Ni’iihi’: In a Good Way
Photographs of Wind River Arapaho 1976-1996
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A public exhibition of photographs portraying contemporary life of the Wind River Arapaho tribe will be displayed in the lobby of the University Library from March 17 – May 13. |
The free exhibition is entitled Ni’iihi’: In a Good Way – Photographs of Wind River Arapaho 1976-1996, and features 40 black and white photographs of ceremonies and everyday events on the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming. "Ni’iihi" in the Arapaho language refers to living "in a good way." |
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The display will travel to Stevens Point thanks to a $2,000 grant received by Tom Johnson, professor of anthropology at UWSP. The grant was submitted and approved by UW System’s Institute on Race and Ethnicity.
Sara Wiles, photographer and cultural anthropologist from Indiana University, put together the collection during her time living near the reservation during the 20-year time period. Each image contains the individual’s Arapaho name with their meaning and story. This exhibition of black and white photographs provides insight into such values and traditions that guide contemporary Arapaho life. The exhibition also honors Arapaho individuals who contribute much to their own communities as leaders, artists, educators, and traditionalists.
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Josephine Redman was born May 18, 1903. She is the mother of nine children and has over 60 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. She has been a noted beadworker and tipi maker. Her Arapaho name, "Bee'eenesei," was given to her when she was young. No one is exactly sure of the translation. |
Photo courtesy of the |
The Northern Arapaho, as one of two American Indian tribes with contemporary homelands in Wyoming, are an important part of the state's heritage as well as its future. From the time they settled on the Plains in the late 18th century, the Arapaho people traveled throughout the region, including present Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, following the vast herds of buffalo that once roamed the prairies. As Plains tribes were placed on reservations in the late 19th century, the Northern Arapaho were located with the Shoshone on the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming in 1877. |
A Southern Arapaho contingent was settled with the Southern Cheyenne is western Oklahoma. Despite the geographic separation, the Northern and Southern Arapaho continue to have important social and ceremonial ties maintained through frequent visits between the two areas.
Originally on display at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, the exhibition received a grant from the Wyoming Council for the Humanities three years ago. Prior to the showing in Wisconsin, the photographs traveled to Montana, Colorado and Michigan.
Selected photos and text are courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.