Category: Module 2

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Module 2

Yolngu Boy

The film is reminiscent of Nanook in that it presents a similar but very current image of the collision of ancient indigenous, and modern westernized cultures. In this film the impact is felt by three Australian Aboriginal teens.  The boys are caught between their ancient culture and traditions, and the imposed cultural realities of their modern day-to-day lives. The boys search for their identities through the commodified world of peer pressure, football, and rap music.  And, through the Australian outback where they need to rely on their traditional knowledge of the bush.

The film website includes links to:

  • a film trailer
  • a synopsis of the story
  • a history of the Yolngu peoples
  • educational resources and a study guide

It is a striking reminder that things may not have changed much since the time of Nanook of the North. From the trailers one wonders if the movie reflects somewhat of a modernized version of the “Noble Savage”.  For those analytic research is in this area, finding a copy of this film could provide a modern perspective as counterpoint to the Nanook clip.

Categories
Module 2

Line in the Sand

This site was started by a group of natives who were concerned about misrepresentation of natives by non-natives.  It has evolved to become a place to debate over where to draw the “Line in the Sand” on the issues of Native American cultural property, sovereignty, identity, ethnic stereotypes, the commodification of Native American culture.

Line in the Sand provides first-hand insights into issues discussed in some of course readings for this module, including Chapter 4 in Indigenous Cultures – Cyberspace Smoke Signals (Zimmerman, Zimmerman & Bruguier, 2000).

The site includes discussion pages on stereotypes.  This area of the site includes discussion of stereotypes in sports team mascots, products, and the notion of looking “Indian enough” for Hollywood.  There is also a link for teachers which reviews what the site suggests as books to avoid (such as “Indian in the Cupboard”), as well as papers and discussion about the persistence and effects of damaging stereotypes.

Cultural property is approached from a number of perspectives including:

The site also includes a page linking to responses from Native Peoples in the form of papers, speeches, essays, books, poetry, and awards.

The site may provide interesting insights from a range of sources for analytic papers in any of these areas.

Categories
Module 2

Our Homes are Bleeding

This site was launched in 2005 by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.  The focus of this site is the connection of indigenous people to their land as inherent to culture, identity, and spirituality.  There are some very detailed transcriptions of the Agency Testimonies from the BC Royal Commission on Indian Affairs from 1913-1916. While the focus isn’t on educational technology, the site uses technology to support both education and research.  The site is relevant to the issues of identity and culture we are addressing in this module and in the course.

The site has a page for researchers that gives some information about First Nations lands, research tools and resources to help researchers begin their search.

There is a teacher page with a very interesting Lesson Plan (Grade 11, 2007 ) entitled Continuity and Change. The primary objectives are for students to review the historical data from the perspectives of both aboriginal and non-aboriginals, and to evaluate what has and hasn’t changed.  The lesson activities include reading about history of Reservations, land settlement issues, and role playing.  There are a variety of resources and link to timelines, terminology, and other resources including a background on Reserves in BC, and a podcast on Aboriginal rights, all in support of the lesson plan.

Categories
Module 2

Edward Curtis Meets the Kwakwaka’wakw

This website is devoted to the Edward Curtis film In the Land of the Head Hunters made in Fort Rupert, BC in about 1914.  The site includes a synopsis of the film, a discussion on the making of the film and its significance from a history of film perspective.  It also includes pages with some un-restored clips from the original film and audio clips of songs sung by dancers in the movie.  The site is fascinating and I am still traveling through it.  For me, the site is of particular interest since my analytic paper involves an examination of film about and by indigenous cultures.  The information here allows for some great historical comparisons.

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