Edward S. Curtis | Curtis Legacy Foundation

Iahla "Willow", created by Edward Curtis in 1905 at the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico.

Left: Dog Woman, Cheyenne, photographed by Curtis in 1927. Right: Nelson Turtle, descendant of Dog Woman, with John Graybill.

Chief Henry Red Cloud, Oglala Lakota leader and direct descendant of the honorable Chief Red Cloud is seen here with William Ridenour of the Western Spirit Museum, which recently returned two culturally significant objects to the Oglala Lakota people.

We were honored to be at the Steamboat Art Museum in Colorado as part of their exhibition "Portrayals At The American West."

In the accompanying plate are shown three tobacco-pouch pipe-bags. The middle one, a particularly elaborate and beautiful piece of work, is in quills and beads; that to the right is an old specimen worked entirely in quills; while the one to the left is a wakan, or sacred, pouch that has been in the family of the Ogalala chief, Slow Bull, for four generations. "The North American Indian," volume 3, page 26.

DESCENDANTS PROJECT

In our Descendants Project, we highlight the stories of the descendants of people
photographed by Edward Curtis, linking our past, present, and future.

OUR MISSION

We deepen understanding of Native American cultures by creating learning opportunities,
using the work of Edward Curtis as our platform.

PLEASE HELP!

A Writer's Tale: Creating Stories for the Descendant's Project

Three Take-Aways from the Recent Curtis Mega-Auctions

Reprint Editions and Other Important Reproductions of The North American Indian

RECENT BLOG POSTS

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Research Studies

Historical documents and recent research about Curtis and his work by contemporary scholars, historians, and authors.

Other Curtis Writings

Articles about photography and his perspectives on some of the Native Peoples he visited.

Videos

Recent videos about Edward S. Curtis and his work, now available online.

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THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN

Produced in 20 volumes from 1907 to 1930, The North American Indian is one of the greatest publications of the 20th century. It features 2,234 photogravures of images created by Edward Curtis, along with 4,956 numbered pages of text written by Curtis and his team of ethnological experts during their visits with more than 100 Native Nations and Tribes. The text includes important cultural histories, biographies of major Native leaders, language vocabularies, songs, and many other details that are found nowhere else.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Board of Directors of the Curtis Legacy Foundation respectfully acknowledges the Ute people, the original inhabitants of Northwest Colorado, and other Indigenous Nations of this area where our office in Colorado is located. We recognize that the establishment of this region impacted the lifeways of Native Peoples and their communities. In accepting this, we are called to utilize our foundation to teach stewardship of the land and continuing commitment to the inclusion and respect of these Nations and their traditional values for their homelands.