Photo History in the Field

Advanced Topics in Photo History: Photo History
in the Field
This class is centered on an engagement with the
photography archive of the Tejon Indian Tribe of
Southern California. Taking our photo history and
archive conversations out into the field, we will
have the generous opportunity to engage with
members of the Tejon Tribe and work with elements
of their archive that need research, appraisal
and organization. More than a mere grouping of
images from the past, here we will consider the
relationship of photographs to the making of
history, memory, Identity, authorship and
sovereignty. The semester will include both
visits to the Tejon Tribal Headquarters in
Bakersfield and in-class time on campus at
CalArts. Transportation will be arranged for
those without cars. Beginning with with
historical images that have recently been been
returned from the Smithsonian, First Nations
histories of Southern California and the politics
of ownership of indigenous materials, we will see
where this work takes us, with the possibility of
a collaborative project at the end.