The piercing eyes of a young Qahatika girl meet with the camera lens of noted ethnologist and historian Edward S. Curtis. It is understood that the Qahatika people, who are known for their rich cultural heritage and deep connection to the land, initially split off from their much larger ancestral group, the Pima, after being defeated in a battle with the Apache.
The Qahatika were not nomadic and developed a system of agriculture known as dry farming in the harsh Arizona landscape. Dry farming was the reliance on winter rains that could ensure a bountiful crop of wheat throughout the summer.
Tlingit
The Tlingit people had a reputation as true artisans and were renowned for their trading and commerce. As with many Native American tribes, the Tlingit were hunter-gatherers that did not settle in one location, and this brought them into contact with many other tribes, which, in turn, broadened their extensive bartering skills. Master weavers, jewelers, and artists, the Tlingit traded clothing and jewelry for canoes with their neighbors.
When Russian prospectors and the Tlingit people first encountered each other in the late 16th century, the exchange was amicable. The relations soon changed with disputes over trade routes that led to bloody conflict.
Princess Angeline
Chief Seattle had a peaceful and prosperous relationship with the early European settlers who made modern-day Oregon their home. His eldest daughter, Kikisoblu, found particular kinship with the townsfolk, and she was given the name “Princess Angeline” to make all aware of her regal status. Kikisoblu moved into the growing town of Seattle, which was named after her father, and lived a simple and unassuming life.
She had no care for politics and took up offering laundry services and selling hand-woven baskets to make a living for herself. She embodied resilience and cultural preservation throughout her life, inspiring generations with her strength and wisdom.
Piegan Blackfoot
The history behind this elderly man smoking his pipe in this image is unknown. What is known, however, is that he belonged to the Piegan tribe. The Piegan people made up the largest share of the three tribes that comprised the Blackfoot nation. The Piegans were originally agriculturalists until they migrated far enough south to begin buffalo hunting and are known until this day for their strong worrier culture.
This brought them into conflict with several other tribes, and the Blackfoot nation became known for its military might. The reign of the Piegans came to an end with a dismal buffalo hunt, and widespread starvation devastated the nation.
Nampeyo
Nampeyo was a renowned potter and artist from the Hopi Nation in southern Arizona. Her skills at recreating and innovating old Hopi styles became well-known, and she is credited with being the originator of contemporary Hopi artistic pottery. Nampeyo relied on all the traditional ways of pottering and painting, including using the yucca plant leaves as a brush.
Nampeyo’s prominence grew to such an extent that she and her husband traveled, by invitation, to an exhibition in Chicago to display her pottery and skills. Nampeyo was active between the 19th to early 20th centuries and is renowned for her intricate designs and exceptional craftsmanship.