"This begins with a young boy with a big imagination and a thirst for the past. The young boy digs in his yard, spurred by knowledge that a tribal hunting encampment once occupied this same land.

He finds an arrowhead, a stone scraper and more arrowheads.

Bruce Van Landingham's discoveries drive him to seek out more Native arts and crafts, a lifelong pursuit that eventually will lead him to collect historical photos taken of tribal people who were on the verge of being "civilized."

The most famous of those photos were taken by Edward S. Curtis, who spent 30 years photographing and documenting more than 80 tribes from Mexico to Alaska. With the support of such powerful figures as President Theodore Roosevelt, Curtis published "The North American Indian," a 20-volume collection of photos and stories from 1907 to 1930."

Get the Story:
Kevin Abourezk: A love of Native photos on display (The Lincoln Journal Star 2/16)