Honoring Tradition and Culture: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month. Earlier this month we shared a gallery of photos from the Flickr community that was curated to celebrate the traditions and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities. You can check that out here! We want to continue recognizing and honoring Native Americans, the first people of this nation, by sharing some photos, taken by photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis, courtesy of the Museum of Photographic Arts.  

The Museum of Photographic Arts is a member of Flickr Commons, a unique collection of historical photography from over 100 cultural institutions from all around the world, all with no known copyright restrictions.

The main objectives of Flickr Commons are to: 

  • Increase access to publicly held photography collections
  • Propagate updates from and to member catalogs and other sources
  • Provide a way for the general public to contribute information and knowledge
  • Protect and attend to the long life of this unique collection

Read more about Flickr Commons and its members here!

Now onto the collection!  

As you scroll through the highlights from this collection, make sure to click through each photo to learn more about the subjects, the photographic process used and estimated creation dates. If you happen to know any additional information about the subjects or anything notable about the photo that might be of interest to other viewers and the museum, make sure to use the commenting option for each photo to share that information.

Mother and Child - Apsaroke
Stands First - Oglala
Umatilla Maid
A Medicine Pipe - Piegan
Sun Dance Encampment
Black Eagle - Assinboin

Through education and advocacy we can continue honoring Native American culture not just during Native American Heritage month but beyond and always. To learn more, visit firstnations.org.

Get to know more about Flickr Commons and the important preservation efforts of the Flickr Foundation by checking out their recent newsletter. The Flickr Foundation is looking to hear from you, if you are a current member or looking to learn more about becoming one, contact them today!

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