Hinmatóowyalahtq’it (Chief Joseph)
Charles Milton Bell American
Not on view
In 1879, while forcibly confined on a reservation in present-day Oklahoma, Hinmatóowyalahtq’it, or Chief Joseph, was permitted to travel to Washington, D.C., where he met with President Rutherford B. Hayes and presented his case for the return of the Nez Perce to the Pacific Northwest. As was common for Native delegates visiting the capital, he posed for a photographic portrait in Bell’s studio. Standing in an artificial landscape composed of a papier-mâché rock, faux moss, and a painted backdrop, Chief Joseph looks into the distance, allowing the viewer to study him without the threat of a returned gaze. This studio setting was used by Bell when photographing several Native American leaders, including Mahˇ píya Lúta, or Red Cloud.
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