Consul General, Deborah K. Jones

Consul General Deborah K. Jones' Remarks at Exhibit Opening Reception

"Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indian"

Istanbul, May 12, 2006
Istanbul Museum of Graphic Arts (IMOGA)

First, let me extend my warmest thanks to Suleyman Saim Tekcan and his daughter Elvan Tekcan Sahinoglu for hosting this wonderful exhibit in their beautiful museum.   I am especially delighted that the creation of IMOGA can be attributed, at least in part, to a U.S.-funded international visitor program on museum management, in which Elvan took part in 2003, and which she has told us inspired her to establish the museum.  I also thank Mayor Mehmet Cakir for his support.

Let me just say a few words about the exhibit before you:  In 1900, Edward Curtis started a 30-year odyssey to photograph the lives and traditions of the native peoples of North America.  All in all, he took 45,000 – 50,000 negatives of Indians from the Southwest, the Northwest, Alaska, Plateau and Great Plains. 

This exhibit, composed of 60 prints, was created expressly for the U.S. Department of State.  They are drawn from the personal collection of Christopher Cardozo, who is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on Edward Curtis.   

The exhibit shows the broad diversity among the North American tribes, as well, I think you’ll agree, Curtis’ deeply felt sympathy with the personal and spiritual lives of the American Indian.  Currently, over 500 tribes exist in the U.S., so there is and always has been a tremendous variety of lifestyles and customs.

Although Americans are not proud of the way the Indians were treated historically, today the culture and heritage of the American Indian are celebrated.  While most of the 2 million Indians currently living in the U.S. reside in cities, there are over 300 Indian reservations, considered largely sovereign lands managed by Indian tribes.  We have a brand new Museum of the American Indian, opened in 2004 in Washington, D.C., which is dedicated to the preservation and demonstration of the Indians’ lives, languages, history and arts. 

Thank you all for coming, and I hope you will enjoy the exhibit.