In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now

To address the misrepresentation of Native, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit photography in museums, this book presents a groundbreaking exhibition catalog of photographs from the nineteenth century to the present day. Featuring 130 works by Native photographers, the catalog explores themes of Native presence, role, and connections to land and living things, offering a holistic view of their contributions to American art.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 09 January 2024
Publisher: Yale University Press

A groundbreaking exhibition catalog showcasing the rich history of Native, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit photography from the 19th century to the present day.

For far too long, museums have perpetuated misrepresentations and neglectful representations of Native culture and history in their exhibitions of photographs of and by Native people. This book aims to rectify this by assembling a diverse curatorial council comprising prominent academics and artists, over half of whom hail from Native communities in the United States and Canada.

In Our Hands: Native Photography presents Native photography through three thematic sections that highlight the following:

Native people are integral to all aspects of American life, playing a transformative role in society as a whole.
Their holistic and fundamental perspective on the land and all living things is deeply ingrained in their culture.

The publication features a stunning collection of 130 photographic works by Native photographers, spanning from the late 19th century to the present. These works encompass a wide range of styles, from documentary photographs to family snapshots to conceptual pieces. Illustrated in full color, the photographs in this book offer diverse perspectives, spanning geographic, chronological, and artistic realms, shedding new light on the extraordinary contributions of Native, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists to the art of the Americas.

Published by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, this catalog is a testament to the power of visual storytelling and the importance of preserving and celebrating Native heritage.

The exhibition schedule for In Our Hands: Native Photography is as follows:

Minneapolis Institute of Art
(October 22, 2023 – January 14, 2024)

Dimension: 305 x 229 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300272161