NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN

Professional photographer of Native American Indian children in San Diego by famous Gary G. Ballard.

PHOTO ONE: Pai-Pai Indian babies, Santa Catarina, Baja California Norte, Mexico. I remember the day being broiled in the high desert Baja mountain village sun when I took the photograph of the PiaPai girls at sunset. This was the very last beam of direct sunlight we had, their mothers brought the girls out and sat them in the sunbeam. I remember they were set down, they looked at me, and I got off a couple of frames before the sun went behind the mountain moments later.

PHOTO TWO: I had been to the Diaz working rancho in San Jose de la Zorra, Baja California, Mexico, several times and rarely saw his young Kumiai daughter (pictured). This particular day the light was soft, and she was standing in the front doorway of her home when I walked over towards her for a portrait. The lens was about five feet from her face when this picture was taken of her curious face.

PHOTO THREE: This is a picture of the young son of a famous Kumiai basket weaver. He is playing with his small gray kitten in the front doorway of his Kumeyaay home in San Jose de la Zorra.

PHOTO FOUR: This young Pai-Pai "bandito" is wearing a cowboy hat and has a red handkerchief pulled up cover his nose and mouth like a bandit or a soldier to conceal his identity — ironic because his remote Indian ranch, San Catarina, is located in the high desert mountains of Baja California Norte.

Bad people, police and soldiers all frequent the dangerous area and all are known to cover their faces to hide their identities from each other — which way will this child go, predator or protector? He comes from a strong family so let's hope for protector.

PHOTO FIVE: This happy young face is that of a pretty young Pai Pai Indian girl posing for a professional portrait on her family ranch in Santa Catarina, a remote tribal ejido with no electricity or running water (when this picture was taken in 2005).

PHOTO SIX: This young American Indian boy was adopted by a Kumiai Indio family in San Jose de la Zorra but I am not sure of his tribal affiliation although I do believe he is Native American Indian by blood.

Professional Native American photography of children by Gary G. Ballard Photography, San Diego.