On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Schudegácheh, Ponca Chief
Karl Bodmer Swiss
Not on view
In May 1833, Schudegácheh (He Who Smokes/Makes Smoke) and several Ponca men boarded the Yellow Stone to speak about official matters with a representative of the United States, an ally and trading partner of the tribe. Aboard the anchored steamer, the Ponca men and the travelers passed tobacco pipes and shared dinner. Customary gift exchanges during such meetings expressed a core Indigenous value of generosity. Transactions like these presented ideal circumstances for Bodmer to meet and sketch Native leaders. Schudegácheh dressed for the occasion, wearing a presidential peace medal given to him by a US Indian agent. As an ostensible symbol of nation-to-nation peace and friendship, the chief’s medal strategically reminded US officials of their treaty obligations toward the Ponca.
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