Jennifer Bryant
1. Although Howling Wolf’s drawing is seen as naively executed by the standards of Western art, why do we conclude that his record of the treaty signing event is more honest than the illustration rendered by the other artist?
* In Howling Wolf drawing he included the “Medicine Lodge Creek.” His drawing had Native American women with their backs turned away from the people while they watched the signing. This to me was drawn to make the women look as if they had played an important role in the signing. He included a red strip of paint in their hair to show they were married women. Artist John Taylor did not include “Medicine Lodge Creek” in his drawing. Taylor’s drawing only included one lady by the name of Mrs. Margaret Adams. She was supposed to be the interpreter for the Arapaho. I think that Taylor’s drawing is dishonest because he did not correctly draw Wolf’s drawing. Wolf’s drawing is more honest because he drew full ledge women and drew proof of the signing. I think that Taylor’s drawing was bias towards the black women. He did not include the Native women because he did not want to show that they played a big role in the treaty signing.
2. Why did the White artist ignore the many native women who were present at the treaty signing? Do you think this omission was deliberate or unintentional due to cultural bias?
* He may have thought they weren’t as important as Mrs. Margaret Adams. Since she was the daughter of a French Canadian trapper she showed more importance in his drawing. I think he ignored them in his drawing to be bias because they were Native Americans. He could see that in Wolf’s drawing they played an important role witnessing the treaty signing. Taylor in my opponent didn’t want them to be of any importance in his drawing. By portraying only one woman he was trying to change the original picture. He made his drawing include the people he felt was of importance to the treaty