Naomi by Cara Romero
"As an Indigenous photographer, I embrace photography as my tool to resist Eurocentric narratives and as a means for opening audiences’ perspectives to the fascinating diversity of living Indigenous peoples. My approach fuses time-honored and culturally specific symbols with 21st-century ideas . This strategy reinforces the ways we exist as contemporary Native Americans, all the while affirming that Indigenous culture is continually evolving and imminently permanent." - Cara Romero
Naomi by Cara Romero represents one of the first “American Girls.” The model is a Northern Chumash woman from San Luis Obispo; her mother is a regalia maker. Unlike much of Romero’s work, Naomi does not use photoshop and was created with real props and a full-size box. Posing like a Barbie doll, Naomi is “an examination of past misrepresentation of indigenous women as dolls and it is meant to reclaim an identity” by juxtaposing the modern world with her rich and beautifully complex culture. The eye-catching black and white triangles and pink ground create a contemporary Californian vibe that fuses with the traditional Native American dress and objects. Romero creates a space for her community to speak out about their relationships and adjustments to the contemporary world. Her work asks that we create a safe future for girls like Naomi to embody their own values and traditions.