George Catlin is an artist famous for his depictions of Native Americans. But while Catlin was not the only artist to paint Native Americans, his paintings are famous for the unique approach that they took. His paintings depicted Native Americans in all their glory as a unique and beautiful culture. But George Catlin's paintings are famous not only for their depiction of the beauty of Native American culture, but for the warning that they provided against the destruction of the Native American culture by the White Man's culture. A perfect example of this is George Catlin's painting of a young Assinneboin warrior named Pigeon's Egg Head, and the corresponding story of his demise. George Catlin's painting, and the narrative that goes with it, shows that Pigeon's Egg Head epitomizes the vices of the White Man and the negative effects of the clash of cultures on the Native Americans.
The two depictions of Pigeon's Egg Head vary greatly. The first picture, on the left, shows Pigeon's Egg Head as he was before his trip to Washington. He stands regally, with good posture, and exuding confidence. He wears full Indian traditional dress. It is an outfit made of expensive material, and richly decorated with fringe and porcupine quills, and with a colorful design. On his head he wears a collection of war eagle's feathers. It is obvious from this first painting that Pigeon's Egg Head is a proud, traditional Native American. The second photo, on the right, shows Pigeon's Egg Head after his return from Washington. It is clear that in the time between the two depictions, Pigeon's Egg Head has changed drastically. He wears a military uniform, probably given to him as a gift (as George Catlin notes). In place of his war eagle's feathers, he wears instead a "high-crowned beaver hat", decorated with an absurdly large, red feather. Coming out of his two coat pockets are bottles of alcohol. In the painting he seems to lean unsteadily onto his umbrella, indicating that he is probably drunk. It is clear in these paintings what a negative change Pigeon's Egg Head has gone through during his trip to Washington. He's gone from being proud and respectable looking, to a drunk, foppishly dressed in his new suit and top hat.
George Catlin's narrative also describes Pigeon's Egg Head demeanor both before and after his trip to Washington, and how drastically he changed. Catlin writes, "In his nature's uncowering pride he stood the perfect model," reinforcing the paintings show of how proud Pigeon's Egg Head seemed. Catlin also notes that Pigeon's Egg Head was afraid to go on this trip, and had to be coaxed into it, but stood bravely against his fears. But upon his return from Washington, Pigeon's Egg Head seems to have "metamorphosed." Catlin describes how ridiculous Pigeon's Egg Head looks in his new dress, calling him a "puss in boots." Along with his ridiculous dress, Pigeon's Egg Head's personality has also changed. He's become addicted to alcohol, drinking heavily and stumbling around the Indian camp, telling drunken stories. For days he made a fool of himself without even knowing it. It is clear that the White Man's influences has changed Pigeon's Egg Head's personality for the worse.
Pigeon's Egg Head's interaction with his tribe, as described in Catlin's narrative, shows the extreme and violent clash of cultures between the Native Americans and the White Man. The Native Americans are unable to comprehend most of the White Man's culture that they learn about. This is evident in Pigeon's Egg Head's tribe's reaction to the stories he tells; for them, Pigeon's Egg Head's stories (which are actually true) are too different from their own culture for them to understand, and end up believing that Pigeon's Egg Head is first a liar, and then later a medicine man, full of fanciful tales, and after that, an evil wizard and again a liar. What customs the Native Americans could see and understand, they had little respect for. This can be seen from the beginning of the narrative, in which Pigeon's Egg Head is described as having visible contempt for the trip he has to go on. As Pigeon's Egg Head's tribe see's what the White Man's culture has done to him, their disrespect is further increased. In the end, the White Man's influences on Pigeon's Egg Head that created first a disrespect for him, and later a fear of him by his tribe that he is killed under the belief the the tribe must be protected from his sorcery.
Pigeon's Egg Head's tale is a small but perfect example of the clash of cultures between the White Man and the Native Americans. Just as Pigeon's Egg Head's way of life was changed negatively by the White Man's influence, so was the Native American way of life as a whole. This is evident from the the negative impact of the French fur trade on Nations like the Hurons and the Iroquois, to the Indian Removal Act during the Jacksonian period, to the westward expansion in the late 1800's [1]. The incrompehension of and disrespect for each other's cultures is not just evident only in Pigeon's Egg Head's tale, but also in another narrative by George Catlin. The narrative describes a conversaion Catlin had once with a Sioux cheif, in which the Cheif asks him about many White customs which the Sioux were completely unable to comprehend or understand. What the Sioux could understand, they had little to no respect for. Catlin notes at the end of his conversation that his "civilized world" practiced a hundred barbarous acts against the Native Americans. Acts that the Native Americans, though considered to be "cruel and relentless savage(s)," would never have reciprocated on the White Man [2].
Works Cited:
1. Abbott, C., Anderson, V., Argersinger, J., Argersinger, P., Barney, W., Goldfield, D., Weir, R. The American Journey: A History of the United States. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
2. Abbott, C., Anderson, V., Argersinger, J., Argersinger, P., Barney, W., Goldfield, D., Weir, R. The American Journey: A History of the United States. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
Comments