Jeff Thomas (1956 - )
Jeff Thomas, a photographer and curator who lives in Ottawa, is a member of
the Onondaga nation and is at the forefront of the discussion of issues dealing
with Aboriginal identity in North America. Thomas' sensitivity to these
issues informs his portrait work. His technique of working without the
photographic props of backdrops and studio lights allows the sitters the freedom
of selecting how and where they want to be photographed. This approach
give his portraits a directness and ease and reveals the underlying theme of
this exhibition: that the Mi'kmaq people of Newfoundland are very much
people of the present and very much part of the larger society. Thomas'
portfolio of forty-seven portraits represents the creation of an important
document. To make these portraits available to future generations of
Newfoundland Mi'kmaq and others, the Federation of Newfoundland Indians will
donate the portfolio to the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador,
and Jeff Thomas will donate his copyright to these portraits.
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