[DOWNLOAD] "Introduction (Portrayals of American Indians in the Movies 'the New World' and 'Apocalypto')" by Studies in the Humanities ~ eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Introduction (Portrayals of American Indians in the Movies 'the New World' and 'Apocalypto')
- Author : Studies in the Humanities
- Release Date : January 01, 2006
- Genre: Reference,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 354 KB
Description
When I was asked to guest edit a special edition of Studies in the Humanities centered on American Indian Studies, I knew immediately I wanted to focus specifically on the always problematic issue of representation of Indigenous peoples, especially in the Americas. Who is saying what about whom, whom does it help, and whom does it hurt? I also knew I wanted to offer readers not only the problem, but "tried and true" alternatives to the many misrepresentations and misunderstandings which abound both inside and outside of academia today. Most folks get their ideas about "others" from popular culture, and, if they are fortunate enough to attend higher ed, from their classes. Luckily, as I was working on organizing the journal, the Distribution List, which is connected to another excellent journal, Studies in American Indian Literatures, featured a brief but incisive critique of two new "big budget" Hollywood films helmed by powerful and respected directors and production companies. Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (2006) and Terrence Malick's The New World (2005) are precisely the kind of popular culture fare that mediates the way many people generally come to think, both consciously and subconsciously, about American Indians as well as about "first contact" stories. As bell hooks says in Real to Reel, whether we like it or not, movies assume a pedagogical role in the lives of many, and even if it is not the intent of the film maker to instruct viewers, it does not mean that lessons are not learned. In fact, movies don't just offer us an opportunity to re-imagine culture, they create culture. Because of this, I asked two of the contributors to the Distribution List, both experts in the field of American Indian Studies, to send me an expanded version of their critiques to use for the introduction to the journal.