Rare Photos of the Life of Native Americans

Rare Color Photographs Depicting Native Americans in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century Captured Authentically.

The indigenous peoples of the Americas were the first inhabitants of the continent, arriving long before Christopher Columbus. They lived across North and South America. Some assimilated into the broader society, commonly referred to as Native Americans. They existed as nomadic tribes, relying on hunting and gathering for sustenance.

Today, Native Americans make up about 1% of the population in the United States. They predominantly reside in regions with challenging natural conditions, such as the high, arid mountains in the West.

In preparing materials for the short film titled “Moses on the Mesa“, American filmmaker Paul Ratner began researching old photographs of Native Americans. The film tells the story of a German-Jewish immigrant who falls in love with a Native American woman and becomes the chief of the Acoma Pueblo tribe in New Mexico in the late 1800s.

Initially, Ratner could only find black-and-white images that had been colorized. These images were taken during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The topic piqued Ratner’s interest, prompting him to invest time in collecting these photographs.

He shared the collection on social media, which immediately garnered significant attention from the online community. Viewers gained insights into the lives of Native Americans from over a century ago.

Portrait of a girl named Minnehaha. Taken in 1904.