Bear’s Belly – Arikara (1909)
Born in 1847 in the present day North Dakota, Bear's Belly was a highly respected and honored warrior and became a member of the Bears in the Medicine Fraternity. He acquired his bearskin in a dramatic battle in which he single-handedly killed three bears, thus gaining his personal “medicine”.

This large, archival photograph was created using a high-resolution scan from an original Curtis photogravure. Before scanning, each vintage photogravure is professionally conserved to restore the print to its original appearance and fidelity. Using pigment-based inks, to ensure archival stability, the image is printed onto special mould-made, fiber-based, acid-free watercolor paper. This process ensures that each image is faithfully created to the original intent of Edward S. Curtis.