Dancing For Our Tribe

Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium Exhibit

View Sharon Hoogstraten's series of portraits of Potawatomi in regalia, and read their stories. Please join us for related events on July 25 and August 14.

Photographer and Citizen Potawatomi Sharon Hoogstraten has constructed a record of present-day Potawatomis wearing traditional regalia passed down through generations, yet modified to reflect the influence and storytelling of contemporary life. This is an inclusive program, welcoming individuals of all abilities. The exhibit will be available to view at the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, and please join us for related events on July 25 and August 14.

For more infomation, visit https://hoogstratenphotography.com/ or the Forest Preserve District of Will County website.

In the heyday of the Anishinaabe Confederacy, the Potawatomis were spread across Canada, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Pressured by the westward expansion of the fledgling United States of America, they became the most treatied of any Indian tribes. Forced removals and multiple treaty era relocations resulted in cultural chaos and an enduring threat to their connections to the ancestors. Despite these hardships, they have managed to maintain (or restore) their rich heritage.

Photographer and Citizen Potawatomi Sharon Hoogstraten has constructed a permanent record of present-day Potawatomis wearing the traditional regalia passed down through the generations, yet modified to reflect the influence and storytelling of contemporary life. While the old silver monochrome portraits that captured Native life at the turn of the last century are a priceless record of those times, they also contribute to the presumption that most Indian tribes (particularly Woodland nations) exist only as obscure remnants of a dimly remembered past. Sharon portrays a fresh reality of today’s Native descendants and their regalia; people who live in a world of assimilation, sewing machines, polyester fabrics, duct tape, tattoos, favorite sports teams, proud military service, and high resolution digital cameras.

The Potawatomi Nations have merged loss and optimism to reinforce their legacy for generations to come. The old arts of language, ribbonwork, beading, and quillwork are being learned from the elders with a renewed sense of urgency. Determined to preserve Potawatomi culture, these regular folks are translating traditional designs into their own artistic celebration of continuing existence, and lighting the path forward for the next seven generations.

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