bio and cv: bio
sarah penman is a scot living in the united states. her interest in the native american community began in 1988 when she was invited to green grass, south dakota, home of chief arvol looking horse, spiritual leader of the lakota/dakota/nakota nation and keeper of the sacred calf pipe.
as a result of this meeting sarah learned of the chief big foot memorial ride, a 250-mile spiritual journey on horseback undertaken by the lakota to commemorate the wounded knee massacre of 1890. the ride was held for five consecutive years in december, and sarah joined the ride from 1988 to 1990.
during the ride sarah began to take photographs and upon her return to write articles for the circle, minnesota's largest native american newspaper. as she began listening to the stories that the elders told, she was inspired to begin gathering their life histories. in 1991, sarah received a grant from the minnesota historical society in support of this work which led her to begin producing video and radio documentaries.
however, photography remains sarah's first passion and she has continued to document traditionalist gatherings. "i have found that living with the people and being respectful of their culture, traditions, and way of life," she says, "is crucial to developing meaningful relationships that extend beyond the standard photographer/subject model. i believe that it is only by developing trust and acceptance over time, and by experiencing and internalizing cultural and societal beliefs, that one can adequately interpret and reflect those issues that are of primary importance to the community."
sarah remains committed to, and feels passionately about her work. she strives for integrity in all that she does. "i am motivated by a desire to learn from, and respect for the people with whom i work," she says, "my goal is to continue working with indigenous nations. i hope that my work will contribute to an understanding of, and respect for, the lives and contributions of indigenous people."