1908 film shows Crow life. Valuable footage, but colonial lens raises questions.

Led by Joseph K. Dixon and sponsored by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, The Dixon-Wanamaker Expedition to Crow Agency (1909) aimed to capture a vanishing Native American way of life on Montana's Crow Reservation.

The resulting silent films experimented with the new potential of the medium. Dixon, a self-proclaimed expert on Native Americans, carefully staged scenes to create a romanticized portrayal of Crow culture. Yet, the very act of filming everyday life and ceremonies offered an unprecedented glimpse into a world undergoing forced assimilation.

These films hold a complex place within experimental cinema. While Dixon's intentions were shaped by the cultural biases of his time, the moving images themselves captured a dynamic reality in flux.

The Crow people's participation, both staged and candid, offers a window into their own negotiation of identity in the face of a rapidly changing world.