Walter BigBee and some of his photographic art

Walter BigBee  [1958-],
a member of the Comanche Nation, is a renowned professional photographer. He lived in Africa before finishing high school on the East Coast and then lived in various places around the United States. He studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and since 1997 he has taught workshops for the Institute of American Indian Arts. BigBee owns the Big Picture, a photography business in Tesuque, New Mexico. He feels Native photography continues the tradition of literacy and storytelling once expressed through petroglyphs and pictographs. He hopes his photojournalism work will help Natives and non-Natives to better understand Native people. BigBee has worked on several Smithsonian Institution projects. One such project included photographing the 15 leading contemporary Native American artists who collaborated on an installation and exhibition called “This Path We Travel.” His images have appeared in Time-Life books, Native Peoples magazine, and countless other publications.  BigBee also tans animal hides using traditional methods, makes moccasins and beaded clothing, and fashions drums and gourd rattles.

Let’s explore photojournalism    If possible, obtain publications that carry Walter BigBee’s work. Have the students check libraries for copies of Time-Life books or Native Peoples magazines. If his work is not available, select other examples of photojournalism. Show the students the photos without the accompanying test. Ask each student to write a paragraph that tells what is happening in the pictures. After the writing exercise, read the text to them. Did they have an accurate view of the events? Chief Joseph said, “It does not require many words to speak the truth.” Have students discuss what this means to them.

Let’s investigate telling stories through pictures    Select a day for the students to record events through photography. A class trip or another class activity during the regular school routine would work well. Divide the class into groups, giving each a disposable camera. Instruct the students to divide exposures equally, giving each student a certain number of shots to take from his or her perspective.  After developing the photos, have the students select those that best tell the story of the day’s events and display them on a poster with corresponding text. The students can also make and decorate photo albums for their friends or families. Investigate developing a Web site that the children can design for posting their photos. Have them look at the Memory Book section of Hawaiian teacher Kimberly Puanani Johnston’s Web site for ideas.

Making connections  Have students look for photographs in publications by and/or about Native Americans. Students should identify the photographers of images they like and learn more about the artists. Some photographers to consider are: Pena Bonita, Apache/Seminole; Tom Fields, Cherokee/Creek; Katherine Fogden, Mohawk; Dorothy Grandbois, Turtle Mountain Chippewa; Lee Marmon, Laguna; Martin Neptune, Penobscot/Passamaquoddy; Lehua Pekelo-Stearns, Hawaiian; Jolene Rickard, Tuscarora; Monty Roessel, Navajo; Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, Navajo/Creek/Seminole; and Richard Ray Whitman, Yuchi.

Suggested Resources
“The Original People” (photographs by Walter BigBee). In Strong Hearts: Issue 139: Native American Visions and Voices. New York: Aperture Foundation, 1995. pp. 99-103.

This Path We Travel: Celebrations of Contemporary Native American Creativity. National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 1994.

Kimberly Puanani Johnston’s Web site
Walter BigBee on Native America Calling,February 11, 1998
“Walter Tutsiwai BigBee,”
Grade 4 online curriculum to which Walter Bigbee contributed.
Walter Bigbee’s photograph of buffalo and eagles