50 Vintage Native American Family Photos You’ve Never Seen

Family photos remain an important way of preserving our legacy for future generations. As time capsules of sorts, they gift our descendants the chance to connect with their roots and feel a sense of belonging. It was no different for Native American communities. Family photos from the late 19th and early 20th century served to capture their rich history during a time of profound cultural change. We’ve found 50 such images, giving you a front-row look into Native American family life. These vintage photos capture multiple generations, often dressed up in a mix of native and western attire. Rare and fascinating, they reveal how Native Americans held onto family, culture, and traditions, even while facing enormous difficulties.

#1 Samson Beaver, His Wife Leah, And Daughter Frances Louise, 1907

Image credits: Mary Schaffer Warren

#2 Coeur D’alene Man, Phillip Wildshoe And Family, In His Chalmers Automobile, 1916

Image credits: Frank Palmer

#3 Inupiat Family From Noatak, Alaska, 1929

Image credits: Edward S. Curtis

#4 Makah Man And Woman With Canoe And Fish, Ca 1900

Image credits: Anders Beer Wilse

#5 Cabin Of Harriet Brooks, 1908

Image credits: Fred A. Olds

#6 A Comanche Mother And Child, 1896-1927

Image credits: Edward S. Curtis

#7 Eskimo Mother And Child In Furs, Nome, Alaska, 1915

Image credits: National Archives at College Park

#8 Missionary Woman Visiting A Walapai Indian Family, Hackbury, Arizona, Ca.1900

Image credits: Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.)

#9 Charging Thunder, Sioux & Wife, American Indians, 1900

Image credits: Library of Congress

#10 American Indian Couple With Baby, 1904-1918

Image credits: SMU Libraries Digital Collections

#11 Chief Little Wound With Wife And Son, 1899

Image credits: Library of Congress

#12 Family Of Chief Nouh “Jimmy” Sluiskin, Yakima -Yakama- Indian Tribe, 1915

Image credits: Asahel Curtis

#13 Photograph Of Chief Medicine Man Of Chippewa Indians Axel Pasey With His Family, 1936

Image credits: National Archives and Records Administration

The family photo dates back to the early 19th century. During that time, photographs were taken mainly for documentation purposes. They were also quite expensive, putting them out of reach for most people. However, with technological advances such as the Brownie camera by Kodak in 1900, taking photos became easier and quicker. It also made photography more accessible to the masses.

#14 Mille Lacs Ojibwa Family, Minnesota, USA, 1920s

Image credits: British Museum

#15 Apache Mother And Child, 1903

Image credits: Library of Congress

#16 Apache Woman, At Base Of Tree, Holding Infant In Cradleboard In Her Lap, 1906

Image credits: Library of Congress

#17 Eskimo Men, Women And Children Wearing Native And Western Clothing, Alaska, Ca 1900

Image credits: Eric A. Hegg

#18 Apache Indian Grandmother Carrying Her Grandchild On Her Back And Three Others Sitting Nearby, Palomas Indian Reservation, 1903

Image credits: James, George Wharton

#19 Woman And A Baby, Utes, 1899

Image credits: Library of Congress

#20 Stampede & Family “Sioux”, 1910

Image credits: Library of Congress

#21 Navajo Riders In Canyon De Chelly, 1904

Image credits: Library of Congress

#22 Native Family At Their Home, Yukon Territory, Circa 1897

Image credits: Eric A. Hegg

#23 Utes, Chief Sevara And Family, 1885

Image credits: Detroit Publishing Co.

#24 Group Of Sioux And Apache Indians, 1904

Image credits: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress

#25 Photograph Of Knik Chief Nikaly And His Family Near Anchorage, Alaska

Image credits: National Archives at College Park

#26 Indians Bannock, Idaho

Image credits: wikimedia

Indigenous peoples of the Americas began engaging with photography in the 19th century. Some even owned and operated their own studios. Depicting their own communities with authenticity, intimacy, and cultural insight, early Native photographers’ works were starkly different from those by non-Native photographers.

#27 Indian Family, Marsden’s

Image credits: National Archives and Records Administration

#28 Unidentified Indian Family

Image credits: National Archives and Records Administration

#29 Blackfoot (Piegan) Family Group At Trans-Mississippi Exposition, 1898

Image credits: F. A. Rinehart

#30 Navajo Chiefs Family, 1901

Image credits: George Wharton James

#31 Eskimo Woman And Two Infants, Nome Beach, Ca 1905

Image credits: Frank H. Nowell

#32 Native American Family In Photo, Taken Between 1898 And 1902

Image credits: Brooklyn Museum

#33 Paloos/Colville Family Posing With Pony, Colville Indian Reservation, Washington, Ca. 1900-1910

Image credits: Latham, Edward H.

#34 Indian Family, Between Ca. 1856-1936

Image credits: National Archives and Records Administration

#35 Hopi Mother And Daughter From A Wealthy Family At Mishongnovi (Mashongnavi), Arizona, Ca.1898

Image credits: George Wharton James

#36 Deaconess Bedell Visiting The Clay Family In The Everglades, 1945

Image credits: State Library and Archives of Florida

#37 Piegan Indians In Camp, Probably Montana, Ca 1893

Image credits: University of Washington

Most photographs of Native Americans at the turn of the 20th century were taken by non-Native photographers. Although their photos are often criticized for romanticizing, stereotyping, or reinforcing colonial narratives, they still have immense historical and cultural significance. Today, these photos are an important record of Native American history that might have otherwise vanished with the passage of time.