Catawba Artist Alex Osborn Pays Homage to Sally New River in Path of Portraits

Growing up on the Catawba Indian Nation reservation in York County, South Carolina, Alex Osborn led a life that was somewhat different from those outside the reservation, even if he didn’t realize it until he was older.

For example, he recalls there being a Native American coordinator on staff at his elementary school, and much of his experiences with health care as a child came at Indian Health Service facilities.

“Indian Health Service is usually run by military personnel and so there’s just a brand of bedside manner. It’s not quite the same,” he tells me. “Not only are they military, they’re also just not very gentle.”

Catawba Artist Alex Osborn Pays Homage to Sally New River in Path of Portraits