Andrew Hogarth, Danny Reyes, Southern Cheyenne, Oklahoma, 1996, cibachrome print, 16 x 24 inches

The word powwow originated from the Narragansett (eastern Algonquian language) term pauwau meaning "conjurer." Passing into English use it came to refer to any Indian gathering, and as a verb "to confer in a council." The origins of powwow are found amongst Plains tribes. Tribal members staged dances and feasts during councils as a gesture of goodwill and celebration of peace. Today, powwows are social gatherings that include dance competitions for people of all ages. A powwow is a celebration of native traditions, old and new, that reflects the spirit and vitality of Plains Indian cultures today.

Powwow: Native American Celebration consists of 54 color photographs with accompanying quotes and text that beautifully capture the joy, tradition, humanity, and pageantry of Native America from a variety of different tribes. The photographs were made by Andrew Hogarth, a native of Scotland now based in Australia, who, over the course of 17 years, has traveled some 135,000 miles throughout the Great Plains and Southwest regions of the U.S., mostly on small country roads, documenting the lives of Native Americans. Through portraiture, Hogarth captures the intersection of the traditional and the everyday. The result is a collection of exceptionally high-quality images that cut through the stereotype, confusion, and ambivalence so often encountered in photographs of native peoples.