Q and A: James Luna
The Native American artist talks about his "Take a Picture With a Real Indian" performance
- By Jess Righthand
- Smithsonian magazine, January 2011, Subscribe
Performance artist James Luna, a member of California’s Luiseño tribe, likes to blur the boundaries of his Native American culture. This past Columbus Day, he stood in front of Washington, D.C.’s Union Station and invited passersby to take his picture. He spoke with the magazine’s Jess Righthand.
What inspired the Union Station piece?
While traveling in the Southwest, I spent some time in a very remote area of the Navajo reservation. Off the highway, there was an Indian in war dance regalia, next to this thrown-together jewelry stand. But if you knew anything about that particular Indian culture, you would know that garb isn’t their tribal outfit. It was somewhat demeaning, even though he was making a living. Later on that year I was in D.C., and there were life-size cutouts of the president that you could take your picture with in front of the White House, and I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty cool.” I didn’t take a picture, and I’m sorry I didn’t. Later on I got invited to do a show in New York about tourism, and so those two incidents I put together.
So how did it work?
Standing at a podium wearing an outfit, I announce: “Take a picture with a real Indian. Take a picture here, in Washington, D.C. on this beautiful Monday morning, on this holiday called Columbus Day. America loves to say ‘her Indians.’ America loves to see us dance for them. America likes our arts and crafts. America likes to name cars and trucks after our tribes. Take a picture with a real Indian. Take a picture here today, on this sunny day here in Washington, D.C.” And then I just stand there. Eventually, one person will pose with me. After that they just start lining up. I’ll do that for a while until I get mad enough or humiliated enough.
It’s dual humiliation.
What are people’s reactions to the performance?
Well, probably the unexpected. I think maybe people would think, “Oh, this is a museum, and its sort of like equal to some Indians grinding corn for us”—or some other cultural demonstration. Or certain places where you can take your picture with an Indian at some sort of event. I’ve seen this actually. I’ve seen other cultural, kinds of icons that you can take your picture with. I was going to do this, but I didn’t have my picture taken with an English guard on the streets of London. It’s not everyday you can get your picture taken with a real Indian.
Do you consider the audience part of the performance?
Yes. The people are getting up there to have their picture taken with an Indian, just like they would have their picture taken with the bull statue on Wall Street. It’s there for the taking. Indian people always have been fair game, and I don’t think people quite understand that we’re not game. Just because I’m an identifiable Indian, it doesn’t mean I’m there for the taking.
But in the long run I’m making a statement for me, and through me, about people’s interaction with American Indians, and the selective romanticization of us.
In your opinion, what is a “real” Indian?
It doesn’t really matter what I am. I know what I am. See, that’s the point. I’ll be in a plane. And someone’s sitting next to me. And they’re looking at me. And they’re wondering what this guy is. And they’ll ask me: “Excuse me sir, are you Native American, are you Indian, or Hawaiian?” I get that a lot too. One of the most troubling questions that I hear is, “Are you full blood?” For me, an Indian is foremost somebody who is culturally Native. They know their tribe, their cultural background and their “Indian ways,” as we would say amongst ourselves.
I’ve also had people come up to me and say, “My grandmother was a Cherokee,” and they don’t look Indian and I disregard it. But when they say, “I’m from Oklahoma, and my uncle was so and so, and I just got back from this place,” then it becomes different because I realize that they’re involved culturally. Does that make it different for me? Yes, because I come from a cultural background. In answer to your question, yes, I am Native. I am an enrolled member of a tribe. I live on a reservation.
Even as the artist, where you ostensibly have the upper hand, it still feels humiliating?
Yes, because that’s part of the work. I never thought about that. I think if I thought about some of these things I wouldn’t do them. But when I get up there, and I’m standing there, and people are trying to talk to me, and they’re smiling, and I’m stoic, . . . I can see the audience. I can see the kind of “Should I? Shouldn’t I? This is going to be great, I’m going to send this back to Europe,” or telling me, “You know my great, great grandfather was a Cherokee.” I’m just focused. I’m up there for everybody to see. In some ways you’re vulnerable physically. People want to put their arms around you, or want you to break that stoic look and smile. Or they say insulting things. After a while I just want to run out of there. But I’m there for a purpose and so that’s part of, I guess, being an artist.
I just think that people should know that this isn’t a joke.
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Comments (5)
Mr. Luna is providing an invaluable opportunity to learn about cultural sensitivity; it is not an overstatement to say that his performance is courageous. It did leave me wondering, however, if the message would be less subtle if a white man were near Mr. Luna engaging people to, 'take a picture of a real white man.' Perhaps the juxtaposition would be a less subtle invitation to reflect on how we often see people in terms of categories and not with respect to their humanity.
Posted by Kim McClure on January 12,2011 | 04:12 PM
i have often been insulted by our modern day tendency toward either romanticism or derision of the american indian. mr. luna has acted boldly, and will undoubtedly be misunderstood as to his point.
i am guilty of questioning people about their cultural and biological backgrounds; as a person of serbian descent, nationalities fascinate me, so it surprises me that this would be offensive.
thank-you mr. luna--point taken.
Posted by mar zora on January 8,2011 | 05:24 AM
Re: "My grandmother was Cherokee...." The civilized tribes, of which Cherokee was one, were matriarchal. If a child was born to to Cherokee or Choctoaw or whatever woman, it was "fullblood." Plus anyone who made it to Oklahoma was enrolled and assumed to be fullblood. My ancestor of whom I have a tintype, walked from North Carolina. She has pale eyes and light hair. Several generations of contact with Scots-Irish traders.
Posted by beverly keenan on January 6,2011 | 12:25 AM
I was sad to read James Luna's feelings of humiliation after interacting with his audience during these performances. He invited people to treat him as a novelty rather than a person. I can see him being embarassed for them, but the humiliation should be theirs.
Posted by Wendy on December 31,2010 | 01:46 AM
I read with great interest the interview with James Luna. I read that he recognized the "selective romanticization of us", his answers to questions reflect the directness and foresight of the culture.
Being raised from infancy in the Pacific Northwest I can only know of the coastal tribes. Though since learning to read I have absorbed all accounts of the plight of the natives at the far less then merciful wave of the European.
Altough I am not "full blood" and grand parents from Russia and Scotland I most identify with the people of the lands. Those here before. Inherent they knew that devastation of a natural resource would not benifit those to come, their children and those to follow. The native american is overdue for recognition, their contribution to the survival of the greedy and opportunistic.
James Luna a speaker for the peoples...
To speak for your people is a blessing, the path is well defined for you, I will strive to follow your thoughts.
Through my life I was always disturbed that my peers would deride the native, how little they know, their loss.
The Great Spirit is with you James....
Butch...
Posted by Butch McGeatchy on December 22,2010 | 08:04 PM