Desolation

I took these last summer at Crow Fair in Montana.

Although my photographs don’t really show it, I was shocked to see what had become for the most part of this beautiful culture. It looked like a carnival fair with cars parking wherever they could, stores selling from traditional Native stuff to plastic toy guns, greasy fried fast food and occasionally people walking around in Native American garb.

The main attraction was in this type of arena were Native music blew out from speakers while people danced to in in front of a panel of judges, the best dancers would win a prize sponsored by the local casino.

I was not happy with this, I was not happy with the fact people were coming here as one would go the zoo. I understand that they had to adapt and I understand that what I read in books regarding their old traditions and shamanic practices would have inevitably changed over time but to hear them making jokes about themselves and the pain that they carry made me realize how blind we are. As long as we have our daily distractions (i.e. tv shows, movies, games, alcohol, parties, phones, apps) we forget about the consequences of our past actions.