About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
In Our Chiefs and Elders, David Neel presents us with a magnificent series of images of Native chiefs and elders which sharply contrasts with earlier depictions of Natives as “noble savages” or representatives of a “vanishing race.” Neel’s photographs of, and conversations with, his own people introduce us to individuals who know who they are and whose comments on the present, coupled with their perspectives from the past, reveal a people with a rich and unique heritage.
Contributor Notes
David Neel is a British Columbia artist and photographer whose work has appeared in museums and galleries in the United States and Canada.
Awards
- Winner, Alcuin Citation for excellence in book design in Canada, Alcuin Society
Editorial Reviews
Our Chiefs and Elders is a fine, gentle book with the power to change our perceptions. David Neel has a professional photographic background, tuned to depicting the persona of bank presidents and judges. Now, with humility and respect, he has opened his lens to the chiefs and elders of the west coast, showing the deep concerns and robust human energy of people who have much to share. This book changes perceptions and presents us with living, breathing role models – at a time when moral example is sorely needed. Read it, and be changed.
— Victoria Times-Colonist
...this book makes not only compelling reading, but also features some brilliant photos of those being interviewed. ... It is a set of stunning portraits, showing native people neither as “noble savages nor skid row drunks” as Neel describes the most common views. A powerful book.
— The Nanaimo Times
This is a book in which photos and words play off one another to create a fascinating and powerful portrait of 40 B.C. chiefs and elders.
— The Province
