Ball-play of the Choctaw--Ball Up 1850

George Catlin painted "Ball-play of the Choctaw--Ball Up" during a period of intense westward expansion in the 19th-century United States. Catlin, like many artists of his era, was captivated by the visual spectacle of Indigenous cultures, even as government policies were enacting their forced removal and assimilation. Here, Catlin depicts a Choctaw ball game, a highly ritualized and athletic event central to their community life. However, it's important to consider the power dynamics at play: Catlin, a white American artist, is presenting his interpretation of Choctaw culture to a predominantly white audience. What might be lost in translation? The emotional and social context, the deep-seated meaning of the game beyond mere sport. Catlin’s work occupies a complicated space, it both documents and, inevitably, exoticizes. As we look, let’s consider what stories are being told, and whose perspectives are centered. How does Catlin's gaze shape our understanding of this vibrant scene?