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| 1. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 01 Title page [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 2. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 02 Algonquian Family [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 3. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 03 George N.'s Family [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 4. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 04 Introduction [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler In 1972, when I was but 22 years old and just out of college, I met an anthropologist who asked me if I wanted to take photographs on an Indian reserve in northern Quebec. Without a moment's hesitation, I said "yes." Where was I headed? Where would I wind up? In a humpbacked Volvo, accompanied only by a young French-Canadian student scarcely more prepared than I, we drove into the equivalent of the Australian outback: a vast Canadian wilderness known simply as "the bush." That summer, the American Indian Movement was gathering momentum, Watergate would soon erupt, and the travesty of the Vietnam War had become all too clear. But in Canada, without television and only an occasional radio on the reserve, the "outside world" would fade like a snapshot. After more than 200 miles of dirt road and one flat tire, we'd arrived. My hopeful gaze was met by a handful of wooden shacks, an empty railway platform, and what I'd eventually recognize as crushing poverty. Nestled along the headwaters of the St. Maurice River, the village wound through what had once been thick forest, a home for bear, moose, and walleye pike. Logging had changed this, decimating the land and forever altering lives. The Algonquian (tribe of the Attikamekw) were a hunting and gathering people. Traditionally nomadic, they'd depended on the fish and wildlife to survive. I knew nothing of this history, of the bitter struggles for cultural identity to save the land and a way of life. Even my own tribal history was vaguely abstract; the Nazi Holocaust had ended before my birth and thus seemed unreal, distant. I was young, naive, yet idealistic; guided by gut instinct and fortunately, a big heart. Three families would adopt me, a young girl from the suburbs, wearing an army cap to ward off waves of flies. They called me "commandante," but invited me into their homes to canoe with them on the river, to camp and hunt with them in the bush, and to drink. There was something primal about our relationship. My French was primitive, so we communicated more with gestures than with words. But in time we grew close, and when a gray-haired grandma (yes, she'd had a beer) called me "ma fille," I knew I'd become part of the family. But most of the time I felt invisible. And now what remains are my memories, a tiny pair of moose hide mittens, a baggage claim, and these pictures. |
| 5. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 05 Playing Moose [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 6. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 06 Perplexed I [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 7. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 07 Waving Hello [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 8. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 08 Children Watch [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 9. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 09/10 At the Train Station [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler Text on semi-transparent vellum reads: With little to do on the weekend, locals would "hang" at the train station We'd "party" all night: Whites on one side, and Indians on the other… [In the image you are looking through the vellum to the image behind.] |
| 10. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 11 French Canadians [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler Not all French Canadians looked upon the Indians as "les sauvages," but vast differences in class and social status had created a clear divide. Whereas the French-speaking residents had all the basic amenities such as running water and indoor toilets, many of the Algonquian still lived in Hudson Bay tents or simple shacks. But there was one thing that the Indians still had that the French Canadians envied: the ability to make snowshoes as their ancestors had, from supple moose hide and tender birch. So a lively trade developed, and when a pair of snowshoes was available, the Indians were welcome to sit at the table. But the open-mouthed stares of the children revealed what a rare circumstance this was. I will always regret that I didn't buy a pair of snowshoes. They were only sixty dollars, but that was a lot for me in those days. But maybe it was a good thing I was an observer of such transactions. It was never clear which side of the table I was sitting on, as a young white girl photographing among "les Indiens." |
| 11. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 12 Selling Snow Shoes [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 12. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 13 George's Cradle Board [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 13. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 14 Tikinaagan [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler With an axe or knife in hand, my friend George could fashion all manner of implements: the tikinaagan (traditional cradle board), a pair of snowshoes, or the birch stakes and poles to turn a tarp into a tent in short order. During the week I camped with George and his family, I witnessed them working together on a myriad of tasks: from the essentials of food and shelter, to skilled carpentry and crafting baskets. Though hunting bear was men's work, each night George would return empty-handed. So we set snares and ate rabbit to stay safe and warm. |
| 14. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 15 On the Tracks [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 15. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 16 the Argument [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 16. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 17 Marcel A.'s Family [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 17. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 18 Father and Son I [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 18. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 19 Father and Son II [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 19. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 20 Children Play I [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 20. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 21 Children Play II [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 21. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 22 this Side [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 22. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 23 Clear Cut [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 23. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 24 Today… [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler Today, about 5,000 Attikamekw live on Indian reserves in Quebec. They speak an Algonquian language related to Cree, and are concentrated in three communities in the upper St. Lawrence River Valley: Manawan, Obedjiwan, and Weymontachie. In 1972, I lived in one of several villages within the Weymontachie Reserve. As shown by my pictures, the French and Indians were neighbors, but relations were often strained. This is not surprising. Ever since Europeans first entered the region (beginning with Cartier in 1534, and followed by Champlain who established the first permanent French settlement in 1603), even indirect contact brought the Indians no end of grief. The fur trade introduced smallpox, which wreaked havoc on many tribes. It also drew the Attikamekw into a long and devastating war with the Iroquois. Dams and reservoirs flooded Indian land, and most recently, contamination from Canada's hydroelectric plants is reputed to have caused cases of mercury poisoning. * I saw the egregious results of logging first hand: the battered trees, the despoiled land. Clear cutting had razed the forest and torn it apart. Now that more than 35 years have passed, the next generation of Canada's First Nations is staging protests, blocking highways, and doing whatever it takes to be whole. When I lived with the Algonquian, most were on welfare, and alcohol abuse was common. I saw the effects of poor diet on children's teeth, the open sores from insect bites, the poverty and the squalor. But I also saw an invincible spirit. I saw kindness and compassion. I saw the will to survive. If we can look at these pictures in this light, perhaps we can break through history's trance and cease repeating the destructive pattern. * For more information on the history of the Attikamekw, please see Native American Language Net, a site dedicated to preserving and promoting indigenous languages and culture. For more on current political initiatives to stop environmental degradation and regain ancestral land, search the Internet for current news and the most up to date documentation. |
| 24. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 25 Marcel's family cont. [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 25. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 26 Insecticide [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 26. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 27 Role Models [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 27. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 28 At Guillaume's [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 28. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 29 Perplexed II [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 29. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 30 Rocking the Baby [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 30. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 31 the Next Generation [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 31. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 32 Where I Lived [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler This is where I lived: in Pierre's shack by the railroad station. And one morning, while still rolled up in my sleeping bag on the floor, I heard voices glibly chattering away in English. The new arrivals paid me no mind. A bus full of tourists had unloaded at the station. They were milling around on the platform, unaware that anyone within earshot could hear, much less understand, what they were saying. Their comments were deprecating and hurtful. But what did they know of this place? They were here to fish and have a good time. To them the village was just a stopover between the city they'd escaped and the wilderness that beckoned. Irritated, I shouted for them to "pipe down." Their chatter immediately ceased, replaced by an embarrassed silence. When I finally left the reserve, I too became silent. I put these photographs away in a drawer, and there they remained, gathering dust for all these years. Finally, I understand. |
| 32. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 33 Self-Portrait [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 33. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 34 Index [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] High resolution scan of original 35 mm negative, archival pigmented ink digital print on photo rag 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler |
| 34. |  | Susan Ressler 1972 / 2007 35 Colophon [At Owner's Risk: My Journey Among the Algonquian] 16 x 20 in Provided by the artist - Susan Ressler Colophon At Owner's Risk My Journey Among the Algonquian This Portfolio is printed on thirty-five sheets of Archival Photo Rag Acid-Free Cotton Paper and includes thirty original photographs made by Susan R. Ressler in Quebec, Canada in 1972. Rush Creek Editions created high resolution digital masters from the original 35mm negatives in 2007 and produced each print under the artist's supervision in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Paper: Hahnemuhle Archival Photo Rag 100% Acid-Free Cotton Archival Coating: Hahnemuhle UV Lacquer Protective Spray Printer: Epson High Resolution Wide Format 8-Color Print Engine with Archival Pigment Inks Custom Portfolio Cases: Lipped Clamshell or Two-Piece Box with Slipcase, Window and Label Well Fabric is two-color grey Chromo Metallic Coated Book Cloth and red Saifu Japanese Linen Designed by Susan R. Ressler and hand-made by Portfolio Box, Inc., Pawtucket, Rhode Island All Photographs and Text ® Susan R. Ressler, 2007 |