WAA-KAUN-SEE-KAA or the Rattle Snake; A Winnebago Chief, from The Aboriginal Portfolio

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of early 19th-century Native American portraiture with *WAA-KAUN-SEE-KAA or the Rattle Snake; Winnebago Chief* (1835), a striking lithograph by James Otto Lewis. This print captures the dignified profile of Waa-Kaun-See-Kaa, a prominent leader of the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) people, whose name evokes the stealth and power of the rattlesnake. Lewis, an itinerant artist known for his detailed depictions of Indigenous leaders, created this as part of *The Aboriginal Portfolio*, a collection of hand-colored lithographs published in 1830s. The artwork emerged from a pivotal moment ...