The 1880s and 1890s were decades of tremendous upheaval for many native peoples in Texas. Numerous Indian reservations were opened in the Oklahoma and Indian Territories during this time and large-scale efforts were made to force the native peoples to adopt Euro-American ways.
In Citizen’s Garb: Southern Plains Native Americans, 1885-1891, on display at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum from September 15, 2007- January 6, 2008, explores how dress – and life – changed for the Kiowa and Comanche tribes as they gradually adjusted to the new life forced upon them by the United States government.
In addition to historical objects and examples of clothing from the period, the exhibition contains 53 photographs (modern re-strikes made from original glass negatives) that were taken from 1889 to 1891 by the team of William J. Lenny and William L. Sawyers. Lenny and Sawyers established a photo shop in Purcell, Oklahoma, one of many towns that sprang up on former Indian lands.
Images of Native Americans in both citizen and native dress reflect the transition occurring between the tribes’ past and their radically different future. Other details are more subtle: a tipi constructed of store-bought canvas rather than of animal hides, for example, reflects a significant change in the material culture of the native peoples.
Courtesy of grouptravelblog.com
