{"id":43,"count":1,"description":"\r\nWhat is the value of archival collections in addressing indigenous self-determination? This is the question I pose for my work with archival collections and, more specifically, my work with Edward S. Curtis. My fascination with archival images began when I was a young boy in grade school when I saw a painted portrait of a 19th century Plains Indian man in a history book. What struck me about the portrait was the man\u2019s facial resemblance to men in my family.\r\n\r\nAround the same time I saw my first powwow, I had my first encounter with Edward Curtis\u2019 early 20th century images of indigenous people. I was fascinated by the fact that the faces I saw in Curtis\u2019s portraits I also saw on the powwow grounds. I began a portrait project on the powwow and in support of the new series I also began a research project with archival collections. I wanted to learn more about Curtis and the combination of image making and research would lead to repurposing the archive as a conversation between past and present.","link":"https:\/\/jeff-thomas.ca\/map\/category\/the-conversation\/","name":"PORTFOLIO: The Conversation","slug":"the-conversation","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeff-thomas.ca\/map\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/43"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeff-thomas.ca\/map\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeff-thomas.ca\/map\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taxonomies\/category"}],"wp:post_type":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeff-thomas.ca\/map\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?categories=43"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}