Staging Indigeneity

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The book explores the phenomenon of "salvage tourism," where communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries created attractions centered on Native American history. It examines performances like the Happy Canyon Indian Pageant and outdoor dramas that, while claiming to honor Indigenous cultures, presented them through the lens of white settlers. By linking historical performances to modern interpretations, it highlights how these practices mirrored salvage ethnography, reinforcing the notion of Indigenous societies as vanishing.