The recognition of Major Alsager's leadership and soldiers has opened a new window of history.

1904, Shawk Monti, pastor of Harmony Sky clan, came to Washington as a member of Osage delegation to negotiate the land and mineral property rights of his country. In this city of diplomatic exchange, the tribal leader received an invitation from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of America to pose for the photographer and make a plaster mask with his face.

The resulting photos and plaster are collected by the anthropology department of the museum. They are also the basis of the sculptor Frank Lemon, who used them to make multi-color plaster busts, which were exhibited at the Louisiana Purchasing Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, on 1904. There are various anthropological and ethnographic exhibits at the Expo, including busts, musical instruments, textiles, baskets, a simulated American Indian boarding school and many indigenous villages, nearly three of which are 65,438+0,000 indigenous people from North America and other parts of the world.

According to the annual report of the National Museum of the United States, the anthropology exhibition in St. Louis aims to show "the higher culture of Native Americans in art and industry". However, the central theme of the Expo is that industrial and technological progress has created a symbolic contrast. Scholars Nancy J. Parezo and Don D. Fowler deeply discussed the anthropological exhibition of Louisiana Purchasing Exhibition and the racial concept revealed by it. According to their book Anthropology of Going to the Expo: Louisiana Purchasing Exhibition 1904, these exhibitions help to promote the gap between the local people as representatives of the so-called "primitive" society and the city, middle class and upper class, European and American visitors of the Expo, as symbols of "civilized" Americans.

The membership card of 1904 shows the purchase price and other information, but does not mention any individual's name. (nmnh) NMNH) 20 14, while studying the Smithsonian artist research scholarship and exploring the anthropological collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Latin American artist Ken Gonzalez Day came across the Shawkmonti sculpture of Lemmon 1 16.

Gonzá lez Day's research and a photo of an artist recently obtained by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery represent a new way to recognize and commemorate one of Arsag's most decorated warriors and help the museum present a more inclusive American history. It is an interesting story about the occurrence and process of this event.

When I first saw the bust of Shaw Monti, "Gonzalez Day" said, "I think he is an important person. He was painted very carefully, unlike other works in the collection, and his name appeared on the base. " Multicolored busts depict an old man with a serious expression; His hair was shaved on both sides and hung down to his neck. The sculpture was cut into pieces in different places, and the white plaster broke through the brown skin of the subject, evoking the age of the object itself. "I think it may be part of a group of works I have been looking for, and it will be exhibited as part of the Louisiana Purchase International Expo," Gonzalez said. "yes. Therefore, he is not only a very important figure to his people, but also his portrait has been displayed by exhibition lovers, so he obviously represents a missing part in the history of American racial formation. " When I first saw the bust of Shawk Monty, "

"At that time," artist Ken Gonzalez Day (pictured above), "I was sure he was an important person. He was painted very carefully, unlike some other works in the collection, and his name appeared on the base. " (NPG) For more than ten years, Gonzalez Day has traveled to museums all over the world, photographing artistic and ethnographic objects, which have been described as part of his project (since 2008), and studying and studying sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious racial prejudice in white body and colored body sculptures. His research led him to visit Los Angeles? Cole des Beaux Arts, Berlin Bode Museum, Tokyo National Museum, Mexico City National Art Museum and J. Paul Getty Museum. During the research of 20 14, he spent a lot of time researching and photographing the Americans in the Smithsonian Museum, a local sculpture. "I want to explore the representation of Indians in the National Museum of the United States. I am looking for forgotten history, and I continue to believe that uncovering and filming forgotten historical works can let us see the past in a new way. My artistic method draws lessons from the practice of restorative justice, that is, to replace punishment with reconciliation and restitution, and to create a national portrait gallery that promotes dialogue, restores history and helps the public discuss the history of racial formation. Gonzalez Day pointed out that since17th century, indigenous people have been mainly depicted in lithographs and prints made by European, British and American artists. They are widely spread, but they are more depicted in the media of sculpture, and sculpture is usually associated with social prominence and historical eternity. Artists at the Smithsonian American Art Museum also pointed out that many native American sculptures in the museum are allegorical. But Gonzalez Day found that the Museum of Natural History has the largest collection of sculptures representing specific Native Americans. These cultural relics usually take the form of masks, heads and busts made of plaster, many of which were collected by the first anthropologists and ethnologists of the Smithsonian Institution in the early 20th century.

At first, it was to explain different human "types". "As a tool, these sculptures depict racial differences according to the research methods of physiological anthropology at that time, but these methods were later refuted by anthropologists, who advocated understanding the social structure of race. However, as a manifestation of the early history of race as a biological category, these objects still have a strong influence on our thinking today.

Many photos of these sculptures taken by Gonzalez Day are aimed at recreating the details of these people's lives. In order to piece together their life stories, he carefully studied the archives of collections, census records and archives. Artists began to realize that these sculptures were part of the institutional history of the Smithsonian Institution. In a sense, their appearance in the natural history museum is a balance of their absence in the portrait gallery.

I joined the ranks of artists and worked hard to study the individuals they represented. This process is challenging, especially considering that many aboriginal names did not have standard spelling in the early 20th century. The bottom of the bust indicates that this person is Shawnee Minogue, but other spellings include Shuncamora and Shawnee Gumont. Therefore, we know that sometimes changing "o" to "u" or adding hyphens between syllables may produce information that might otherwise be hidden.

Under the guidance of Gwenella Isaac, curator of North American ethnology at the Natural History Museum, and Larry Taylor, my research partner, I came into contact with the tribal historical protection offices and tribal museums of various communities in Gonzalez's Rizhao films. In my conversation, I provided the interviewee with information about the artist's project, shared pictures of related works, and invited individuals to help piece together the story of the nanny in the works.

Following the cooperation agreement of the museum, I also tried to find the living descendants of these individuals. Our contacts with other countries have produced meaningful exchanges, pointing out that the contemporary interpretation of these anthropological busts can help solve historical trauma and destruction through dialogue with the community and future generations, and make those who have been forgotten get long-deserved recognition.

The dialogue with local communities, including Alsager, Boni, seneca, Lakota Su, Mande, Hidassa and Arikara, reached its climax in an exhibition in 20 18-20 19, showing the works of Gonzá lez in one day and the works of artist Titus Capa.

A case in point is the focus of our study on the portrait of Shawk Monti. For several months, we cross-referenced different spelling sources to find clues, and finally understood the nanny's position in his community and his contribution to the United States.

Shonke Monthi is usually called Shunkahmolah, and his date of birth is unknown. His date of death is believed to be around 19 19. He is the spiritual and political leader of Arsag countries and won the honor in an attack on 1863. By the time of his death, Shankmonti was one of the three living people, and he won all 13 medals or war honors unanimously awarded by the state. In addition, he assisted the Smithsonian anthropologist Francis Raffray (a member of Omaha tribe) to record the religious ceremony of Osama Day. The life details of this theme, including his experience of participating in the Osadchi delegation's visit to Washington, D.C. in 1904, clearly show his historical significance. Mitt, the curator of the portrait gallery, agreed with this conclusion, so I contacted the representatives of Alsager countries and asked if they would support the portrait gallery to buy photos related to Gonzalez Day.

Then I contacted Steven Pratt, Shucamara's great-grandson, who enthusiastically accepted the idea and provided more details about his great-grandfather's biography. I learned that Shawk Monti ("Walking the Dog") has won a reputation for his extraordinary ability to send messages to the leaders of Osage over a long distance. The British and Americans, who can't pronounce his name, have begun to call him Shun Camorra.

Pratt supported the acquisition, but demanded that the name of the sculpture be changed to his great-grandfather's original name. With the approval of the Arsag, the Advisory Committee on Traditional Culture and the National Portrait Gallery Committee, Gonzá lez Day's portrait "Shocking Monti" entered the museum collection last summer. In order to complete this circle, Gonzalez Day gave the printed photos to Steven Pratt to show his respect for the legacy left by his ancestors.

Once the acquisition process is over, I can't help but be surprised at the extraordinary turning point embodied in this acquisition. A major political and spiritual leader and soldier has taken his rightful place in the National Portrait Gallery.

Because of the foresight of a contemporary artist, he reshaped an anthropological bust into a commemorative portrait through a camera lens. After constructive dialogue between local stakeholders and museum professionals, Shawnk Monti's visual biography is now hidden in a national collection dedicated to shaping individuals in American history and culture.

I would like to thank Gwenella Isaac, curator of North American ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History, for her valuable insights on the development history of anthropological busts, molds and racial theories. At the same time, I also want to thank Larry Taylor, who is the key figure in rediscovering the face model of Native Americans in the museum collection. He shared his knowledge about Shonke Mon thi and the sculpture named "Osage Ten". Finally, I am deeply grateful to Steven Praart, the great-grandson of Song Kemonti, Andrea Hunt, director of the Arsag Tribal History Protection Office, and the traditional culture consultant for their advice and trust on behalf of Song Kemonti in the National Portrait Gallery.