Sunday 13 November 2011

This is a picture of Sitting Bull (Tatonka-I-Yatanka) taken in 1885 stood next to Buffalo Bill.This picture was taken after Sitting Bulls victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Many pictures of Native Americans were taken during this period as they were quickly being wiped of the face of America through the land captures by the U.S. government. Sitting Bull is in his full tribal outfit as is Buffalo Bill in his full gear. This image gives off the idea of the savage tribal leader and the uniform white man but, it isn't done through a malicious way. For example in this Buffalo Bill is the only one who is armed giving off the impression he is near a dangerous man and needs to keep up his guard at all times. Both men are looking in the same direction however Bill has got his head up having an aura of confidence about him while Sitting Bull seems shy and slightly downhearted, this could be because by the time this photo had been taken he'd surrendered to American troops as his tribe who'd fled struggled in isolation. The background of this picture is of the wild and though it is more than likely a picture to provide effect it sends out the message that the white man has tamed the wild America. When I say wild America I don't just mean the Nature but the natives also. Though it wasn't until the 1890's that the fighting started to decrease more rapidly. The picture makes out that the White man is able to walk on the land of the Indians without fear anymore but he should still be wary (hence the gun and the posture of Buffalo Bill).

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