George Catlin [CAT-lin] was born in Pennsylvania in 1796. At age 33, he had a new wife and a promising career as a portrait painter, but he was still searching for a way to leave his mark on the world. Like most people at the time, Catlin believed American Indian cultures were doomed. He decided to abandon his career, journey west, and devote his life to documenting these “vanishing races.” Over the next six years, Catlin visited 48 tribes and, though he had very little formal training, created hundreds upon hundreds of paintings. After his last trip west, Catlin focused on promoting his “Indian Gallery.” This exhibition featured hundreds of paintings and artifacts, a tipi, models posing in American Indian dress, and sometimes even reenactments of dances, ceremonies, and battle scenes.

While some believe that Catlin’s work exploits American Indian cultures, others see his paintings as important records of the history of various tribes. “Future generations are going to need [Catlin’s paintings and writings] because nobody tells the stories anymore . . . Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, [Catlin’s stories] are gonna be there, because they’re written down,” says Lyle Gwin (Mandan/Hidatsa). Regardless of interpretation, George Catlin is remembered for dedicating his life to making a pictorial record of American Indian cultures.

The Cutting Scene is part of a series of four paintings by Catlin that depict the O-kee-pa ceremony, the central religious activity of the Mandan Indians. The young men in this painting were willing participants in this sacred ceremony, which was held to ensure the community’s prosperity. During the part of the ritual depicted in this painting, wooden splints were inserted into the participant’s chest and back muscles (a procedure that, although painful, didn’t cause lasting injury). The participants were then suspended by cords that were lowered down from the top of the lodge and attached to the splints. According to Calvin Grinnell, Cultural Preservation Specialist for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, “this is a trance-like state, they would be faint, and that’s when we believe the messages come.” These men would have considered it a great honor to take part in the O-kee-pa ceremony, at the end of which they were recognized as warriors of courage and fortitude.

By sheer chance, Catlin arrived in a Mandan village a week before their O-kee-pa ceremony began. Over the course of this week, he won the community’s respect and admiration by painting their portraits. Catlin returned the community’s sentiment and stated, “A better, more honest, hospitable and kind people, as a community, are not to be found in the world.” When the ceremony began, a holy man invited Catlin to witness the events taking place inside the sacred lodge. Catlin was one of the few non-Indians to witness this ceremony, which was outlawed in 1890.