Faces of the Land

Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition

by Ben Marra

Since 1988, photographer Ben Marra and his wife Linda have crisscrossed the nation to document the majestic dance regalia worn at Native American powwows and to record the stories of the dancers wearing them. Traveling to over thirty cities a year, Ben Marra invites participants into his makeshift studio to be photographed in full traditional dress. The resulting images are stunning and capture not only the brilliant colors and incredible craftsmanship of the outfits, but the personal journeys and storied pasts behind them. For the dancers, who come from many tribes, different trades, and every corners of the country, the ageless rhythms of the powwows drums invite them to celebrate traditions both ancient and modern, and to come together as a proud community determined and honor-bound to tend the flame of the powwow tradition.

175 pp ~ illustrated — ©2009