Underwood and Underwood, [Pres. Calvin Coolidge posed with Commissioner of Indian Affairs Burke and Blackfeet Indians: Owen Heavy Breast, Princess Dawn Mist, Chief Bird Rattler, and Two Guns White Calf, with the White House in the background].
Underwood and Underwood, [Pres. Calvin Coolidge posed with Commissioner of Indian Affairs Burke and Blackfeet Indians: Owen Heavy Breast, Princess Dawn Mist, Chief Bird Rattler, and Two Guns White Calf, with the White House in the background], September 17, 1927. Library of Congress.
Background
In February 1913 newspapers across the country published articles and photographs about a Piegan (Blackfeet) woman named Princess Dawn Mist. According to the press, Dawn Mist was a suffragist who embraced ideas of modern womanhood.
The story, however, was entirely made up. There was no real Princess Dawn Mist. The newspaper articles and photographs were part of a publicity campaign by the Great Northern Railway. The company was trying to promote tourism in the American West by playing on white Americans’ fascination with Indigenous people. Piegan (Blackfeet) actor Daisy Norris usually played Dawn Mist in appearances, but other performers were known to step in if she was not available.
About the Image
This photograph is from the Great Northern Railway’s Princess Dawn Mist campaign. In the photo, an actor in character is shown posing with President Calvin Coolidge. She is standing with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and other supposed Indigenous dignitaries. The Library of Congress still labels the woman in this image as Princess Dawn Mist, even though it is now known that she is an actress playing a fictional character.
Vocabulary
- Piegan (Blackfeet): An Indigenous community that originally lived in the Northern Great Plains. Today, the headquarters of the Piegan nation is in Montana.
- suffragist: A person who campaigned to win women the right to vote.
Discussion Questions
- Why did the Great Northern Railway use Indigenous women in their advertising campaigns?
- Princess Dawn Mist was a popular character in newspapers at the time. What does this reveal about American culture?
- How might this campaign have shaped the public’s perception of Indigenous women?
- What does the existence of this campaign tell us about the reliability of historical documents?
Suggested Activities
- Pair this resource with Life Story: Zitkala-Ša, Zitkala-Ša Advocates for Indigenous Rights, Girls’ Education at Carlisle Indian School, and Life Story: Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin to learn more about how Indigenous people were perceived and treated in this period.
- Pair this resource with Aunt Jemima to further explore cultural exploitation in American advertising.
- To consider the ongoing legacy of Indigenous activism, pair this resource with:
Themes
POWER AND POLITICS, AMERICAN IDENTITY AND CITIZENSHIP
