This photograph by Frances and Mary Allen was probably taken during a 1910 pageant in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The appearance of the white actors portraying Indigenous warriors is highly stereotypical and although it might not have been offensive to many White people at the time, it would have been to Indigenous people, and it is certainly considered offensive by most people today. The actors are performing an “Indian Hunt Dance.” They wear long underwear dyed brown to simulate the organizers’ idea of Native American skin color, and long, shaggy wigs. Scenes from the pageant also appear in the 1910 Edison Company silent movie, “Ononko’s Vow.”
Allen, Frances and Mary, photographer. 1910 Portrayal of Native American Men. Photograph. 1910. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1996-14-2171-01-05/. Accessed on December 5, 2024.
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