The exhibition recounted the story shared by the people of Isleta Pueblo, a Native American community in New Mexico, describing how the arrival of American soldiers and explorers in the mid-nineteenth century dramatically changed their world. Divided into three sections, the exhibition first depicted the traditional annual cycle in which the community lived according to the seasons, marked by regular sequences of ceremonies and rituals, as well as practices of hunting, gathering, and farming.
The second section addressed the arrival of Americans and examined how this influx disrupted established ways of life through the taking of lands and other resources. Although the Isleta people resisted these changes, they ultimately navigated the process of becoming part of the United States on their own terms. The third section examined hundreds of historical photographs, encouraging viewers to consider what kind of record these images represented and how such documentation reflected the perspectives of Euro-American culture.
Established in the 1300s, Isleta Pueblo remained a traditional society, with many community members living in what could be described as two worlds. The photographs on display were drawn from numerous archival collections throughout the United States and are now housed in the Isleta Tribal Archive. The project originated from two lengthy land disputes that required extensive research by elders and their consultants, leading to the discovery of a substantial body of oral histories, photographs, and other records.
A committee of traditional leaders sought to present the history of their people from their own perspective and to make it accessible to the Pueblo community and the wider public, while carefully maintaining the privacy of cultural traditions to avoid revealing or diminishing integral practices and beliefs.