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Dancing for our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millenium
Sharon Hoogstraten, Potawatomi Nation Citizen
Opening October 4, 2025, 2nd Floor Gallery
Bozho — Hello in Potawatomi.
These 30 portraits by photographer Sharon Hoogstraten celebrates the Potawatomi people dressed in their dance regalia. Begun in 2010 at the Family Reunion Festival in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this project honors the descendants of the Great Lakes’ early inhabitants—proud, modern people preserving culture with intention.
Dancing for Our Tribe reflects how regalia is a living tradition, not a costume or relic. It is an expression of identity, blending ancestral artistry with contemporary life—from sewing machines and synthetic fabrics to tattoos and military service. Through these images, we see a vibrant culture adapting and thriving today.
Sharon Hoogstraten is an Emmy Award–winning photographer, animator, and graphic designer. Over the course of more than a decade, Hoogstraten photographed members of all nine Potawatomi nations in traditional regalia—work that led her to uncover her own ancestral connections. Her large-scale portraits affirm a powerful message: We Are Still Here. Her work has been exhibited in museums and cultural institutions nationwide.
