Matika Wilbur: A Vision in Gray, by Lauren Webb

Years after photographer Matika Wilbur’s grandmother died, she had a dream of her grandmother persuading her to return the Pacific Northwest to photograph “her people”: Wilbur’s people being the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest. For years prior Wilbur 29, had been photographing the indigenous tribes of South America so these environmental portraits were nothing out of Wilbur’s realm of experience upon returning home to the Swinomish Reservation in Washington. Wilbur’s notion when photographing is that there is no such thing as the preconceived visual idea of the “Real Indian” in the 21^st Century. Anyone who is Indian simply is, whether they choose to embrace it culturally or not.

Currently Wilber is working on a series titled Project 562 in which she hopes to document members of all federally recognized tribes in the United States on tribe grounds. Using a Kickstarter campaign Wilbur has raised $170,000 for her cause to travel the US and document members of various tribes, over $100,000 more that her intended goal.

Wilbur is careful not to indulge Hollywood depictions of Indians adorned in feather headdresses, turquoise, loincloths or buckskins, carrying bows and arrows on horseback. Turning stereotypes on their head is an evident motivator for Wilbur as well. Each photo is as much a commentary on the landscape as is it is a portrait. With the layered black and white backgrounds, Wilbur makes a seamless transition to muted colors, which better conveys the emotions of the individuals being photographed. It is a fascinating spin on the environmental portrait and Wilbur does it well.

I chose this piece to report on because aside from finding Wilbur's work very visually stimulating, I also very much resonate with her notion that there is no such thing as physical embodiment of Native American. As someone who identifies as Indian and who lived on a reservation for 12 years, I find it incredibly disrespectful when the subject of race or ethnicity comes into conversation and I have to defend not only my heritage but my right to claim my heritage just because I do not look a certain way. Not that I owe anyone an explanation but people are often dumbfounded when I explain to them I am equal parts German and Native American. I very much look like what people's perception of a German American woman is however I identify so much more with being Cherokee and Potawatomi because I grew up in a place where it was common and celebrated. In short I think Wilbur's efforts to de-stigmatize Native Americans and our culture might have a solid shot at undoing centuries worth of harmful stereotyping and ostracizing.