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Apache tribe featured in photo exhibit
Published October 30, 2008
SEGUIN — Henry Moore has always had an appreciation of Native American culture.
On Nov. 3, the Seguin resident gets the opportunity to share his passion with the community, as the Seguin Silver Center will host a month-long exhibit of Moore’s photographs, taken at the Jicarilla Apache tribe’s 50th anniversary “Little Beaver” celebration.
This particular tribe of the Apaches now mostly resides in northern New Mexico, with its reservation stretching across two counties — Rio Arriba and Sandoval.
But despite the Jicarillas’ rich history in the area, it was American artist Fred Harman who began the tradition of the “Little Beaver” celebration five decades ago.
“(Harman) was one of the creators of the Red Ryder comic strip, and he wanted an Indian lad in his comic strip,” Moore said. “He lived near the Jicarilla reservation, so he went there and selected one of the boys to pose for him so that he could get a drawing and that became ‘Little Beaver’ in Red Ryder. That’s how the Little Beaver celebration got started, and being the 50th anniversary, the original Little Beaver was there, and he spoke to the crowd.”
The festivities included a parade, pony races, a rodeo, an archery contest, and a pow-wow dance. For Moore, this was a perfect chance to get close-up shots of the Jicarillas in their ceremonial headdresses and attire, which isn’t always easy to capture on film.
Some tribes, such as the Pueblos, even believe that taking a picture of someone will ensnare their soul, and it’s hard to get close enough to others to get good individual photographs.
Sometimes, however, it’s as easy as forgetting to pack the proper equipment.
“Two years ago, we went to the Little Beaver celebration, not knowing a thing about it at the time, and I didn’t take a good camera,” Moore chuckled.
Vowing to go back in 2008, he and his wife made good on their plans — and this time, they were prepared.
“I took about 150 pictures,” Moore said. “And I think I got some good ones. I was mostly interested in the children because at the Jicarilla pow-wow the whole family participates. They have a competition for the men, women, and the children, and the whole families come. A lot of them pitch their tent in the area of the fair, and they camp out for the three days and the kids dress up every time there’s a dance pow-wow, and it’s really a lot of fun.”
The informal manner of the dances and other events made it perfect for getting detailed photographs of the Jicarillas, which is what Moore’s exhibit offers. Compared to other tribal gatherings that Moore has attended, such as the annual Inter-Tribal Ceremonial in Gallup, N.M., he said that Little Beaver had a unique feel about it.
“You just have a big sand wide circle about 200 feet in diameter, and the Indian dancers come in and they all go around the circle so you have a chance to get close up to them when they come by you,” Moore said. “You can drive your car right onto the grounds and actually park your car within 20 feet of where you’re going to sit. They have arbors around the circle, but you bring your own chairs or you sit on the ground — there’s no seating.”
This intimate setting provided Moore with the ability to bring their experiences within the Native American culture to Seguin.
For Moore, his intrigue has always gone beyond putting photos on the wall.
“I’m not a professional photographer — I’m more interested in the Indians than I am the pictures,” Moore said. “This is as much a cultural show as it is a photography show.”
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