Description
Originally published between 1836 and 1844 as part of The History of the Indian Tribes of North America, Boy Chief – Ojibbeway is a hand-colored lithograph based on a painting by Charles Bird King. This portrait honors a young member of the Ojibwe Nation—often referred to as “Chippewa” in historical texts—with dignified posture, direct eye contact, and traditional dress featuring fine beadwork, feathers, and regalia.
Though created during a period of intense upheaval and forced displacement of Indigenous peoples, the portrait reflects a respectful attempt to document Native cultures. Today, it offers a complex legacy—part historical record, part romanticized view—making it both beautiful and important to view with cultural awareness.
