Contemporary Indigenous Photography

Native North American photographers, active since the late 19th century, only gained artistic recognition in the 1990s. Engaging the concepts of survivance and visual sovereignty, these artists’ works celebrate the resilience of their home communities, cultural heritage, and right to self-representation. Their production, a term that describes both their artwork and practice, also questions the socio-political and environmental legacy of settler colonialism and responds to the myriad Euro-American depictions of Indigenous peoples that shaped public perception of them and their communities.

The Carter holds artwork by over 25 contemporary Indigenous photographers from across North America, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada. The collection surveys the visual strategies and themes employed by these artists and illustrates their important contributions to American art. Many of the photographs in this growing collection appeared in the Carter’s 2022 exhibition Speaking with Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography.