symbolism of Inuit women getting chin tattoos, denationalization, two spirit people, the long-term impact of colonialism, domestic violence, and working to preserve language for future generations of Native children. In closing, this book should be read by people of all races and ages as a way to work towards better understanding the hopes, dreams, and struggles currently experienced by Native people.
The book consists of a listing of the book’s contents, an introduction, two hundred and one personal narratives, a list of Native nations (with Nations represented in the book highlighted in burgundy,) a map of the relative locations of the federally recognized Tribes in the United States at the time of this writing of this book, acknowledgments, a list of supporters, information about the author, and an index.
In the introduction, author Matika Wilbur provides the names of the native tribe she is descended from (Swinomish and Tulalip.) as well as her Indian names of Tsa-Tsique which means “woman who teaches children.” Wilbur is clear that this book is mean to document members of various Indigenous people as well as provide depth and clarity to the previous one-dimensional stereotypes created by the dominant white culture, mass media, and Hollywood movies.
After discovering that there was a lack of culturally relevant Native photography and after asking her higher power for permission to do this project, she begins Project 562 by searching online for the total number of federally recognized Tribes in the United States. In addition to federally recognized Tribes, (which as of 2023 are 574,) Wilbur also visited state-recognizes Tribes, urban Indians, international Tribal communities, Tribes across the borders, and Tribes which have been overlooked or eradicated by Congress. Throughout the book, Wilbur toggles between the terms Native, Indian, and Indigenous since that is how they commonly classify themselves.
Each narrative consists of a photo, the name of the Tribe represented, the name of the person or persons representing the Tribe followed by a narrative on various topics including the racism, respecting the land, keeping cultural traditions alive, shifting cultural traditions, working against tribal gender roles, the impact of Native children being adopted or living in foster care with Non-Native parents, and the past sterilization of Native woman by the US government without their consent.
In addition to the personal narratives, there are five essays focusing on the strong connection Native people feel to the water and deep connection to canoes, the fight to protect Native land in Hawai’i, protecting Native Women, The Story of Standing Rock, and Indigenous Women Hikers. While the personal narratives span one or two pages, the essays with photographs span three to nine pages.
As I finished reading this book, I felt that this Wilbur was successful in showing the history, beauty, and complexity of Native culture without the influence of white or Western culture. I learned so much from reading this book whether is it the symbolism of Inuit women getting chin tattoos, denationalization, two spirit people, the long-term impact of colonialism, domestic violence, and working to preserve language for future generations of Native children. In closing, this book should be read by people of all races and ages as a way to work towards better understanding the hopes, dreams, and struggles currently experienced by Native people.
August 6, 2023
Matika Wilbur’s Project 562 is a masterpiece and essential for understanding the beauty and humanity behind indigeneity. This work is a Kickstarter-funded journey throughout 562 federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations with outstanding photography and personal stories about community, kinship, love, perseverance, trauma, and the meaning of being Indigenous. Each story is unique and helps expose the harmful effects of centuries worth of colonialism and a genocidal government. As Marva Sii~xuutesna Jones profoundly stated: “Native living is rare and Native thinking even rarer.” We need these voices to decolonize our shackled minds and right the wrongs of America’s white supremacist legacy and past.
Nothing I’ve read up until this point has had a gut-punching effect like this book. I’ve learned so much from the experiences shared within these pages and I’m excited to continue on this journey of using decolonization as a means to tackle our current oppressive systems. From the hostage situation currently being carried out in Hawaii to the dark history exposing the false narrative of Manifest Destiny in the context of stories such as Pocahontas and Sacagawea, this book peels back the layers that have clouded our perceptions for generations. Wilbur provides many opportunities for her readers to learn from Indigenous perspectives.
If you’re interested in history, Indigenous knowledge, learning from unique and interesting perspectives, this is a book for you! The photography alone is worth it! I think this will end up being my book of the year. I would love to see a follow-up!
If you’re interested in learning more from the author, she has a podcast called “All My Relations” with Dr. Adrienne Keene.
Nothing I’ve read up until this point has had a gut-punching effect like this book. I’ve learned so much from the experiences shared within these pages and I’m excited to continue on this journey of using decolonization as a means to tackle our current oppressive systems. From the hostage situation currently being carried out in Hawaii to the dark history exposing the false narrative of Manifest Destiny in the context of stories such as Pocahontas and Sacagawea, this book peels back the layers that have clouded our perceptions for generations. Wilbur provides many opportunities for her readers to learn from Indigenous perspectives.
If you’re interested in history, Indigenous knowledge, learning from unique and interesting perspectives, this is a book for you! The photography alone is worth it! I think this will end up being my book of the year. I would love to see a follow-up!
If you’re interested in learning more from the author, she has a podcast called “All My Relations” with Dr. Adrienne Keene.
July 25, 2023
Sorry if I'm going to gush too much in this review, but it has to be said that each and every photograph included in the book is beautiful. I certainly don't have the words to express how seeing all the photographs of the humans photographed against those backdrops is so powerful. The photos were just the start; the accompanying text/words from those humans were also quite moving.
From what I can tell in reading the book, early on in the author's travels in tackling this project, she met with John Trudell who guided her to ask Indigenous Americans how they exist as Indigenous humans or in his words, "Try to understand what it means to become human from an Indigenous perspective." And in the author's words, "what does it mean to be who we are in our own language?" [p. 4]. That really seemed to have lead to revelatory interviews with the peoples.
Now I'm just hoping that the author/photographer doesn't stop with just one book. This book is beyond beautiful, but I can't help but think there are more photos and more stories to tell. Fingers crossed for more volumes along these lines.
From what I can tell in reading the book, early on in the author's travels in tackling this project, she met with John Trudell who guided her to ask Indigenous Americans how they exist as Indigenous humans or in his words, "Try to understand what it means to become human from an Indigenous perspective." And in the author's words, "what does it mean to be who we are in our own language?" [p. 4]. That really seemed to have lead to revelatory interviews with the peoples.
Now I'm just hoping that the author/photographer doesn't stop with just one book. This book is beyond beautiful, but I can't help but think there are more photos and more stories to tell. Fingers crossed for more volumes along these lines.
November 30, 2023
This is a gorgeous coffee table art book of Wilbur’s photography, and would make a really nice gift for those interested in portrait photography.
Matika Wilbur, who is of the Swinomish and Tulalip tribes in what is now Washington State, used Kickstarter to find initial funding for her really ambitious project, to find, interview and photograph members of the 562 recognized Native American tribes. As the project moved forward this turned out to be a difficult task and one fraught with ethical issues as Wilbur realized the limitations of the American system of classifying and certifying tribes. What she has produced is a book that is the first part of this project that has taken her over a decade and continues.
Her portraits are beautiful, bright, authentic and real. Her interviews allow the subjects to speak in their own voice sharing exactly what they want to share. Our community college purchased two copies for our collection, I’m glad I was able to read this one between student appointments.
Matika Wilbur, who is of the Swinomish and Tulalip tribes in what is now Washington State, used Kickstarter to find initial funding for her really ambitious project, to find, interview and photograph members of the 562 recognized Native American tribes. As the project moved forward this turned out to be a difficult task and one fraught with ethical issues as Wilbur realized the limitations of the American system of classifying and certifying tribes. What she has produced is a book that is the first part of this project that has taken her over a decade and continues.
Her portraits are beautiful, bright, authentic and real. Her interviews allow the subjects to speak in their own voice sharing exactly what they want to share. Our community college purchased two copies for our collection, I’m glad I was able to read this one between student appointments.
April 2, 2023
Oh my heart! This book is GORGEOUS. The photos are simply stunning. Even more so though, the stories within of the people of Native tribes all around the country are simply beautiful, gutting at times, but beautiful.
You cannot truly comprehend the day to day lives that people live unless you immerse yourself in it. This gave me a small morsel of taste of just that. I would love to learn more.
Thank you Matika Wilbur for stirring in me that longing to learn more about the Native people who deserve to have their stories told.
You cannot truly comprehend the day to day lives that people live unless you immerse yourself in it. This gave me a small morsel of taste of just that. I would love to learn more.
Thank you Matika Wilbur for stirring in me that longing to learn more about the Native people who deserve to have their stories told.
May 14, 2023
A big, beautiful photography book filled with engrossing and respectful storytelling. I love the individual-centered approach, peppered with “bigger” stories on Standing Rock, Missing Indigenous Women, and more. I loved that the author profiled individuals from various ages, including children, to gain a historical viewpoint and insights into the current / future. I learned a lot. The photos grab you. I stared at the photo of Orlando Begay, graphic designer, in a library, for a long while. Stunning.
May 29, 2023
This book may be classed as photography but it is rich storytelling. Common themes of colonialism, trauma, reclaiming language, Creator and two-spirited people. This book is well worth it to acquire a modern look of Native American tribes. It’ll likely challenge you but it is so good.
February 7, 2025
It took me a long time to read as it's a book that can't be checked out of my local history museum. It's a beautiful book filled with stories of the tribes keeping their history alive. I learned so much reading this.
June 8, 2023
This is a beautiful book that made me want to know more. I was surprised by the number of tribes in Southern states. I was also amazed by the stories from Hawaiian native people. This is definitely going on my coffee table to share and enlighten.
June 27, 2023
I feel like I was introduced to so many wonderful human beings. Loved the photographs and each person's write up.
September 29, 2023
Incredible. I am grateful to learn.
May 24, 2024
this book is like a love letter to every indigenous person who reads it, matika is a gift
July 3, 2024
So good I brought back my library copy and bought my own instead.
May 4, 2023
(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
This absolutely gorgeous work is impressively balanced - sweeping in scope yet also wonderfully intimate. Project 562 is the perfect prescription for people like myself who have little to no sense of the diversity of the country’s indigenous peoples and are in dire need of a deep glimpse.
This absolutely gorgeous work is impressively balanced - sweeping in scope yet also wonderfully intimate. Project 562 is the perfect prescription for people like myself who have little to no sense of the diversity of the country’s indigenous peoples and are in dire need of a deep glimpse.
November 29, 2023
I took some time to think on my review, and honestly don’t feel I’m any more prepared to write a well worded review.
The journey that the author went on to write this is absolutely beautiful, and the photographs and stories just as beautiful. I liked the Notable Natives book and the art was really great, but there is just something about seeing the real person behind the story.
My personal reasons for struggling with the review:
I wish my grandma was still here to read this. She helped raise me with an appreciation for Native people. I grew up going to a powwow with her and my grandpa every year at the Trail of Courage in Rochester Indiana where they lived. My grandparents hosted one of the tribe members from Oklahoma at least once (or more). I just remember being really in awe of him. I got his name from my grandpa, but not sure I should post it.
The journey that the author went on to write this is absolutely beautiful, and the photographs and stories just as beautiful. I liked the Notable Natives book and the art was really great, but there is just something about seeing the real person behind the story.
My personal reasons for struggling with the review:
I wish my grandma was still here to read this. She helped raise me with an appreciation for Native people. I grew up going to a powwow with her and my grandpa every year at the Trail of Courage in Rochester Indiana where they lived. My grandparents hosted one of the tribe members from Oklahoma at least once (or more). I just remember being really in awe of him. I got his name from my grandpa, but not sure I should post it.
December 20, 2023
I love this book, so much that I'm going to do something I have never done before: write a review before I've finished. A book like this has to be read slowly and savored, and I don't want to be rushed... but I *do* want to tell the world about it!
"Project 562" is written with love: the love of a Native American for all the diverse Indigenous tribes in America and the desire to give them a voice. Matika Wilbur called it "Project 562" because she wanted to interview somebody from each of the 562 federally recognized Indian nations. She acknowledges that it was a somewhat unfortunate name, because the number of recognized nations is now up to 574, and because the name inadvertently excludes some tribal groups that have not been officially recognized. (This is a particular problem in California, where several treaties that were signed in the 1850s were never ratified by Congress.) Although visiting every tribe may be an impossible task, what Wilbur has done is amazing: a collection of interviews and photos of at least two or three hundred Indigenous people from Cape Cod to Hawaii and everywhere in between.
Wilbur's book is as huge as its subject: at 400+ pages and 5 pounds, it quite literally weighs more than any book I have picked up in a very long time. It is printed on heavy-stock, glossy paper, befitting a work of art. Why do I mention this? Because it shows that the author and her team wanted to create a document that they and all Indigenous people could be proud of.
Aside from its sheer size, the other thing that impressed me most about "Project 562" was the way that the author let the people speak. More than anything else, their words convey both the common themes and the diversity of the Indigenous experience. Wilbur does provide enough context to enable the reader to understand what her interviewees are talking about, but in general I thought that she did a pretty good job of keeping her own opinions out of the interviews. That is not true of the longer expository sections where she writes about more controversial topics: for example, a section on the Mauna Kea protests of 2019-2020, a section on the Standing Rock protest of 2016, etc. Here Wilbur does not hold back on her passion and her outrage.
I'm afraid that I vigorously disagree with her interpretation of the Mauna Kea protest, and this is the only reason that I have given her book four stars rather than five. In brief, this was a protest that began in the spring of 2019, when a group called the "kia'i mauna" (protectors of the mountain) blocked the access road to the peak of Mauna Kea, where astronomers had planned to build a new telescope called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The group grew to thousands of people, and they succeeded at preventing construction, for close to a year.
Then, in Match 2020, the pandemic came. Nobody could build anything, and the controversy died down, almost as if Mother Nature had turned off the gas to an oven. The protestors left their camp because there was nothing further to protest. What has happened since then is exactly what should have happened in the first place. The government has organized a new committee for the stewardship of Mauna Kea that includes *both* astronomers *and* the kia'i. The committee includes one of the Native Hawaiians that Wilbur interviewed. According to the accounts I have read, they have found a surprising degree of agreement, provided they do not talk about the TMT. I think this is exactly as it should be. Stewardship should come first. First let all the parties be represented and heard. Let the astronomers understand the protectors, and let the protectors understand the astronomers. Let both sides hear what is at stake, what is at risk and what may be gained. Let the astronomers realize that they have not lived up to their end of the bargain by decommissioning telescopes that are no longer needed. Let the kia'i understand why there is no other place like Mauna Kea for astronomy, and let them realize that they have a responsibility not only to their people but to the entire human race to allow access to this unique place. Provided that the access is not taken for granted, is freely asked for and freely given. Provided that the astronomers accept this as a sacred responsibility and a sacred place. Once the two sides have proven that they can work together as stewards of the mountain, then they will be able to decide for themselves when and whether to build the TMT or some other telescope.
I have great hope that this transformation will happen. Call me a starry-eyed optimist, but I saw it at the American Astronomical Society meeting in January 2020. One session at that meeting, called "Native Voices," brought together two of the kia'i and two Native Hawaiian astronomy students. (Sadly, there are no Native Hawaiian astronomy professors yet, something that needs to be rectified.) Both sides explained their points of view, and at the end they hugged and touched foreheads together in the traditional Hawaiian way. This truly gave me hope. We just need simple, face-to-face conversation between the Native Hawaiians who want to preserve their mountain and the Native Hawaiians who want to use modern technology to understand the universe that Wakea, the Sky Father, has given us. If these two sides can talk to each other, then the differences and the hurts can be overcome. This I truly believe.
Unfortunately, you will not read any of this in Wilbur's book. She simply repeats the point of view of the protectors, including their falsehoods and distortions. That might be okay if she had let the other side have a voice, but she doesn't. She didn't interview a single Native Hawaiian astronomer, or astronomy student, or engineer, or support worker -- any of the Native Hawaiians who support the telescope. It's not as if these people don't exist, or that they are hard to find. I interviewed two or three of them at the astronomy meeting, as well as interviewing the protectors of the mountain. (Unlike Wilbur, I went to *both* the astronomy meeting *and* the protest site.)
Why did she interview only one side? I do not know. All I can say is that writing a chapter like the one she has written is not the road to a solution. The only path is to get both sides together in a room and let both sides be heard. And this is happening, as I said above. One of the great strengths of Hawaiian people, and perhaps Indigenous people more generally, is their strong sense of family and togetherness... in Hawaiian terms, the aloha spirit. Let them model for the rest of humanity how we can use aloha to resolve difficult disagreements.
Anyway, I am sorry that Wilbur did not see her way to telling a more complex and inclusive story in this part of the book. This is the only part of the book where I have independent knowledge, but it does make me wonder about the rest of the book. Are there other places where she projects a unanimity that is achieved only by ignoring one side? I do not know, and not knowing makes it hard for me to give her book five stars.
But please don't let this one criticism scare you away from the book! In so many ways, Wilbur has given a voice to the voiceless, and it's super-picky for me to criticize her for missing one voiceless group. Please buy and enjoy this book, which if nothing else will show you the great resilience of Native Americans and how much they have to offer all of us.
"Project 562" is written with love: the love of a Native American for all the diverse Indigenous tribes in America and the desire to give them a voice. Matika Wilbur called it "Project 562" because she wanted to interview somebody from each of the 562 federally recognized Indian nations. She acknowledges that it was a somewhat unfortunate name, because the number of recognized nations is now up to 574, and because the name inadvertently excludes some tribal groups that have not been officially recognized. (This is a particular problem in California, where several treaties that were signed in the 1850s were never ratified by Congress.) Although visiting every tribe may be an impossible task, what Wilbur has done is amazing: a collection of interviews and photos of at least two or three hundred Indigenous people from Cape Cod to Hawaii and everywhere in between.
Wilbur's book is as huge as its subject: at 400+ pages and 5 pounds, it quite literally weighs more than any book I have picked up in a very long time. It is printed on heavy-stock, glossy paper, befitting a work of art. Why do I mention this? Because it shows that the author and her team wanted to create a document that they and all Indigenous people could be proud of.
Aside from its sheer size, the other thing that impressed me most about "Project 562" was the way that the author let the people speak. More than anything else, their words convey both the common themes and the diversity of the Indigenous experience. Wilbur does provide enough context to enable the reader to understand what her interviewees are talking about, but in general I thought that she did a pretty good job of keeping her own opinions out of the interviews. That is not true of the longer expository sections where she writes about more controversial topics: for example, a section on the Mauna Kea protests of 2019-2020, a section on the Standing Rock protest of 2016, etc. Here Wilbur does not hold back on her passion and her outrage.
I'm afraid that I vigorously disagree with her interpretation of the Mauna Kea protest, and this is the only reason that I have given her book four stars rather than five. In brief, this was a protest that began in the spring of 2019, when a group called the "kia'i mauna" (protectors of the mountain) blocked the access road to the peak of Mauna Kea, where astronomers had planned to build a new telescope called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The group grew to thousands of people, and they succeeded at preventing construction, for close to a year.
Then, in Match 2020, the pandemic came. Nobody could build anything, and the controversy died down, almost as if Mother Nature had turned off the gas to an oven. The protestors left their camp because there was nothing further to protest. What has happened since then is exactly what should have happened in the first place. The government has organized a new committee for the stewardship of Mauna Kea that includes *both* astronomers *and* the kia'i. The committee includes one of the Native Hawaiians that Wilbur interviewed. According to the accounts I have read, they have found a surprising degree of agreement, provided they do not talk about the TMT. I think this is exactly as it should be. Stewardship should come first. First let all the parties be represented and heard. Let the astronomers understand the protectors, and let the protectors understand the astronomers. Let both sides hear what is at stake, what is at risk and what may be gained. Let the astronomers realize that they have not lived up to their end of the bargain by decommissioning telescopes that are no longer needed. Let the kia'i understand why there is no other place like Mauna Kea for astronomy, and let them realize that they have a responsibility not only to their people but to the entire human race to allow access to this unique place. Provided that the access is not taken for granted, is freely asked for and freely given. Provided that the astronomers accept this as a sacred responsibility and a sacred place. Once the two sides have proven that they can work together as stewards of the mountain, then they will be able to decide for themselves when and whether to build the TMT or some other telescope.
I have great hope that this transformation will happen. Call me a starry-eyed optimist, but I saw it at the American Astronomical Society meeting in January 2020. One session at that meeting, called "Native Voices," brought together two of the kia'i and two Native Hawaiian astronomy students. (Sadly, there are no Native Hawaiian astronomy professors yet, something that needs to be rectified.) Both sides explained their points of view, and at the end they hugged and touched foreheads together in the traditional Hawaiian way. This truly gave me hope. We just need simple, face-to-face conversation between the Native Hawaiians who want to preserve their mountain and the Native Hawaiians who want to use modern technology to understand the universe that Wakea, the Sky Father, has given us. If these two sides can talk to each other, then the differences and the hurts can be overcome. This I truly believe.
Unfortunately, you will not read any of this in Wilbur's book. She simply repeats the point of view of the protectors, including their falsehoods and distortions. That might be okay if she had let the other side have a voice, but she doesn't. She didn't interview a single Native Hawaiian astronomer, or astronomy student, or engineer, or support worker -- any of the Native Hawaiians who support the telescope. It's not as if these people don't exist, or that they are hard to find. I interviewed two or three of them at the astronomy meeting, as well as interviewing the protectors of the mountain. (Unlike Wilbur, I went to *both* the astronomy meeting *and* the protest site.)
Why did she interview only one side? I do not know. All I can say is that writing a chapter like the one she has written is not the road to a solution. The only path is to get both sides together in a room and let both sides be heard. And this is happening, as I said above. One of the great strengths of Hawaiian people, and perhaps Indigenous people more generally, is their strong sense of family and togetherness... in Hawaiian terms, the aloha spirit. Let them model for the rest of humanity how we can use aloha to resolve difficult disagreements.
Anyway, I am sorry that Wilbur did not see her way to telling a more complex and inclusive story in this part of the book. This is the only part of the book where I have independent knowledge, but it does make me wonder about the rest of the book. Are there other places where she projects a unanimity that is achieved only by ignoring one side? I do not know, and not knowing makes it hard for me to give her book five stars.
But please don't let this one criticism scare you away from the book! In so many ways, Wilbur has given a voice to the voiceless, and it's super-picky for me to criticize her for missing one voiceless group. Please buy and enjoy this book, which if nothing else will show you the great resilience of Native Americans and how much they have to offer all of us.
September 9, 2023
I first heard of this book from actress Devery Jacobs (FX's Reservation Dogs TV show) in The Hollywood Reporter's Comedy Actress Roundtable YouTube video . During one segment of the video, Jacobs politely and respectfully corrects Sheryl Lee Ralph about her use of the term Native American instead of Indigenous people. She mentioned this book while talking about indigenous tribes and how to ideally specifically refer to which tribe one is talking about. I was so impressed by the grace and response from both Jacobs and Ralph that I jotted down this book as part of my Want To Read list. Thankfully, my local library had a copy so I was able to borrow and read it.
I recommend this book to anyone whose curiosity is piqued by more information about indigenous tribes, people, history, and culture. I learned a lot from this book and had to unlearn some subconscious biases about Indigenous people and their culture thanks to the media's stereotypes and whitewashing of their history. It's incredible this book started off as a Kickstarter campaign, and at the time Matika Wilbur wrote this book, there were only 562 federally recognized tribes. As of now, there are 574 tribes.
Wilbur's photography showcases beautiful indigenous people representing their authentic selves. While looking at her photographs, you'll see so many differences in culture, fashion, and lifestyle. This book is excellent at demonstrating how not all indigenous tribes and people are a monolith; and each tribe has their own unique culture, language, and traditions which vary.
At times, this book did pain me to read. Reading about all of these indigenous stories and how they've had to fight for so many injustices. Whether it's from kids being forced to attend boarding schools and not being allowed to speak their mother tongue to fighting for their right to fish for sustainable living in Alaska to being sent to internment camps during World War II, their stories deserve to be heard by all. I admire every interviewee's perseverance in keeping their traditions, cultures, and languages alive. With each interview, I really felt like I was able to hear their unique voice and stories. The book covers tribes all over America even in states like Hawai'i and Alaska which is super cool to read.
Wilbur did an amazing job of bringing awareness and educating the reader on important issues such as the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls cases and other statistics regarding drugs, alcoholism, and mental health. While reading about the Pocahontas Perlex (real name Matoaka), it saddened me to discover through the confirmation of oral histories Sacagawea was raped by Lewis and Clark multiple times during their expedition. But it was reading passages like this that made me realize how much of indigenous history is covered up by whitewashed American history to paint indigenous in more of a passive light and their white counterparts as more heroic.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book include:
"What I hope for my children is that they choose to do things Native. Meaning you can still be in the world, in the reality that we live in, where there's still business and there's commerce, et cetera, but that they operate from a Native space. I think that's what we're getting to, getting to know some of those realms, of making Native business to support the Native community. In the past, you had to walk in two worlds, and it was always the Native world that was in the back seat, because to be successful, it had to be in the Western world. And then you were allowed to be Native after. I want it to be the other way around. I want our kids to be Native first - philosophically, emotionally, functionally, linguistically. And then I want them to be able to walk in the Western world when they so choose" - Joshua Dead Iokua Ikaikaloa Mori (p. 207).
"The characteristics and attributes that people claim to be honoring with the R*dsk*ns are a warrior spirit and fierceness and shit, and I'm like, 'You don't know what Indians are'. Indians are humans like anybody else. What you're generalizing and honoring, supposedly, is actually a celebration of the US's propaganda against Indian people. Even if this isn't on the forefront of the conscious mind (and let's be real, I wouldn't describe the average R*dsk*ns fan as a conscious mind), the fact remains that these images and stereotypes propagate the dehumanization of Native people, regardless of intent. The best way to honor Natives today would be to listen to their voice, and say like, 'Alright, we changed the name, or we will change whatever.'" - Migizi Pensoneau (p. 279).
I cannot recommend this book if you're curious and open to diversifying your reading list and to learn more about Indigenous tribes.
I recommend this book to anyone whose curiosity is piqued by more information about indigenous tribes, people, history, and culture. I learned a lot from this book and had to unlearn some subconscious biases about Indigenous people and their culture thanks to the media's stereotypes and whitewashing of their history. It's incredible this book started off as a Kickstarter campaign, and at the time Matika Wilbur wrote this book, there were only 562 federally recognized tribes. As of now, there are 574 tribes.
Wilbur's photography showcases beautiful indigenous people representing their authentic selves. While looking at her photographs, you'll see so many differences in culture, fashion, and lifestyle. This book is excellent at demonstrating how not all indigenous tribes and people are a monolith; and each tribe has their own unique culture, language, and traditions which vary.
At times, this book did pain me to read. Reading about all of these indigenous stories and how they've had to fight for so many injustices. Whether it's from kids being forced to attend boarding schools and not being allowed to speak their mother tongue to fighting for their right to fish for sustainable living in Alaska to being sent to internment camps during World War II, their stories deserve to be heard by all. I admire every interviewee's perseverance in keeping their traditions, cultures, and languages alive. With each interview, I really felt like I was able to hear their unique voice and stories. The book covers tribes all over America even in states like Hawai'i and Alaska which is super cool to read.
Wilbur did an amazing job of bringing awareness and educating the reader on important issues such as the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls cases and other statistics regarding drugs, alcoholism, and mental health. While reading about the Pocahontas Perlex (real name Matoaka), it saddened me to discover through the confirmation of oral histories Sacagawea was raped by Lewis and Clark multiple times during their expedition. But it was reading passages like this that made me realize how much of indigenous history is covered up by whitewashed American history to paint indigenous in more of a passive light and their white counterparts as more heroic.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book include:
"What I hope for my children is that they choose to do things Native. Meaning you can still be in the world, in the reality that we live in, where there's still business and there's commerce, et cetera, but that they operate from a Native space. I think that's what we're getting to, getting to know some of those realms, of making Native business to support the Native community. In the past, you had to walk in two worlds, and it was always the Native world that was in the back seat, because to be successful, it had to be in the Western world. And then you were allowed to be Native after. I want it to be the other way around. I want our kids to be Native first - philosophically, emotionally, functionally, linguistically. And then I want them to be able to walk in the Western world when they so choose" - Joshua Dead Iokua Ikaikaloa Mori (p. 207).
"The characteristics and attributes that people claim to be honoring with the R*dsk*ns are a warrior spirit and fierceness and shit, and I'm like, 'You don't know what Indians are'. Indians are humans like anybody else. What you're generalizing and honoring, supposedly, is actually a celebration of the US's propaganda against Indian people. Even if this isn't on the forefront of the conscious mind (and let's be real, I wouldn't describe the average R*dsk*ns fan as a conscious mind), the fact remains that these images and stereotypes propagate the dehumanization of Native people, regardless of intent. The best way to honor Natives today would be to listen to their voice, and say like, 'Alright, we changed the name, or we will change whatever.'" - Migizi Pensoneau (p. 279).
I cannot recommend this book if you're curious and open to diversifying your reading list and to learn more about Indigenous tribes.
April 19, 2023
Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur is currently scheduled for release on April 25 2023. In 2012, Matika Wilbur sold everything in her Seattle apartment and set out on a Kickstarter-funded pursuit to visit, engage, and photograph people from what were then the 562 federally recognized Native American Tribal Nations. Over the next decade, she traveled six hundred thousand miles across fifty states—from Seminole country (now known as the Everglades) to Inuit territory (now known as the Bering Sea)—to meet, interview, and photograph hundreds of Indigenous people. The body of work Wilbur created serves to counteract the one-dimensional and archaic stereotypes of Native people in mainstream media and offers justice to the richness, diversity, and lived experiences of Indian Country. The culmination of this decade-long art and storytelling endeavor, Project 562 is a peerless, sweeping, and moving love letter to Indigenous Americans, containing hundreds of stunning portraits and compelling personal narratives of contemporary Native people—all photographed in clothing, poses, and locations of their choosing. Their narratives touch on personal and cultural identity as well as issues of media representation, sovereignty, faith, family, the protection of sacred sites, subsistence living, traditional knowledge-keeping, land stewardship, language preservation, advocacy, education, the arts, and more.
Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is a stunning and important book. The photography is absolutely wonderful, and I could page through this book for hours to appreciate each image. More important, the text and purpose of this book is incredibly significant and I found the book to be highly engaging, informational, and meaningful on multiple levels. I think letting each of the interviewed individuals choose how that wanted to be photographed, and how their words were shared untouched went a long way in sharing their real and authentic voices, experiences, and perspectives with readers. Reading this book was as close to meeting such a variety of individuals and communities from across the country as I am likely to ever have a chance to personally. I feel like I learned a great deal, and will continue to learn more as I explore more ownvoices works by indigenous individuals. I thought I had a much better grasp and understanding on how colonialism and bigotry had shaped this country and all of its people, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of how little I actually knew after reading this book. This book has inspired be to continue my learning and understanding, and I hope it will have the effect on a wide variety of readers.
Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is a stunning and important book. The photography is absolutely wonderful, and I could page through this book for hours to appreciate each image. More important, the text and purpose of this book is incredibly significant and I found the book to be highly engaging, informational, and meaningful on multiple levels. I think letting each of the interviewed individuals choose how that wanted to be photographed, and how their words were shared untouched went a long way in sharing their real and authentic voices, experiences, and perspectives with readers. Reading this book was as close to meeting such a variety of individuals and communities from across the country as I am likely to ever have a chance to personally. I feel like I learned a great deal, and will continue to learn more as I explore more ownvoices works by indigenous individuals. I thought I had a much better grasp and understanding on how colonialism and bigotry had shaped this country and all of its people, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of how little I actually knew after reading this book. This book has inspired be to continue my learning and understanding, and I hope it will have the effect on a wide variety of readers.
May 12, 2023
Borrowed this on a whim after seeing the cover and doing a little basic research. It's a fascinating book of pictures of Native American people from around what is now known as the United States, sharing their stories and histories and ways of life. They are varied, coming from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences, some familiar and known (poet, author and musician Joy Harjo), and maybe someone who could be your neighbor across the street, etc. This is the compilation that took Wilbur years to complete.
The format is fairly formulaic: Wilbur often has a short introduction of the person and then they share their stories. As you can imagine, some are sad, some are angry, some are hilarious, some are thoughtful, many have all of these and in between. And as mentioned, the individuals come from all walks of life and have various perspectives that will probably make you rethink about what you know about the indigenous peoples of the country known as the United States.
That's mostly it. The photography really is gorgeous and I somewhat regretted getting this as an e-book instead of getting a physical copy instead. It's not that the photos are less vibrant or nice in the ebook format (I can't compare since I haven't seen a physical version of the book yet), it's that this is the type of book that is probably best experienced in the paper format.
At over 400 pages (to be fair it's probably around something like 380 if you don't include the credits and what not), it's not a "light" book in any sense. But I really do recommend you read it, even if only in bits and pieces and in spurts. I'm not sure it's the type of book to be absorbed in one sitting so I'd recommend buying a copy or at least maybe wait for any library "rush" to die down.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me only because I don't really have space for a coffee table-type of book. But if I did, this would definitely be one to add to the shelf.
The format is fairly formulaic: Wilbur often has a short introduction of the person and then they share their stories. As you can imagine, some are sad, some are angry, some are hilarious, some are thoughtful, many have all of these and in between. And as mentioned, the individuals come from all walks of life and have various perspectives that will probably make you rethink about what you know about the indigenous peoples of the country known as the United States.
That's mostly it. The photography really is gorgeous and I somewhat regretted getting this as an e-book instead of getting a physical copy instead. It's not that the photos are less vibrant or nice in the ebook format (I can't compare since I haven't seen a physical version of the book yet), it's that this is the type of book that is probably best experienced in the paper format.
At over 400 pages (to be fair it's probably around something like 380 if you don't include the credits and what not), it's not a "light" book in any sense. But I really do recommend you read it, even if only in bits and pieces and in spurts. I'm not sure it's the type of book to be absorbed in one sitting so I'd recommend buying a copy or at least maybe wait for any library "rush" to die down.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me only because I don't really have space for a coffee table-type of book. But if I did, this would definitely be one to add to the shelf.
February 19, 2023
Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur is a beautiful and informative glimpse into the variety and depth of indigenous culture(s) in America.
The result of an ambitious plan, this volume will be an eye-opener for anyone regardless of background. In my case, I know very little about my native ancestry beyond what I learned when I would visit cousins when I was young. My family is what used to be called Heinz 57, which in our case meant we knew a little about each and a lot about none of our various heritage strands. I suspect that even many people who know their personal heritage better will still be less aware of the range of cultures within Native America. This project does quite a bit toward remedying that.
The photographs are wonderful portraits, my personal favorites being the ones where the subject is looking directly into the camera. I think I felt that way because I was also reading their words and having that extra bit of personal contact made it all come together very well. That said, the shots where they were looking off camera were all done very well and often conveyed the feeling that came across in their interview. In other words, each portrait didn't just accompany the text but added to it.
Highly recommended whether you're coming mostly for the photographs or the text. Either way, you'll be pleased with both elements.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
The result of an ambitious plan, this volume will be an eye-opener for anyone regardless of background. In my case, I know very little about my native ancestry beyond what I learned when I would visit cousins when I was young. My family is what used to be called Heinz 57, which in our case meant we knew a little about each and a lot about none of our various heritage strands. I suspect that even many people who know their personal heritage better will still be less aware of the range of cultures within Native America. This project does quite a bit toward remedying that.
The photographs are wonderful portraits, my personal favorites being the ones where the subject is looking directly into the camera. I think I felt that way because I was also reading their words and having that extra bit of personal contact made it all come together very well. That said, the shots where they were looking off camera were all done very well and often conveyed the feeling that came across in their interview. In other words, each portrait didn't just accompany the text but added to it.
Highly recommended whether you're coming mostly for the photographs or the text. Either way, you'll be pleased with both elements.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 23, 2023
This book deserves more than 5 stars. What an astounding project. Matika Wilbur decided to photograph one person from each of the 562 Native American tribes identified by the US government. Funded by a Kickstarter project, she spent 10 years, traveled over 600,000 miles and visited all 50 states. For each tribe, she chose one person, photographed and interviewed them. The photos are stunning. Many chose to pose outdoors dressed in colorful dance costumes. I found myself staring at the photos before I could read their stories.
After studying the photo, I read their words and heard their life stories. For Matika this was very personal and she also told about her interactions with each person. What a beautiful way to learn the history and culture of Native people by meeting them and hearing what they had to say. Matika's love of the people and their lives shines through on every page. Several of the people died before the book could be published. I hope their families all get copies of their loved ones photo and story.
This book is a major commitment. It is a large book weighing 5 pounds forcing you to sit and concentrate on it. I also ended up googling several of the people to see their artwork or listen to their music. I got it from the library but could see owning it just to look at the photos again. I think every middle and high school should have copies. This book has the power to change the way we look at Native Americans. It is a major accomplishment
After studying the photo, I read their words and heard their life stories. For Matika this was very personal and she also told about her interactions with each person. What a beautiful way to learn the history and culture of Native people by meeting them and hearing what they had to say. Matika's love of the people and their lives shines through on every page. Several of the people died before the book could be published. I hope their families all get copies of their loved ones photo and story.
This book is a major commitment. It is a large book weighing 5 pounds forcing you to sit and concentrate on it. I also ended up googling several of the people to see their artwork or listen to their music. I got it from the library but could see owning it just to look at the photos again. I think every middle and high school should have copies. This book has the power to change the way we look at Native Americans. It is a major accomplishment
April 25, 2023
The authoress traveled extensively for about a decade doing what I feel was her due diligence, gathering this 'offering' for her Native American People groups. However, this could also be for those others who care and wish to learn of these people and their culture.
Matika Wilbur has arranged her collection of brilliantly commemorative photos, marking and proudly presenting many of the Native Peoples such as the Assiniboine, Chippewa, Cree, Osage Nations, Apache, Swinomish, Tulalip and so many more that she has met, interviewed and shared food and time with. Each has short snippets of write-up explanation as to their contributions to teaching the next generations, reviving, empowering and furthering their culture.
I believe this compilation would be a great gift for anyone and could be left on a coffee table for the interested to peruse in bits and bites as they work their way through this mammoth project. Speaking of 'project,' readers will also become privy to understanding the book's title should they choose to invest in a copy.
~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~
February 2023
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.
Matika Wilbur has arranged her collection of brilliantly commemorative photos, marking and proudly presenting many of the Native Peoples such as the Assiniboine, Chippewa, Cree, Osage Nations, Apache, Swinomish, Tulalip and so many more that she has met, interviewed and shared food and time with. Each has short snippets of write-up explanation as to their contributions to teaching the next generations, reviving, empowering and furthering their culture.
I believe this compilation would be a great gift for anyone and could be left on a coffee table for the interested to peruse in bits and bites as they work their way through this mammoth project. Speaking of 'project,' readers will also become privy to understanding the book's title should they choose to invest in a copy.
~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~
February 2023
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.
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