Carte-de-visite format tintype portrait of a Native American man wearing a feathered headdress, fringed trade blanket, and a U.S. presidential peace medal displayed prominently on his chest. The sitter bears a striking resemblance to, and is likely famous southern Ute chief Buckskin Charley, who received the Rutherford Hayes Peace Medal in 1890. His tribal regalia is paired with a Western-style waistcoat and cravat, illustrating the blending of traditional and Euro-American dress that was often a hallmark of diplomatic or ceremonial portraiture in the mid-to-late 19th century.

The peace medal, typically presented by the U.S. government to Native leaders as a symbol of alliance and friendship, was also a visual marker of the recipient’s political role and engagement in treaty negotiations. The feathered headdress and draped blanket reinforce the sitter’s cultural identity and status within his community, while the medal serves as a powerful emblem of his interactions with federal authorities.

The image is framed within a red-ruled CDV mount, a style common to the 1860s and 1870s, suggesting an early period for Native American tintype portraiture in this format. Such images were often commissioned by the sitters themselves or produced for sale to the public, making them both personal keepsakes and historical records of prominent Native figures during a pivotal era of cultural change and political negotiation.