Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 57 ELIZABETH LOCHRIE WAS ONE OF MONTANA'S MOST OUTSTANDING 20TH CENTURY ARTISTS, LEAVING A LEGACY OF OVER A THOUSAND PAINTINGS, MURALS, AND SCULPTURES. ELIZABETH DAVEY LOCHRIE BIOGRAPHY EXHIBIT THE HOCKADAY MUSEUM OF ART KALISPELL, MONTANA On Exhibit August 4 — October 8, 2016 Curator Talk with Jennifer Li Wednesday, September 28, 2016 6:00 - 7:30 PM Admission: Members/Free, Non-members/$10 ceremonies enacted by different tribes; she made meticulous notes. She recorded every detail of ritual regalia, the tempo of the specific dance steps, the facial expressions of the participants: Each man had a headdress of porcupine hair, some beadwork, and sometimes, a feather. Beaded bands were around the heads and there were ear-rings or side decorations, on the braids… As with Mrs. Weasel Head, she some- times encountered resistance and hostility. is she recognized and sympathized with: …being so poor, even the finest Indian men have to submit to the greatest indigni- ties, to be stared at, to have their most sacred religious ceremonies profaned by the noise and clatter of groups of curious whites, who barge in uninvited to be amused by their prayers, their beautiful face painting and significant ritual costumes. Elizabeth Lochrie's interest and scholar- ship was deeply unselfish. As she became well known as a lecturer on Indian culture, she asked to be compensated with provi- sions she could send to the tribes. She was personally able to help some individuals fi- nancially, and she collected clothing, surplus animal pelts and food to offset the poverty that the tribes suffered. ere was then and there continues to be controversy about permitting non-Native people to witness and perhaps thereby dese- crate ancient ways of life and solemn religious traditions. Lochrie was aware of this. But in light of government policies that banned traditional Indian religious practices and forced Indian children to attend English-only boarding schools, she saw her role differently: she felt morally impelled to document every surviving vestige of a precious culture that was fast going extinct. Her affectionate portrayals of specific Native American individuals and her careful records of their ritual observances comprise an invaluable trove of cultural infor- mation, for historians and for contemporary Indians as well. Betheen Cold Weather, Princess Arrow Top, oil on canvas Charlie Reeves Browning, oil on canvas Knows the Enemy, oil on board

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