Maryann Mantla, Gameti

While sitting for her portrait, Maryann Mantla turned around to allow photographer Pat Kane to admire her floral head scarf and deep teal dress. When she did, Kane created something visually striking and ethically profound: a work neither planned nor staged and yet beautifully composed, embodying the reciprocity and respect with which he practices photography. In some Native nations, photographs are seen as animate, having a life that continues to connect the person, the image, and the viewer. Because of this, great care and respect must be given to the sitter and the photograph itself. Through this collaboration between photographer and sitter, a new kind of portrait emerges–one that honors the agency and decision-making to which Mantla is entitled. Kane’s portrait of Mantla enacts the principles of visual sovereignty, which hold the right of self-representation within Indigenous people.