Lens on Chief Washakie During September

Jackson, WY-  Washakie was Chief of the Eastern Shoshone from the 1840s until his death in 1900. He displayed prowess as both a warrior and statesperson – hunting and trapping with Jim Bridger, sitting in treaty council and negotiations with Mormon elder Brigham Young, and securing the Wind River Reservation from the U.S. government.

Beginning on Monday, September 8, Teton County Library and the Center of Wonder invite you to explore Washakie’s life and legacy with the traveling exhibition “Washakie: Through the Lens of Time” from the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center, as well as two free events during September.

8-28 September
Exhibition, Washakie: Through the Lens of Time. Washakie’s image was captured often during his lifetime and has afterwards graced everything from post cards to statues. The exhibition features 17 panels with reproductions of photos of Washakie taken during his lifetime and an overview of Washakie’s life.

Curator, Rick Ewing, organized the exhibit in 2000, when a statue of Washakie was chosen to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Capital in Washington D.C. Ewing says he tried to capture “what made Washakie important to his tribe and to Wyoming.” The exhibition is on display in the Library Gallery during regular library hours.

11 September, Thursday
Wind River Water: Past and Present. 7-8 p.m. Lander author, journalist and television producer Geoffrey O’Gara will speak and show film clips and images about his book “What You See in Clear Water,” which chronicles the struggle over water rights on and around the Wind River Indian Reservation.

James Trosper, Sun Dance chief of the Eastern Shoshone tribe, will join O’Gara to offer a unique perspective on Washakie’s contributions to the tribe’s water rights. This event takes place in the library’s Ordway Auditorium and will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. It is copresented by InterConnections-21.

18 September, Thursday
Getting to Know Chief Washakie. 7-8 p.m. Learn more about Washakie, the last Chief of the Eastern Shoshone from the 1840s to 1900, in an illustrated slide talk with Laine Thom, Ranger & Naturalist at the Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum. Following the 30-minute talk, Thom will lead attendees in a gallery tour of the Chief Washakie exhibition.

Thom is a bead artist, illustrator and writer of Shoshone, Goshiute and Paiute heritage. He has co-authored the books “In the Spirit of Mother Earth: Nature in Native American Art,” “Dancing Colors: Paths of the Native American Woman,” and “Becoming Brave: The Path to Native American Manhood.”  In addition to his interpretive work, Thom gives lectures and presentations on the Shoshone culture. This event will be in the Ordway Auditorium.

The exhibition and programs are sponsored by Teton County Library Foundation, The Center of Wonder and InterConnections-21. For more information about the exhibition or related events, call the library’s Adult Humanities Coordinator at 733-2164 ext. 135. You can also visit the Center of Wonder at www.CenterofWonder.org, and InterConnections21 at www.ic21.org.

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