Painting - oil and graphite

The four runners in this polyptych are from a 1910 photograph taken on the Apsaalooke (Crow) Reservation. Participating in Foot Races, and other competitions of strength and endurance, was a common rite of passage in many traditional Native societies. Foot Races continue to be a part of both solemn and celebratory gatherings among many Native people, just as sport — for both participants and viewers — continues to be important in Native communities.