Jean Fredericks
Encyclopedia
Jean Fredericks was a Hopi
photographer. He grew up in Old Oraibi, Arizona, a village located on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation
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in Riverside, California, which was then called Sherman Indian Boarding School. After graduation, he worked as a mechanic on and off his reservation. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Army. In the 1960s he was elected as Chairman of the Hopi Tribe.
In an artist statement, Jean states, "I have been taking pictures, mostly of friends and family, since the 1940s. Privately, many Hopis approve of photography and want pictures of their families and celebrations, just like anyone else. Publicly, many feel they have to adopt a political position against photography, to be careful of what they say or what others will say about them. This is to protect their privacy. Personally, I am glad people are interested in my photographs and that my hobby will help people better understand the Hopis."
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
photographer. He grew up in Old Oraibi, Arizona, a village located on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation
Hopi Reservation
The Hopi Reservation, or simply Hopi, is a Native American reservation for the Hopi and Arizona Tewa people, surrounded entirely by the Navajo Nation, in Navajo and Coconino counties of Arizona, USA. The site in north-eastern Arizona has a land area of 2,531.773 sq mi and as of the 2000 census had...
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Biography
At early childhood, Jean went to grade school on the reservation. He later attended the Sherman Indian High SchoolSherman Indian High School
Sherman Indian High School is an off-reservation boarding high school for Native Americans. Originally opened in 1892 as the Perris Indian School, in Perris, California, United States, the school was relocated to Riverside, California, in 1903, under the name The Sherman Institute...
in Riverside, California, which was then called Sherman Indian Boarding School. After graduation, he worked as a mechanic on and off his reservation. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Army. In the 1960s he was elected as Chairman of the Hopi Tribe.
Photography
Jean purchased his first 35mm camera in 1941. He built a dark room in his house to develop his photographs. He became one of the first Hopis to take photographs on the reservation. His photography collection consists of candid and posed photographs of family members and his community on the reservation. He also focused on documentary images, which have become valuable assets to history of life on the Hopi Reservation.In an artist statement, Jean states, "I have been taking pictures, mostly of friends and family, since the 1940s. Privately, many Hopis approve of photography and want pictures of their families and celebrations, just like anyone else. Publicly, many feel they have to adopt a political position against photography, to be careful of what they say or what others will say about them. This is to protect their privacy. Personally, I am glad people are interested in my photographs and that my hobby will help people better understand the Hopis."