Dugan Aguilar
Encyclopedia
Robert Dugan Aguilar is a Native American
photographer whose work has been exhibited by major museums. He is "among the first Native photographers to document Native life in Yosemite and California through his own vision."
as a youth. He does not usually use his first name and is known as Dugan Aguilar. His mother's ancestors were Maidu
from the Green River Rancheria, and from the Pit River Tribe
living on Hat Creek
. His father is Northern Paiute from the Walker River Indian Reservation
in Nevada. He also has some Irish ancestry, and prefers the name Dugan
because it means "of dark complexion" in Gaelic
.
He is a nephew of Leonard Lowry
, one of the most decorated Native American war heroes of the U.S. military. Lowry joined the United States Army
in 1940, served in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan during and after World War II
. He won the Distinguished Service Cross
in Korea in 1950, and retired after 27 years as a Lieutenant Colonel
.
Aguilar served in the Vietnam War
for 13 months. The Maidu made him a warrior when he returned, and gave him a beaded Golden Eagle
feather award. His mother made his uniform into a quilt.
Aguilar graduated from California State University Fresno in 1973. He studied photography at the graduate level at University of California Santa Cruz, University of California Davis, and University of Nevada, Reno
.
Aguilar has been heavily influenced by the photography of Ansel Adams
. He first saw photos by Adams at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco in 1973, and decided to learn how to print negatives in a similar way. He took a workshop with Ansel Adams
in 1978, and decided to concentrate his career on documenting the Native Americans of California and Nevada. He has used techniques advocated by Adams such as previsualization and use of red filters to create a dark sky.
According to Indian art expert Brian Bibby, "Aguilar's work in informed by familiarity and affiliation with his subject."
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
photographer whose work has been exhibited by major museums. He is "among the first Native photographers to document Native life in Yosemite and California through his own vision."
Background
Born in 1947, Aguilar lived in Susanville, CaliforniaSusanville, California
Susanville is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the south-central part of the county, at an elevation of 4186 feet . The population was 17,974 at the 2010 census, up from 13,541 at the 2000 census...
as a youth. He does not usually use his first name and is known as Dugan Aguilar. His mother's ancestors were Maidu
Maidu
The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...
from the Green River Rancheria, and from the Pit River Tribe
Pit River Tribe
The Pit River Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of eleven bands of indigenous peoples of California. They primarily live along the Pit River in the northeast corner of California...
living on Hat Creek
Hat Creek
Hat Creek is a stream in Shasta County in northern California. The creek rises in two forks on the eastern slopes of Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and flows northward through Lassen National Forest to its mouth at Lake Britton near Burney, California.Hat Creek is so named because a...
. His father is Northern Paiute from the Walker River Indian Reservation
Walker River Indian Reservation
The Walker River Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in central Nevada in the United States. It is located along the Walker River between Yerington and Walker Lake. At the current lake level, the reservation has only a small frontage on Walker Lake...
in Nevada. He also has some Irish ancestry, and prefers the name Dugan
Dugan
Dugan or Duggan is an Irish surname that arose simultaneously in a number of areas, including Cork, Roscommon, Galway, Wexford and Fermanagh. The best known family of the name had its territory near the modern town of Fermoy in north Cork, and were originally the ruling family of the Fir Maighe...
because it means "of dark complexion" in Gaelic
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
.
He is a nephew of Leonard Lowry
Leonard Lowry
Leonard George Lowry was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Otaki electorate from 1935. He retired in 1946.-References:*New Zealand Parliamentary Record 1840-1984 by J. O...
, one of the most decorated Native American war heroes of the U.S. military. Lowry joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1940, served in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He won the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
in Korea in 1950, and retired after 27 years as a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Aguilar served in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
for 13 months. The Maidu made him a warrior when he returned, and gave him a beaded Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
feather award. His mother made his uniform into a quilt.
Aguilar graduated from California State University Fresno in 1973. He studied photography at the graduate level at University of California Santa Cruz, University of California Davis, and University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
.
Aguilar has been heavily influenced by the photography of Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
. He first saw photos by Adams at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco in 1973, and decided to learn how to print negatives in a similar way. He took a workshop with Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
in 1978, and decided to concentrate his career on documenting the Native Americans of California and Nevada. He has used techniques advocated by Adams such as previsualization and use of red filters to create a dark sky.
According to Indian art expert Brian Bibby, "Aguilar's work in informed by familiarity and affiliation with his subject."
Exhibitions
- Ansel Adams Center for Photography, "Constructing Histories: Portraits of Native Americans", 1998
- Crocker Art MuseumCrocker Art MuseumThe Crocker Art Museum is one of the leading arts institutions in California, and the longest continuously operating art museum in the West. Located in Sacramento, California, the Crocker has been an art innovator since 1885...
, 2001 - Maidu Interpretive Center, Roseville, CaliforniaRoseville, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
, "Honoring Hudessi, 2001 - Autry National CenterAutry National CenterThe Autry National Center of the American West is an intercultural center and museum in Los Angeles, California that celebrates the diversity and history of the American West through three important institutions: the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of the American West, and the...
, "Picturing the People", 2007-2008 - Grace Hudson MuseumGrace Hudson MuseumThe Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, California is adjacent to the Sun House where photographer Grace Hudson and her husband resided until their deaths...
, 2008 - Oakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....
, 2010 - de Saisset MuseumDe Saisset MuseumThe de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University opened in the early 1950s after Isabel de Saisset, the last member of a French pioneer family bequeathed her estate to the University of Santa Clara...
, Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySanta Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, 2010
Books
Dugan Aguilar's photographs have been published in the following books:- Deeper Than Gold: A Guide to Indian Life in the Sierra Foothills
- Weaving A California Tradition: A Native American Basketmaker
- The Dirt Is Red Here: Art and Poetry From Native California
- Yosemite: Art of an American Icon
- Remember Your Relations: The Elsie Allen Baskets, Family & Friends
- The Fine Art of California Indian Basketry
- American Indians and the Urban Experience
- Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider: a California Indian Feast
- Grass Games & Moon Races: California Indian Games and Toys
- The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice
- Precious Cargo: California Indian Cradle Baskets and Childbirth Traditions
- Memory and Imagination: the Legacy of Maidu Indian Artist Frank Day