Tag Archives: media

History, Media, and Stories – TLAM Week 3

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For the third week of TLAM, we looked at the topics of Wisconsin tribal histories, media, and storytelling. Class began with a continuation of the discussion from the panel at last week’s screening of “Reel Injun.” Like the panelists, many of us were concerned with the issue of how to present depictions of Native Americans in Hollywood movies and TV to children in a way that can create a positive learning experience. We liked that the documentary ended on a positive note by showing that more Native actors and filmmakers were beginning to tell their own stories, using media as a positive force. This discussion provided a good set-up for our guest of the week, Patty Loew, whose book Indian Nations of Wisconsin we had just finished reading.

Patty had just recently returned from a trip to Mozambique, where she been helping to train community-based journalists. She made an insightful parallel between Native American cultures and the people of Mozambique regarding challenges they face not only in acquiring and transmitting information because of the widening digital divide, but also in how to educate the next generation in traditional culture.

For the rest of the class we learned about how the Tribal Youth Media camp at Lac Courte Orielles, which Patty helped to create, helps Ojibwe children learn about science in ways that integrates with their culture’s traditional methods of learning. A major problem that Patty sees is the tremendous disconnect between Native children and the field of science, partly due to the fact that the way science is taught in ways that aren’t compatible with traditional Native American culture and worldviews. The lack of Native people with a scientific background is especially problematic because today there is a great need for tribes to have scientists that can help them protect their natural resources. At the camp Patty told us about, Native culture leads science, including ethics and values with the other information the kids learned.

The Tribal Youth Media program linked well to the chapter from Donald Lee Fixico’s The American Indian Mind in a Linear World that we read for class this week. Fixico explains the important role of oral tradition and traditional knowledge in teaching Native American history and culture. Storytelling conveys “values, ideas, beliefs [and] insights about the community,” and also serves a relational purpose, connecting people and places. I could easily see how this idea of storytelling and traditional knowledge was integrated into the experience of the science camp at LCO.

Finally, the class went to the Tribal Youth Media website where we watched one of the videos created by the kids, which incorporated both scientific research and interviews with tribal elders. They did an amazing job! Thanks again to Patty Loew for sharing this with us.

- Kelly

Language, History, and Reel Injuns – TLAM 2011 Week 2

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We began our classroom journey this week in the company of Rand Valentine, associate professor of American Indian studies and linguistics, here at UW-Madison. Valentine came to speak to us about the ever-present need to fight a battle to save Native cultures, not only in our own country but all around the world. Although many languages have already been lost, there are a few that are involved in efforts towards revival here in our region. One of our teachers, Omar Poler has been learning his own beautiful and complex language, Ojibwe, with Valentine. We had a chance to read many insightful articles on Native languages and began reading Patty Loew’s book, Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal. Rand Valentine enthusiastically taught us about the many ways in which Ojibwe is one of the most sophisticated languages that he has ever encountered. We all listened intently, captivated with Valentine’s highly contagious exuberance and moved by his thoughtful presentation.

We also had the opportunity to watch a movie at the Chazen Museum of Art, here on the UW-Madison campus, called Reel Injun. We were presented first with a short film produced by the Screen Actors Guild, and its President’s National Task Force for American Indians which is chaired by the immensely charming, intelligent and talented actress, Delanna Studi, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. We were lucky enough to be joined by Delanna as one of the three accomplished presenters who were asked to lead a panel discussion after the film was shown.

We all sat in a theatre full of people from all different places, and cultures. My husband and I, a white couple of German-American descent, could have felt very uncomfortable sitting in the front row; instead, we were made to feel incredibly warm, and welcomed into the conversation. J.D. , our emcee for the evening and a graduate student here, asked us to think of what we knew or thought we knew about Native American people before the film began. He asked us to think about all of the images we had held in our minds up until that point and then after the film, he would ask us to come together and discuss what had changed.

Reel Injun is a film by the Cree documentarian, Neil Diamond. Diamond steps us through a long and complicated history of Native American actors in films, or the lack of them, from the first days in the silent era through today; when many indigenous film makers are getting recognition for their contributions to this important and far-reaching art form. What we see in the film, is that there has been a lot of ground lost along the way. Despite early positive representation in silent film, Hollywood began to stereotype the Native American in popular westerns, and even children’s cartoons. This created a dangerously skewed image and this negative depiction unfortunately still exists in the minds of the masses today. Furthermore, the film shows us through true journeys into the heart of the American West, just how much this image has damaged views of Native people’s around the world. Instead of being thought of as distinct and sovereign nations living in a contemporary world, many indigenous peoples are seen as caricatures from the past, lost in the dust and forever suspended in some daguerreotype image.  His film shows us how, through Hollywood’s lens, many people around the world view all native Americans as being Plains Indians in dress and having the same histories and cultures despite being in actuality, very distinct. Most of these films take place in the American Southwest. Movies like John Ford’s, The Searchers, create sub-human images which are then projected onto all the distict cultures of Native Americans at once—as a whole. The filmmaker travels across the country to speak with some of our real-life heroes about how they became activists who have lived to tell the real stories of many Native cultures.

After the film, we concluded with a thoughtful panel discussion by our three presenters, J.D., Delanna Studi, and Richie Plass. Plass, a member of the Menominee and Stockbridge-Munsee Nations and an educator and musician, seems to me to be one of the funniest and most sincere people on the planet. He informed us of his work, trying to fight the depiction of  American Indians as used in mascots and logos. These unfair depictions further perpetuate the stereotypes which may have been begun by Hollywood in an attempt to erase a part of American history which reflects badly on us as a nation. This history, as we all know, needs to be discussed fully and openly amongst all people and not left for Hollywood to decide. Just like our meeting at the Chazen, people need to talk about the issues to begin resolve some of these wrongs.

One of the most important parts of our discussions during this evening centered around Native actors and filmmakers increasing presence both in front of and behind the camera; writing, directing and producing these films to try and undo some of this damage. Delanna Studi is working to improve the quality of acting by making sure that Native American actors are seen by casting directors. These directors and writers can no longer say that there are no Native actors to take these roles, or to write stories for. She says that it is our duty to encourage talented writers of any age to provide good stories for the world which will help to represent Native voices in this business.

As the evening wrapped up, I looked around the room of people all chatting happily with one another and felt grateful for being invited to participate in this truly enriching event.
-Jessica Miesner
1. PBS.org website for Reel Injun
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/reel-injun/

2. Reel Injun at the Chazen Museum advertisement
http://mcdsocst.wikispaces.com/file/view/Reel+Injun+uw+mad+jan+28.pdf

3. Richie Plass’s Native Voices website and also his STAR page
http://www.nativevoices.net/richieplass.html

http://www.racismagainstindians.org/Indian101/

and you can watch a little video of him here
http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4896&Itemid=131

4. Rand Valentine’s AIS faculty page
http://amindian.wisc.edu/Valentine.html

5. Website on the first 8-minute film, American Indian Actors
http://blog.theautry.org/2010/11/16/starring-native-american-actors/

6. Delanna Studi IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1130669/bio

Nancy Mithlo and Tom Jones 3/27/09 Tribal Museums

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This week we had speakers Nancy Mithlo and Tom Jones discuss their experiences and professional work with museums. Nancy’s background is in anthropology and she has studied and worked all over the country. She spoke about Native American art and museums in relation to education and awareness. She described to us her experiences with the National Museum of the American Indian, her impressions and the controversy surrounding

Nancy Mithlo, a professor with the American Indian Studies program and Art History Department at UW-Madison.

Nancy Mithlo, a professor with the American Indian Studies program and Art History Department at UW-Madison.

the museum. Also, she spoke of Native American imagery and we viewed a short film by Erica Lord entitled “Redman” that depicts the brutality of racism through rather simple, but stark imagery and dialouge. Nancy also mentioned her new book Our Indian Princess which discusses imagery as communication, issues surrounding causation of racial stereotypes, and how imagery can form the framework for discussion of Native American issues. She gave the names of  many artists, intellectuals, books and concpets- below are some links to topics mentioned in the lecture and during lunch following the talk.

Links
Institute of American Indian Arts

The National Museum of the American Indian: Critical Conversations

Andrea Smith, author of Conquest

Fred Wilson, artist

Kevin Grover apology from the BIA

excerpt from “Box of Treasures” short film made by the Kwakiut’l people of Alert Bay, British Columbia

Amy Lonetree, Assistant Professor of American Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz

Poeh Center

Roxanne Swentzell, artist

Native American Studies Association

Aboriginal Curatorial Collective

The Forward Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Grants Applicants, contact Alison Freese

more information about the Native American Video Tape Collection, 1976-Pres.

Tom showed us his work and discussed his various projects, (link above). He also shared with us his experience as an artist featured in the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian. Two collections that he shared

Tom Jones, professor in the Art Department at UW-Madison.

Tom Jones, professor in the Art Department at UW-Madison.

with us were “Encountering Cultures” and “‘Native’ Commondity.” These two collections are an example of the range of Tom’s interest and the depth of his work.

This was an inspiring presentation by both Nancy and Tom that stimulated much thought and discussion within the group. Their expertise and willingness to share experience and knowledge was greatly appreciated.