I attended the Native Networks Symposium held on Friday, March 24 at the 2009 Native American Film + Video Festival. Since this blog was born several months later, I am only just now posting my thoughts. I’ll put this out in three installments, one for each panel I attended and one for the film screening I was able to attend. But before I do, I’d like to wish the Film & Video Festival a very Happy 30th Anniversary!
The “Mobilizing for Survival” featured panelists Mario Murillo, of WBAI and associate professor at Hofstra University, who discussed ACIN, the Northern Cauca Indigenous Association and the Colombian government’s divisive tactics toward indigenous groups. As an example of the power of grassroots media, Murillo noted how community video broadcast on CNN countered governmental arguments that people were not getting killed during clashes in Colombia (see article and video at 46:23). There are 87 indigenous groups in Colombia.
Elias Paillán (Mapuche), who began his talk by playing a musical instrument and noting the importance of the Mapuche language and instruments as conveyors of information, spoke about invasions into Mapuche territory historically and the principles of duality/complementarity.
Paul M. Rickard (Cree), executive producer of the “Finding Our Talk” series discussed the importance of preserving native languages and how non-confrontational filmmaking on culture is also a way to make an impact. He noted that a 2001 study predicted that in a century, only 3 of 50 native languages would survive in Canada (Ojibway, Cree and Inuktitut). He discussed how difficult it is to get funding for programs on (not to mention official recognition of) native languages in the United States and Canada. One example of this is a Mohawk show that is dubbed, rather than subtitled, in English and French. He also acknowledged the difficulty of reaching a broad audience since shows are aired early in the morning. (This brought to mind how Latino shows on American television are also broadcast very early in the morning and how there is sometimes a call for more people to tune in in order to increase ratings and both maintain shows and bump them into better timeslots.)
Tonya Gonnella Frichner (Onondaga), President of the American Indian Law Alliance, noted how Canada supports native programming via funding more than the United States does. She also noted that the United States has a limited presence in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (the Eighth Session was held this May 18-29, 2009). Mario Murillo noted that if the United States gives little, Latin American governments give no support to native programming. They are mostly funded from abroad.
Next time, I’ll post some thoughts on the “Creating the Alternative: A Conversation with Four Directors” panel.
