Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition [Hardcover]

Ben Marra (Author), Linda Marra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

After the success of Powwow: Images Along the Red Road, this new book by the Marras presents more photographs and testimonies. Faces from the Land reveals the dancers, who, united by the ageless rhythms of the powwow drums, come from many tribes, different trades, and every corner of North America and celebrate customs both ancient and modern, bringing them together as a proud community to preserve tribal traditions.

 

Since 1988, photographer Ben Marra and his wife, Linda, have crisscrossed the nation to document the majestic dance regalia worn at Native American powwows. Traveling to over 30 cities a year, Ben Marra invites participants into his makeshift studio to be photographed in full traditional dress, while Linda records the stories behind their outfits and dance. The resulting images are stunning, and capture not only the brilliant colors and incredible craftsmanship of the regalia, but the personal journeys that inspired them.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Scores of breathtakingly beautiful photos of dancers on the powwow trail are the most obvious treasures this book offers. For two decades, the Marras have documented Indian culture at powwows, where visually sumptuous outfits, throbbing drums, and stately traditional or expressive contemporary dance steps join to create a unique evidence of Native American pride in heritage. Ben Marra’s stunning photographs reveal that shared pride but capture as well the individual personalities of the dancers: the haughty young warrior, the mischievous clown, the shy grandmother. Dancers from tribes throughout the U.S. are included, as are examples of costumes from the widely divergent powwow traditions, such as shawl dancing, jingle dancing, and fancy dancing. Linda Marra’s text, transcribed from oral histories of the dancers, adds immeasurably to the worth of the book by providing cultural and personal context for each photograph. As in their Powwow: Images along the Red Road (1996), the Marras mix ethnography and artistry superlatively well. --Patricia Monaghan

About the Author

Ben and Linda Marra are a husband-and-wife team who began to document powwows in 1988. The Marras' ongoing photography project includes a traveling exhibition for museums, two yearly calendar titles, fine art photographs, and lithographic art prints.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Abrams (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810983354
• ISBN-13: 978-0810983359
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,038,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - An Epic Work!, March 3, 2009

By 

Ron Perey (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition (Hardcover)

Today we were privileged to obtain, view and read Ben and Linda Marra's new, 176 page hardcover book, Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of POWWOW Tradition, a 20 year retrospective with 155 full-color photographs published by Harry N. Abrams of New York. It is a beautiful photographic and journalistic epic work documenting the members of over 87 Native American tribes in POWWOW dress. It is a "must buy" for anyone interested in these mystical and fascinating people.

We are fortunate to have known Ben and Linda for more than a quarter of a century. For over twenty years, Seattle photographer Ben Marra has created a masterful body of singular photographic art depicting Native Americans across the U.S. and in Canada in traditional, colorful POWWOW ceremonial regalia! Ben's work is one of a kind and has been compared to the great Native American photographer, Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952). The focus of the portraits are the men, women and children of the POWWOW shown in their elaborate, majestic, traditional regalia; some posing, some dancing, all projecting stately, dignified cultural pride.

Ben's photographs have been featured in numerous museums, books, and national magazines, and were included in Handbook of North American Indians, a 20-volume encyclopedia published by the Smithsonian Institution. Ben and his wife, Linda, live in Seattle and attend Native American POWWOWs all over the Western United States, and somehow Linda gets them to pose for Ben's incredible portraits and to write personal narratives. Ben is the photographer and Linda is the documentarian. Native American people are very, very reluctant to permit photographs, but Ben and Linda have gained their trust. The POWWOW portraits are one of a kind and no other photographer has been able to document such beautiful and unique images. Each year Ben and Linda create an exquisite 18-month calendar with a different photographic portrait for each month.

The Marras' traveling exhibition, Faces from the Land: A Photographic Journey through Native America, has been shown at numerous museums around the United States including a 13-month exhibit at Joslyn Art Museum in connection with Omaha's elite Bodmer Society. Ben Marra was chosen to display his photographs in some of the major cities along the Lewis & Clark Trail as part of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration (2003-2006). The shows were a major success.

Ron Perey, J.D.
Janice Perey, R.N.
Seattle, Washington

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lasting Legacy, March 27, 2009

By 

MarciaLee Berg (Veradale WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition (Hardcover)

This book chronicles twenty years of Powwow history with photographs that come alive in beautiful detail accompanied by personal narratives of historical significance.

Ben and Linda Marra have composed an important publication. Their efforts are an exceptional addition to insuring that the dancing tradition is honored and furthered by the efforts of younger generations of Powwow participants.

A lasting legacy for your library of exceptional quality and importance.

Douglas R. Berg DDS
Marcia Lee Berg

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faces of the land, March 19, 2009

By 

Gary C. Randall (Spokane, Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition (Hardcover)

This is one of those wonderful books that use prose and images to celebrate those who are very much the spirit of this country. I've ordered several more to place in our law firm waiting room and to give to Gonzaga University's diversity program for use in its endeavors. Wonderful book.