Indigenous Identities: Portraits of Native Americans in the Civil War Era
Indigenous Identities tells the stories of 49 Indigenous people living in the American West during the United States Civil War era (1846 – 1877) through original photographic portraits from The Museum’s Permanent Collection. This exhibition will offer an illuminating micro-perspective into a turbulent and perilous time in American history, through the faces and stories of individuals who lived it.
Indigenous reactions to white expansion ranged from strategic tolerance to staunch resistance. Many leaders, like Washakie of the Eastern Shoshone, worked hard to shield their people from violence by strategically negotiating with the U.S. government and adopting certain aspects of white culture while championing the continuation of their own traditions. Some Indigenous men, like Lochar Harjo of the Muscogee peoples and Black Beaver of the Delaware, even served in the Union Army during the Civil War. In contrast, other leaders like Navajo chief Manuelito and his wife Juanita fought tenaciously against the expansion of the United States, waging war until they were forced to surrender under threat of starvation. Despite these different forms of resistance, Indigenous peoples’ actions in the Civil War era underscore their agency in protecting their sovereignty during a time of great upheaval.
Contents: 49 photographs in 48 frames
Size: approximately 170 linear feet
For more information on traveling exhibits please contact Ashley Houston at
610.371.5850 x232 or Ashley.houston@readingpublicmuseum.org.