Through his photos, O’Sullivan manages to show Native Americans as simultaneously conquered and defiant, which is indicative of their experiences.  By the time O’Sullivan took his photos, many Native Americans had been moved off their ancestral lands and brought to reservations. This not only allowed Anglo-Americans access to tribal lands, but also created an environment where Anglo-Americans believed Native Americans could work on assimilating into the dominant culture and becoming more “civilized.” While Native Americans did adopt aspects of Anglo-American culture, they also clung to many of their traditions.

O’Sullivan is able to show that dichotomy between old and new in his photos. The pictures of the Jicarilla Apache people were taken in Abiquiu Agency, the reservation where they had been relocated and forced to engage Anglo-American ways. O’Sullivan documented the effects of this forced relocation and assimilation in a stark and uncompromising way, showing poverty and a seemingly crushed people. They had lost their tribal lands, and thus, lost that physical connection to their ancestors. Yet, O’Sullivan also managed to capture a spirit of resilience. The subjects of the photographs are still dressed in the traditional clothing of their nation. They are still engaging in traditional activities, like weaving. They refuse to give up their culture.

There is no record of how the subjects of the photographs felt about being photographed, but O’Sullivan’s dedication to showing the reality of Native American life shows several nations dedicated to maintaining their cultures and ways of life, despite the atrocities of forced relocation and assimilation.