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"This book of hauntingly beautiful Native American portraits reflects the tragic history of the Cheyenne, Sioux, Pawnee, Cherokee, and other groups whose leaders traveled to Washington in the mid-nineteenth century to negotiate treaties with the U.S. government. As compelling as the famous photographs of Indians by Edward S. Curtis, these unique images provide a close-up, unromanticized record of Native American life at a critical time in the history of relations between the U.S. government and Native Americans, just after the Civil War and at the beginning of the great westward expansion of U.S. territories. The images form the core not only of the Smithsonian's extensive collection of Native American photographs but of important collections in many other major museums around the world. They were, moreover, the primary material for what was perhaps the first photographic exhibit ever in an American museum." "In her introduction to the photographs, Paula Fleming of the National Anthropological Archives recounts the history of the Smithsonian's first photographic exhibit and catalogue, provides a brief biography of the photographer A. Zeno Shindler, describes the Indian delegations' activities in Washington, and for the first time provides correct credits and information concerning these extraordinary photographs."--Jacket.