McKenney and Hall, 1836-1844 - PUSH-MA-TA-HA. CHACTAN WARRIOR, from History of the Indian Tribes of North - ca. 1837-1844 - T-Shirt

This hand-coloured lithograph presents a bust-length portrait of Push-Ma-Ta-Ha, a Choctaw warrior and leader, rendered in the style of the 1830s and 1840s.

Visual Elements & Composition

A cream sheet dominates the design, framing a vignette portrait at its centre. The sitter wears a navy coat trimmed with gold epaulettes, and a white jabot cravat sits at his throat. Warm tan tones shape the face and skin, with touches of dusky pink adding warmth to the palette. The printed lettering PUSH-MA-TA-HA and CHOCTAW WARRIOR runs across the design, identifying the subject in the same plain, documentary manner as the originals.

Meaning & Symbolism

Push-Ma-Ta-Ha was a respected Choctaw statesman and military strategist, known for his oratorical skill and his negotiations with the United States government. His likeness appeared in Thomas McKenney and James Hall's History of the Indian Tribes of North America, published between 1836 and 1844, a multi-volume project built largely on original oil paintings commissioned by the War Department. The portrait records a leader of the Southeastern nations during an era of displacement and treaty-making, and it stands for leadership, diplomacy, and the preservation of tribal identity under mounting pressure.

Wearing the Portrait

A portrait printed on a tee puts the subject at chest height, where the navy coat and gold trim sit in plain view. The bust-length composition suits a shirt: the figure is centred, the cream field sits clear of the wearer's own outline, and the lettering reads as a caption for the person wearing it. Each wearer carries the historical record out into the day.