Pride and Dignity

Excerpts from the Exhibition: Aboriginal Women

Portraits of Aboriginal Women

Throughout my research, one of the areas of concern that emerged was the representation of Aboriginal women. In general, photographers have shown Aboriginal women as subservient to a dominant male figure. The caption usually identifies the man and leaves the woman nameless, often referred to as a squaw or "wife of." Many times, women are pictured sitting on the ground and looking away from the camera or in a pose of domestic activity. While this would not be an uncommon scene in the Aboriginal world, once the photographs were taken out of the community and displayed for a non-native audience, the voiceless domestic servant suffered the indignity of becoming a negative stereotype. This series of portraits reflects the strength of Aboriginal women.

At the official opening for Aboriginal Portraits from the National Archives of Canada, Carleton University professor, Madeleine Dion-Stout (Cree), along with Tom Hill (Iroquois), director of the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario, provided opening remarks. Madeleine's remarks have been included here to add a voice for the Aboriginal Women section of Pride and Dignity.

Jeffrey Thomas, Onondaga - Iroquois
Guest Curator

Photo Gallery

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