Ginger hair portraits show unexpected ‘golden thread’ connecting Americans

A Golden Thread Through America: Red-Haired Portraits Reveal Unexpected Connections

Ninoda.com – For Edinburgh-based photographer Kieran Dodds, capturing images of individuals with crimson hair has evolved into a decade-long passion. The 45-year-old, who proudly identifies as ginger himself, launched his photographic journey in Scotland during 2013. His work initially explored themes of Scottish identity through portraiture.

His fascination quickly carried him beyond British shores to locations like Jamaica’s Treasure Beach and the Russian metropolis of Perm. When his 2020 publication “Gingers” reached readers worldwide, Kieran discovered an omission in his collection.

“I realised I didn’t have any American citizens,” Kieran explained to the BBC. “Then all these people got in touch.”

Discovering America’s Red-Haired Diversity

The influx of American subjects revealed fascinating genetic stories. Nicholas Modaressi shared that his father, raised in Iran, avoids genetic testing. “I’m Persian,” he tells his son Nic, who was born in Maryland.

“I was like ‘oh wow, of course, the whole world is in the States’,” Kieran reflected. “It’s a microcosm.”

One message particularly captivated the photographer—a Native American man with red hair. “I found it very interesting and it made me think, ‘where on earth did it come from?'”

Indigenous Heritage and European Roots

The cover of Kieran’s newest volume, “Gingers of America,” showcases Joshua Elliot from Oklahoma’s Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Joshua revealed a complex family history: German relatives on his mother’s side, and English and Swedish ancestors on his father’s.

“My mom’s side has always been involved with the Muscogee tribe and traditions and I’ve grown up around it,” he explained.

Though Joshua doesn’t match conventional expectations of Native American appearance, he embraces his identity through community involvement. “Our chief’s wife told me it’s about your involvement in your community and your tribe, the people around you and what you put back into it. Which I really took to heart.”

Lottie Wahkinney, a young Comanche woman from Oklahoma, carries Scottish heritage through her grandparents from Hawick. Her father Jared described their blended background: “That’s why my Lottie has a good mix of everything going on.”

“My Scottish grandparents would come over every summer,” Jared recalled. “On my first visit to Scotland when I was 22, folks were like, ‘Where are your moccasins? Where’s your headdress?’. I explained ‘I wear Nikes’.”

Surprising Exceptions

While most Native Americans Kieran encountered could trace their red hair to European ancestors, one Cherokee girl named Lakia presented a mystery. Her family knew of no European lineage whatsoever.

“It is a totally different colour of red,” Kieran noted. “It’s deep ruby. That really intrigued me.”

Lakia described how her hair transformed during childhood. “Everyone thought, since I was about eight, that I dyed my hair,” she said. “And still now everyone’s like, ‘what hair colour is that?’.”

Lakia’s sister Maci, along with all their relatives, possesses long, straight, jet-black hair—a stark contrast to Lakia’s crimson locks.

Alabama’s Unexpected Red-Haired Community

Following his encounters with Native Americans, Kieran embarked on seven extended journeys across the United States over several years. These trips often coincided with his work as an environmental photographer.

Alabama emerged as a particularly surprising destination. Many British visitors associate the state with civil rights struggles, racial segregation, and NASA’s pioneering achievements.

“I knew it for racism and Nasa,” Kieran said. “In my head it was stuck in the 60s but Birmingham is an incredibly vibrant city. I met a lot of black Americans who had often married someone who is white.”

Rachel Releford shared her experience navigating public perception. “I’m like, ‘nope, she’s mine’,” Rachel said when people mistake her for her daughter Liliana’s nanny. “I think you still get some people who grew up with the mindset that things need to be segregated.”

Some of Rachel’s grandparents’ friends initially hesitated when learning about her interracial relationship. “They said: ‘You’re really going to…'”

Through these portraits, Kieran has woven together a tapestry of American identity, revealing how red hair serves as a golden thread connecting diverse communities across the nation.