An exhibit in Manistee is celebrating Michigan's indigenous artists.
The First Americans showcase at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts features a variety of art from beadwork, to pottery, and paintings.
Marcella Hadden’s photography is featured in the exhibit. She is a member of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe. One of her photos takes a close up look at cones on a jingle dress reflecting in the sun.
“There’s 365 cones on each dress for one day of the year, and each cone is rolled and prayed for before it’s attached.”
It's one of six photos that is being displayed at the exhibit. Another set of her photos showcase two young men at a Powwow. Marcella says by looking at the photo, it may not seem like anything more than a portrait, but it is.
“Because of the boarding school era and the long history of natives, it’s not unusual to be recovering from drugs and alcohol – which these two young men have never had to deal with,” said Marcella, “So it’s kind of like a change in our community…This is our future, look at them. They didn’t have to suffer or go through what a lot of us had to go through with addiction.”
The First Americans exhibit at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts runs through December 30th in Manistee.
