Sun Valley Museum of Art exhibiting ‘Portraits of Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Past & Present’
Sho-Ban Language & Culture archivist Velda Racehorse shows photos taken by
Benedicte Wrenstead during a presentation on October 17.
By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
KETCHUM — Portraits of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Past & Present are on display October 11 to January 8 at the Sun Valley Art Museum in Ketchum featuring images from Benedicte Wrenstead and the Sho-Ban News.
Louise E. Dixey, Shoshone-Bannock Language & Culture Preservation Department director and Velda Racehorse, archivist, did presentations at the museum October 17 to tell their knowledge of the Wrenstead photos.
Benedicte Marie Wrenstead was born in 1859 in Denmark where she trained and worked as a professional photographer prior to immigrating to the United States settling in Pocatello in 1895. She established a photography studio on South Main Street until leaving Idaho in 1912 according to exhibit information. The plate glass negatives ended up in the Smithsonian Institution National Archives.
Shoshone-Bannock horseback riders with warbonnets, a photo in the Wood River Library collection shown during the presentation at the Sun Valley Museum of Art.
Wrenstead’s photos include many portraits of Shoshone-Bannocks in their regalia or taivo clothes. Smithsonian researcher Joanna Cohan Scherer found a collection of 148 glass plate negatives in the National Archives. Over a ten year period the 84% of the photos were identified thanks to the assistance of Bonnie Wutunee Wadsworth, Tribal Museum and tribal elders.
Dixey did a PowerPoint presentation showing some photos from the Wrenstead collection. “I think it’s important for you to learn a little bit more about our people,” she said as she showed photos of her ancestors. She talked about history related to the different bands of tribal people on the Fort Hall Reservation. She explained Ralph W. Dixey had a cabin in Sun Valley and would bring tribal members over to be in parades. The Silver Creek area was a camping spot for Shoshone-Bannocks on the way to the Camas Prairie. She talked about the invasive grass at the Camas Prairie that is impacting the traditional food source and overtaking the camas lilies. “It affects everyone including the tourism of Fairfield.” The Tribes are working with different federal agencies to attempt to rid the grass. She said it would take the cooperation of the community to get rid of it including pulling it or burning it. Dixey responded to questions about camas, the clothing worn in the Wrenstead photos and areas that were roamed around the Sun Valley area and Salmon River area.
Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival photos captured by Roselynn Yazzie and Lori Edmo; the Sho-Ban News staff contributed several photos from various cultural events that are featured in the SVMoA exhibit.
Racehorse showed different Wrenstead photos she thought were significant pointing out how their hair was done or dress they wore — relating stories to the photos or historical information. The audience appeared to enjoy the explanations.
Also included in the exhibit are contemporary photos from Sho-Ban News photographers Lori Edmo, Jeremy Shay and Roselynn Yazzie from the Shoshone-Bannock Festival events and the Agai Deka Gathering in Salmon.
The main exhibition at the SVMoA is “in Conversation: Will Wilson” about the work of Wilson a contemporary Dine artist whose portraits challenge historic representations of Native peoples.
Traditional footwear made out of muskrat on display in the Wood River Museum in Sun Valley. The footwear was made by Sho-Ban tribal member Bobette Haskett.
The following day Dixey and Racehorse visited the Wood River Museum where the staff is working on a map of the Tribes historical areas to go with the existing exhibit at the museum entrance. On one wall it reads “Welcome! You are on the ancestral homelands of the Shoshone and Bannock peoples.” Fish baskets are hanging from the ceiling that Sam Galloway made, a podo (digging stick) is below the homelands sign Russell Haskett created while some traditional footwear created from muskrat are in a display case Bobette Wildcat Haskett made.
As you walk into the museum through glass doors a slideshow continuously plays that includes images of Shoshone-Bannock people from the 1900s who would travel to the Sun Valley area many are on horseback.
Shoshone-Bannock informational display at the Wood River Museum in Sun Valley.
Afterward, the two went to look at old photos in the Wood River Library located across the street. Many are of Shoshone-Bannocks in parades, dance performances or camping. Library staff are providing copies of the photos to the LCPD.
