Cowboy and Indian: Sante Fe Series
“Cowboy and Indian: Sante Fe Series” Camel Rock, New Mexico
This weekend I will be a part of a show for the first time in a while. I’m very excited to be a part of this Aboriginal Art Exhibition. The series of photos I will be exhibiting is “Cowboy and Indian: Sante Fe Series”. When I was in Santa Fe, for my cousins wedding, I fell in love with the city and the people. It was amazing!
While my husband and I were hanging out in the Plaza I happened to over-hear a tour guide speaking about a monument we were standing near. The guide was talking about an inscription on the monument:
“To the Heroes
Who have fallen in the
various battles with [ ]
Indians in the Territory
of New Mexico.”
What is the blank you might be asking? It is where the word “savage” has been chiseled out. The guide went on to say that it was chiseled out to show the change in attitude towards the Aboriginal people from that area…”The change of attitude?” I thought to myself, “maybe the word ‘heroes’ should have gone too or maybe it should have been left because you can’t change history and it should be remembered for the way things were?” I had really mixed emotions about what I had heard and have, since then, often thought about this issue. The history of the Sante Fe area is filled with battles between the settlers and the Pueblo Indians, who were already well established in the area.
Later in the week we were at the grocery store (buying our favorite Rainier cherries) when my husband pointed out plastic cowboys and indians on the shelf. I was surprised because I hadn’t seen them in years. Then it hit me, I decided to buy them and then photograph them in various places around Sante Fe. Green for nature, environment, vigor and life and yellow for idealism, but it also symbolizes deceit. [It's important for me to maintain a balance since I walk on two paths and have to respect and honor the two cultures I grew up with.]
I hope that my photos show humor but also make people think about the history of the places where the cowboy and indian were photographed.
I’m currently contemplating another 2 series of photographs for these characters.
Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival on Victoria Island -
In Honour of National Aboriginal Day
Saturday, June 20nd, 12-8pm; and Sunday, June 21st, 12-6pm.
For more information: http://www.nadottawa.ca/
Tags: camel rock, Cowboy and Indian: Sante Fe Series, National Aboriginal Day, New Mexico, photo, photography, symbolism, toys
