The Face Pullers: Photographing Native Canadians 1871-1939

The Face Pullers documents a particularity rich period in the history of Canadian photography. These photographs of First Nations people-spanning the period of 1871 to 1939-provide not only a fascinating glimpse of a vanished world, but also illuminate the ways in which myths and misunderstandings about Native people have influenced, from the earliest days, the images produced by non-Native photographers.

The Face Pullers provides an unusual record of the myth-making surrounding Native people, and valuable insights into the history of Indian/White relations in Canada.

Written by Brock Silversides