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1800s-1900s Portraits Of Native American Teen Girls Show Their Unique Beauty And Style (36 Pics)
These rare and beautiful vintage photos of Native American girls were taken between the late 1800s and the turn of the 19th Century, yet despite being over a hundred years old, many of the old photos are still in mint condition.
Women were well respected in traditional Native American tribe culture, and although they generally had different roles from men, the Native American women often had the same rights as their male counterparts. They usually owned the home along with everything in it, and in some tribes, while the chief was a man, it was the women who were responsible for electing him. Because women's activities were considered central to the welfare of the community in the Native American history, this gave them a certain level of social, political and economic power, and even today approximately 25% of Native American tribes recognized by the federal government of the United States are led by women.
Scroll down below to check these beautiful old photos for yourself! (h/t: vintage everyday)
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#1
Marcia Pascal, Half-cherokee, Daughter Of U.s. Army Officer George W. Paschal, 1880s
Jeanne Deaux 9 years ago
Yeah, a way more expressive Kristen Stewart. Her eyes are full of life.
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Jude 9 years ago
I agree, Mari!! Each of Man's many racial groups are beautiful in the own right but as someone who has quite a few friends whose parents are of different races, I'm struck by how amazingly beautiful they all are! Has made me sometimes wish I had mixed racial heritage too.
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Chloe Rivet 9 years ago
Looks my step mom when she was that age, she is also half Cherokee, mom, dad was European.
Andrew Shields 9 years ago
What's with the score, are you rating the girls, the fashion, the photographer skill, seems tacky
Lorraine Sarjeant 9 years ago
All these photo's in such great condition are so beautiful and should be preserved in a safe place for future references. Again the girl's are so very beautiful.
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#2
O-o-be, The Kiowas, 1894
Debbie D. 9 years ago
This is one of my favorite photos in this lineup. It's great to see a really old photo with a smile, let alone one showing teeth! I was told that because shutter speeds were slower in the early days of photography that photographers required their subjects to stand still for long periods of time to expose the image to the film negative, hence so many photos from the 1800's to 1900's without smiles in them!
Van Barnes 9 years ago
My great grand mother was Cherokee and she never had a cavity. She only drank milk and spring water.
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Roger Gauvin 5 years ago
WOW most of the pictures I've seen of that period, women are ugly. She is stunning.
John Smith 9 years ago
Wow, is that real? Seriously. Is this a joke? She is smiling. It makes the image seem so current and real seeing a human smile. We never see that in the old images.
#3
Cherokee Nanyehi, Lakota
Richard Brittain 9 years ago
This is an Umatilla woman known as Eat-No-Meat photo by Lee Major Moorhouse, 1900
Danny Carter 4 years ago
I love this photo. It shows a slight bit of sadness and worldliness in such a young face.
Jennifer Kampf 9 years ago
This is NOT Nanyehi. She was born in 1738 and died circa 1822, long before photography was invented.
Paul Jordan 9 years ago
Yeah, like there couldn't have been more than one Nanyehi over the course of time. pfffft!
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Native American Girl, 1870-1900
Rafael Ferrer 9 years ago
Can you add a picture of your daugher so we can compare?
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Nazar of TRUE NATION “Metri” The Living Nazirite 8 years ago
All you pale face devils from europe claim these girls are so cute but your forefathers slaughtered them and continue to trespass us on this land today
Rob Eastwood 3 years ago
Sounds more like your people couldn’t take care of things loser.
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#5
Gertrude Three Finger, Cheyenne, 1869-1904, By William E. Irwin
Steven Crum 9 years ago
She is what I picture when I hear the love songs of the maiden White Dove.
Chris Miilu 9 years ago
The Cheyenne were literate; they had a written language. They were also one of the tribes driven on the Trail of Tears.
Jeffery Collins 5 years ago (edited)
I'm pretty sure you mean Cherokee, not Cheyenne.
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Bonnie Sorenson 1 year ago (edited)
I have the glass negative of this photo. Does anyone know what it may be worth??
Sheila Toothman 2 years ago
Might be proud , but looks , stunned , not happy , probably , tight B4 they drug her away from her family , n sent to one of those , so called , for the betterment schools n , cut her hair , n gave her a new name n language , she don't even know what is happening , clearly , it's in her eyes , TEARS I HAVE FOR HER SMB
Bert Emanuel 2 years ago
She looks 100% white. Maybe one of those captured young, and raised as an Indian.
Bert Emanuel 2 years ago
She looks 100% white. Maybe one of the ones captured young, and raised as an Indian.
#6
Hattie Tom, Apache, 1899, By Frank A. Rinehart
Melvin Marshall 4 years ago
I see a deep emptiness in her eyes and the sadness for her people. The beginning of the End of an Entire Race. Being white, I am ashamed of what we have done to All Native Americans. They wanted to live their way and we took it away.
#7
Unidentified Native American Girl, Lakota, 1890
Cesi Baca 9 years ago
Her pipe bone breastplate and bone earrings are awesome. Young girls usually didn't wear things so elaborate. Maybe she was the daughter of someone important.
Kevi Kubli 9 years ago
The breastplate and choker make me think that this was possibly a boy, not a girl. Girls rarely if ever wore those.
Thibaut Vincent 7 years ago
She could be Princess Nio na ta ah, daughter of Sioux sans arc lakota chief Red Feather 20180515_0...e6bc38.jpg 
Corinne Mielnichuk 9 years ago
Her eyes look as though she has seen much sadness in her young life.
#8
Elsie Vance Chestuen, Chiricahua
Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago
When I was younger, I looked like this.... and YES I have photos to prove it.
#9
Native American Girl In Traditional Dress
#10
Taos Pueblo Tribe Girl, 1880-1890
Chris Miilu 9 years ago
Yes. There might be some Spanish mixture. I visited Taos; there were many Spanish influences.
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Hopi Girl, 1895
Melinda Burge 6 years ago
This is actually true - it was called 'squash blossom' hair
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Wendy Bruce 9 years ago
Actually, that's not far fetched. The costume designers used all sorts of cultural influences for Star Wars.
Julie Gormly 9 years ago
Yes, it's generally accepted that the Hopi hair style was used as the inspiration for Leia's hair.
robert .stout 5 years ago
In true Hopi tradition, she avoided direct eye contact...........................
Diane Peters 8 years ago
Her hair design was called a butterfly whorl. And there are articles that state it was the inspiration for Princess Lelia's look in Star Wars.
Chris Miilu 9 years ago
The Hopi were decimated by settlers and men looking for silver/gold. Ishi, The Last of His Tribe, was a Hopi who was saved by the Kroebers from the University of California.
Jude 9 years ago
Hopi women must have very thick hair. Even if mine were to reach my waist, it probably couldn't even match one side of hers.
Julie Gormly 9 years ago
I think the hair was wrapped around some kind of flat wooden disk.
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Tsawatenok Girl, 1914, By Edward Curtis
#13
A Young Ute Woman, 1880-1900
Hind Hani 9 years ago
Yes a child, she looks like 13 to me. Technically she could be my daughter.
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#14
A Kiowa Girl, 1892
#15
Pretty Nose, Cheyenne, 1878, By L. A. Huffman
Sophie Beachus 9 years ago
Later to be tormented and finally killed by the new Amer Tormented and finally killed by the new Americas , such a sad state of affairs
Melvin Marshall 4 years ago
She is a Proud young woman and I would guess about 20 yrs old.( Then )
#16
A Girl At Taos Pueblo, 1895, By H.s. Poley
Chris Miilu 9 years ago
I visited that Pueblo; their sacred places were in the mountains behind the Pueblo.
#17
Quanah Parker (Nocona), Comanche, 1848-1911
Chris Miilu 9 years ago
This might be his daughter; this is not a picture of a man. It is a young, beautiful girl.
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Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago
The son of Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker
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Danny Carter 4 years ago
Quanah Parker was the half-breed son of Cynthia Parker who was kidnapped by Comanche from white parents in Texas and lived 24 years as a Comanche before being taken back (against her will) by Texas Rangers. She was the inspiration of the John Wayne movie, "The Searchers".
Darrell Hildreth 5 years ago
I thought Quanta Parker was the mans name, this may be his daughter, Quanah.
Jeff Hardesty 3 years ago
No, Quanah Parker was a Commanche chief, the son of long-time captive Cynthia Ann Parker. An amazing story well worth reading about.
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Sioux Stoeckle 9 years ago
Yes, Quannah Parker was a man. His mother was Cynthia Parker, I believe.
Martha Rohrbacher 9 years ago
found this picture on the internet identified as Quanah Parker's daughter but id'ed as Wanada and Nedle ?
Bjorn Ivar 6 years ago
Laura Needa Parker. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73126112/laura-neda-birdsong
Load More Replies... Martha Rohrbacher 9 years ago
one of Quanah Parker's daughter - identified in this picture on other sites as bothWanada Parker who starred in a movie and also Nedle Parker
#18
Hopi Girls, 1900, By Carl Werntz
Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago
This was the tribal hairstyle for women was the elaborate squash blossom or butterfly whorls worn by Hopi maidens
#19
Lizzie Long Wolf As A Performer In Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1886
Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago
Interesting that even though she was in Buffalo Bill's side shows, there isn't really much written about her.
Melvin Marshall 4 years ago
Another example of the Whites taking advantage of the Indian. Probably earned barely enough to get by on
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#20
Isabelle Perico Enjady, Chiricahuah Apache Prisoner Of War, 1886-1914
Jeanne Deaux 9 years ago
Prisoner of war... there was no war, just invasion and extermination.
Danny Carter 4 years ago
Do some research, Jeanne, and stop relying on leftist propaganda to form your opinions. Many of the Native American tribes raided rival tribes, kidnapping slaves and/or selling them to other tribes or European men in the region. History is full of such stories like Cynthia Parker, Olive Oatman as well as many others that were lucky enough to survive tribal war and raids. It's not all white men that bear the sins and stains of western exploration and expansion. In fact, do some research about the slave trade in Africa and turn off MSNBC, NPR and CNN propaganda.
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Marvin Sinclair 9 years ago
Spanish name would indicate that she is Mexican. She is obviously an Indian taken in a raid and a slave.
Melvin Marshall 4 years ago
Can't tell if it's the photo, or scars on her face. Since she's a prisoner, I would guess, Scared...
Christena Bergemann 3 years ago
will you pls. quit saying that on every girl.! You sound lustful. Will you pls. be a lot more respectful w/ your admiration..act like they are objects f/ you..
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#21
Hattie Tom, Chiricahua Apache, 1899, By Frank A. Rinehart
Brian Odeen 4 years ago
I disagree. Both pictures were taken and labeled by Rinehart. The face structure and hair are identical, despite being a year apart. I understand that the eyes look slightly different given the different angle and such, but they are not "all wrong". Could you please explain what you think is different in more detail?
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Dave Leslie 3 years ago
Hard to discern height but most of these women appear to be petite. And do appear healthy as well.
#22
Native American Teen Girls, 1870-1900
Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago
I wonder how and why she has the American flag on her lap or dress??
weyodi oldbear 3 years ago
I am pretty sure this picture was taken in Oklahoma, in or around the Lawton area. The stars on a dark field motif was common among Comanche paintings so it makes sense to me that someone would use that as what we would call a "pbitsakweena" which is something like a pinafore. I would assume, based on the elders I knew who were alive in those days, that she chose the flag purely for aesthetic/decorative reasons. She thought it was pretty.
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As If 8 years ago
You watch your mouth. You don't know the story there, and I'm sure your country doesn't have a shiny, humanitarian past either.
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#23
Inusk, Kickapoo Chief's Daughter, By Lenny And Jordan, 1880-1890
Bonnie Gembey 4 years ago
Women in the 19th century of all cultures married as young as 13 and began having children as soon as they were physically able to. Their was no “teenager” phase in existence in those days. Once you had your moon time you were no longer a child. You were a woman, and could have suitors and marry.
Load More Replies... LB 4 years ago
Not sure why people insist on judging history based on modern thought. It was NOT sad back then, it was how it was.
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Julie Nelson, 1886
#25
Comanche Girl, 1885
#26
Kiowa Girl, 1890
#27
Hopi Girl On Her Wedding Day, 1900
Melvin Marshall 4 years ago
By the time he gets her * unwrapped* she will be Legal Age. Must be 8" of wool wrapped around her.
#28
Amie And Carrie, Kiawah, By George A. Addison,1895
#29
Hopi Girls, 1900, By Frederick Monsen
#30
Alice, Unknown Tribe (possibly Cayuse, Walla Walla, Or Umatilla), 1900
#31
Na-din-praquai-gizay (ramona)
#32
Arapaho Girl Only Child Saved Out Of Sand Creek Massacre, 1870-1880, By Mckinney, Albert S.
Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago
It is interesting how back in the day they would only color in one or two items of a photo
Anne Ahrens 4 years ago
The trauma so many saw back in those days was awful. So very sad 😞
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#33
Hopi Girls, 1900
Katrin Firlinger 6 years ago
Isn‘t this just impressive? The girl on the left reminds me so much of a school friend I had, everytime i tried to take a picture of our group she used to hide her face with her hand, her hair, her arm and so on. I have lots of pictures like these at home. This little gesture gives those people a personality and reawakens a small moment in time and this for people living around 120 years later.
#34
A Yankton Girl
Christina Ann Rinnert 6 years ago
The band was called by both names, depending on who was naming them.
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Daiva Houston 5 years ago
It looks very odd because of the proportions like somebody glued two photos together or photoshopped badly.
#35
Comanche Girls, 1880-1889
Jude 9 years ago
I think it's a family member looking out from the opening in their home behind them.
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Wendy Bruce 9 years ago
Photographers in those days used large glass plates as negatives and sometimes re-used them. Most likely that face is a bleed-thru from an older photo.
weyodi oldbear 3 years ago
As a Comanche I feel compelled to point out this is not their "house" this is a sweat lodge, the equivalent of a sauna.
#36
Susan Bullock-tibbitts, 1895
Jessica Merrie 7 years ago
I'm a proud Cherokee Indian. My uncle used to veto for Cherokee Chief in Cherokee Nation
Pauline Lloyd 8 years ago
They are all stunning and stand so proud, as they should. Absolutely beautiful.
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What do you think ?
Guimar Loureiro 9 years ago
and then we raped them, killed their families to stole their lands
Tiny Dynamine 9 years ago
Native American is not the right term to use as these people are not Americans historically. The should be called the Rightful Inhabitants.
Jude 9 years ago
In Canada, they're called First Nation people. Talking to a husband and wife, not quite sure how I should refer to them, he laughed and said it didn't matter to them. Not all feel the same though.
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Kurt Neswald 5 years ago
All politics aside, these women were gorgeous. Life was considerably harder on them than a 21st century female (most assuredly) but these ladies exude a timeless attraction that few exhibit today: they weathered well. There is little wonder why the 19th century warrior would want to protect his woman with such fervour. I find these images inspiring, if not necessary politically correct.
Doug Assis 8 years ago
With one or two exceptions all the pictures are photoshoped. some are great pictures, but they were not taken more than 3-4 years ago.
Foxlover Foxy 5 years ago
The girls #8 and #16 are absolutely gorgeous babes!! Id marry both of them in an instant, and make LOTSA babies so as to keep the native americans population up in numbers.
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Susannah Watt 9 years ago
All so stunningly and diversely, beautiful! Wonderful old images and glimpse into the past.
Erin Gibbins 9 years ago
i think it has a lot to do with photos in that era taking a while to expose so you had to be still for a long time and it is easier to relax your face than hold a smile
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Beej Cobalt 9 years ago
#22 laughable ID: that is the name of a Commanche war chief who also was a leader in Peace talks and reservation issues.
Guimar Loureiro 9 years ago
and then we raped them, killed their families to stole their lands
Tiny Dynamine 9 years ago
Native American is not the right term to use as these people are not Americans historically. The should be called the Rightful Inhabitants.
Jude 9 years ago
In Canada, they're called First Nation people. Talking to a husband and wife, not quite sure how I should refer to them, he laughed and said it didn't matter to them. Not all feel the same though.
Load More Replies... Kurt Neswald 5 years ago
All politics aside, these women were gorgeous. Life was considerably harder on them than a 21st century female (most assuredly) but these ladies exude a timeless attraction that few exhibit today: they weathered well. There is little wonder why the 19th century warrior would want to protect his woman with such fervour. I find these images inspiring, if not necessary politically correct.
Doug Assis 8 years ago
With one or two exceptions all the pictures are photoshoped. some are great pictures, but they were not taken more than 3-4 years ago.
Foxlover Foxy 5 years ago
The girls #8 and #16 are absolutely gorgeous babes!! Id marry both of them in an instant, and make LOTSA babies so as to keep the native americans population up in numbers.
Load More Replies... Susannah Watt 9 years ago
All so stunningly and diversely, beautiful! Wonderful old images and glimpse into the past.
Erin Gibbins 9 years ago
i think it has a lot to do with photos in that era taking a while to expose so you had to be still for a long time and it is easier to relax your face than hold a smile
Load More Replies... Beej Cobalt 9 years ago
#22 laughable ID: that is the name of a Commanche war chief who also was a leader in Peace talks and reservation issues.
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