Tag Archives: identity

feature film

Imprint

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Imprint Trailer

I just watched Imprint, a 2007 thriller directed by Chris Eyre that is set on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It tells the story of Shayla Stonefeather, a Lakota prosecutor, who, along with her white partner and boyfriend, takes a case against a Lakota teenager who is found guilty of murder. Soon after the case is over, she returns to the reservation and we learn that her father is in a vegetable state which came on soon after the disappearance of her brother, who had problems with meth. The rest of the story involves Shayla trying to understand the meaning behind the strange voices and spirits she sees in her parents’ home, partly with the guidance of a medicine man, and with some help from an old flame named Tom.

I thought the film was suspenseful, had cool effects, and beautiful landscapes. If you are interested in more Native thrillers, you may want to check out two films that are adapted from Tony Hillerman novels. These are Skinwalkers and A Thief of Time, which were incidentally both also directed by Chris Eyre, but are both set on Navajo territory. (I haven’t yet seen Coyote Waits.) Although Shayla is a strong female lead, I hadn’t considered, as does this reviewer, that this is something out of the ordinary for Native films. While some feature films like Smoke Signals or Skins center on men, I think of strong female protagonists in movies like Edge of America, Older than America, or the documentary On the Rez. So, while I think having a strong female lead is great, I had already felt like Indian women are shown as strong, substantial characters or people in quite a few films. I also did not understand what the reviewer meant when she says that this is not a conventionally Indian movie, since the many Native films I’ve seen show that Indian directors, like directors from all over, produce innovative, surprising material that shows they are thinking outside of the box. Which is why I was annoyed to see (spoiler alert) the white boyfriend cast as the villain. I liked that the film countered some stereotypical views, like the  fact that it centers around a middle class family as opposed to a poor Lakota family. Pine Ridge tends to be portrayed as very downtrodden (Skins and Children of the Plains are two examples). And I was glad that although you could see Shayla and Tom getting back together, they didn’t actually have a romantic scene. But why do the parents have to instinctually dislike the white boyfriend? Actually, he turns out to be a jerk, so that’s fine. But why does the jerk have to be white? As the reviewer above points out, why not make him another ethnicity and really surprise us?

The other theme that I think is important but doesn’t get thoughtfully developed is the whole idea of “selling out.” Shayla is depicted as having “sold out” just because she took a case against a Lakota. Her car is vandalized and her mother also equates her cold-heartedness as being an identity issue; of not “knowing who she is.” It seems like the conflicts that I think many Indians must face regarding identity and assimilation and culture deserve to leave the viewer questioning to what degree or in what ways can one can assimilate another culture and still maintain one’s own? In other words, it’s a pretty complex, messy, and controversial topic that deserves more. Rather, in this film, I felt like the issue is too neatly tied up. The story develops in such a way that serving as prosecutor against your own kind seems to be equated with selling out and once Shayla realizes the error of her ways, she seems to be almost cleansed and becomes good again. I should point out that had the racially biased nature of the trial been developed more, I may have felt less strongly about this point. Also, one can’t fault Eyre too much for possibly wanting to make a good thriller and leave it at that. Every movie can’t deal with all societal concerns.

So, it’s a good thriller with an interesting story that is beautifully shot, but the cliche character and the simplistic treatment of the issue of identity left me wanting more. In terms of using this in the classroom, I would think it might be of interest to film students because of the special effects, cinematography, and plot twist. Also, the medicine man speaks in Lakota and this may be of interest to people studying the language. Those teaching about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation may also be interested in its depiction in this film.

documentary, News

Mohawk Identity in Kahnawake

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The debate over Mohawk identity in Kahnawake in Montreal, Canada was not on my radar until I watched the documentary Club Native, which I liked so much.  I’ve recently read several articles about this issue (thanks to posts by Kendra Kennedy on H-AMINDIAN@H-NET.MSU.EDU) which I’m linking to below.

A potential reversal of the “second generation cut-off” rule which limits interracial Mohawk membership to the grandchildren of Mohawk male and non-Mohawk female unions could result in a doubling of the population in Kahnawake and has set off a flurry of eviction notices to mixed race couples. Although the above regulation seems to favor Mohawk men who partner with non-Mohawk women, one of the articles notes that even young Mohawk men are raised knowing that if they marry out, they will be made to move out. Although the idea of evicting mixed race couples or denying Mohawk identity to children of mixed unions seems inhumane and extreme, and although some Mohawks argue that the evictions are culturally incongruous since outsiders have historically been allowed to integrate into Mohawk culture, the issue is problematized by internal fears that the space and rights that Mohawks have as a group will be undermined as more and more non-Mohawks are allowed to live in Kahnawake. This battle is sad, especially having watched Club Native and the effect that these measures of exclusivity which are based on blood quantum and not other more authentic expressions of identity, has had on various people, including those who are so commited to maintaining Mohawk culture. The entire debate is also really interesting in terms of trying to pin down a sometimes nebulous label like identity which is defined in different ways by different people. I’m currently working on my thesis which discusses native dress as an aspect of identity and it’s really interesting to see the ways that clothing’s significance changes even within a given historical period and how contemporary events influence these changes. The historical nature of these types of debates are also instructive. One of the articles notes that these evictions have had occured sporadically in the past, going all the way back to at least the late 19th century. Were these types of panics resurface each time native rights were perceived to be threatened? Really interesting and difficult questions.

Hubert Bauch. “Kahnawake band council meddles in people’s love lives, critics charge,” The Montreal Gazette. February 9, 2010.

Cornacchia, Cheryl. “’If you marry out, you move out’; Evictions; Couples ‘should have known better’.” The Montreal Gazette. February 11, 2010.

Hoss, Fabrice. “Mohawks kick non-aboriginals off lands in Quebec.” Taiwan News. March 3, 2010.

“Mohawk tribe evicts non-natives.” Public Radio International. March 8, 2010.

“Federal law could boost population, add tension on Quebec reserve.” Canwest News Service, March 23, 2010.

documentary, Film Festivals, Film Screening, Q&A

Club Native

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Happy New Year folks! Comps. exam done and I’m back.

Only 10 months after I saw it at the 2009 Native American Film Festival at the NMAI in NYC, here is my summary of Club Native. In short: I thought it was a great film and highly recommend it!

Club Native traces the lives of four women and their relationship to their Mohawk identity. In order to obtain membership within their nation, two of the women must go before a council which uses Canada’s law regarding blood quantum as one of the factors in deciding whether they are to remain enrolled members. The transparency and fairness of the council comes into question and we hear the women’s compelling stories – why their bi-raciality does not make them any less Mohawk, except to some.

The other two women are in danger of losing membership not because of their blood quantum but due to their marriage partners – white men. The laws related to Mohawk women “marrying out” are not the same as they are for Mohawk men. Consequently, there is more pressure on women to  marry in or relinquish membership to their community. I remember that the few people who seemed to be in favor of this status quo in the film were Mohawk men and I was curious as to why there was so much emphasis on marrying Mohawk men and not the other way around. That was one aspect of the film that I needed more clarity about.

The director, Tracey Deer, does a great job throughout but these two women’s stories are even more compelling. This may have to do partly with the fact that one of the women is Deer’s sister and we get a very intimate access to her life. And when I say intimate, I mean it: we see the birth of her child! There are many points in the film when I teared up and got goosebumps or laughed – as though these were people I knew. That’s how close you got. So, I think Deer is a really great director just based on that (she doubtless has gotten confirmation of this from all over but it was nice to see one of the men during the Q&A say that she has blossomed into a great filmmaker; Deer identified the man as someone from her community so it was an extra touching moment). But when that girl had her baby on film, I loved her (the sister is very endearing for  her warm and funny ways) more for the honor of being able to see such a private moment. The other woman was an athlete who competed in the Olympics when she was younger and had even been featured on a high profile publication (Newsweek or Time). She was active politically both as a youngster and still is now. All the women were remarkable in their own way. Very poignant documentary – loved it.

For those of you interested, I found a related essay: Simpson, Audra.  “Paths Toward a Mohawk Nation: Narratives of Citizenship and Nationhood in Kahnawake.” In Political Theory and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, edited by Duncan Ivison, Paul Patton and Will Sanders, 113-136. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. It’s pretty academic but it also contains some short narratives about how issues related to blood quantum affects Mohawks.

documentary, Film Review

Sueños binacionales / Bi-National Dreams

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Español abajo.

Sueños binacionales / Bi-national Dreams, directed by Yolanda Cruz, deals with the experience of two Mexican indigenous groups in the United States. The first part of the documentary focuses on the Mixtec.  One of the largest indigenous groups in Mexico, the Mixtec and have been traveling to the Fresno area for over 30 years. Two charismatic community leaders discuss how the Mixtec have rallied around social issues and how their effective communication and organization has helped them reach out to immigrants from various Mixtec towns who have settled in the Fresno area. Community members who are featured show a strong commitment to maintaining ties to their communities in Mexico, endeavoring, it seems, to live the film title’s bi-national dream.

The second part of the documentary is less upbeat and perhaps that is why it is more gripping. It focuses on the Chatino, one of the smallest indigenous groups in Mexico. Chatino immigration to North Carolina is more recent, having occurred largely in the past 10 years.

While the Mixtec portion of the video was in Spanish, large parts of the second version is spoken in Chatino which I liked because you do not always get to hear native languages spoken. Although westerners tend to focus on the practicality of acquiring or knowing a language, there is something to the idea that a language’s sound transmits not only communication but also energy. I am reminded of the Mapuche speaker on the indigenous panel in March who began his talk by playing a music instrument and saying how it was important to allow the audience to feel that vibration. An Otavalo friend (noticing that I would use my elementary Kichwa) once commented on the importance of hearing a language’s sounds.

The Chatino story was not as sanguine as the Mixtec one. About half the population of the town (I rewound the tape but don’t remember seeing it noted in the film) where the Chatino were concentrated had migrated, giving the impression that those migrants will not return, at least not on a permanent basis. One hotel worker in North Carolina says as much. Another community member in Mexico, who speaks Chatino with pride, noted that not everyone is carrying on the Chatino language. Also, one of the community members in Mexico notes how the money earned while Chatinos travel to the United States could be better spent. Although his tone is pretty somber (since no one seems to be taking him up on the idea), he offers a very good plan of action for how the community could become more self sufficient. I wonder if the video circulated among community members and anyone listened?

I thought this film was great the first time I saw it. I still think it is a great example of the heterogeneity of Latino immigration to the United States and of indigenous groups even within a single nation. It could be used for classes on immigration, identity and community organization.

My only small gripe is that I wish the video had more background information on the indigenous groups both in Mexico and those who traveled to the United States. My second viewing of the video was related to an exhibit I am working on about the changing patterns of Latin American and Caribbean immigration to the United States. I am specifically writing a section on Latin American indigenous immigrants. It would be nice to have had more figures or statistics on the communities. It would have also been interesting to see the dynamics between Chatino, Mixtec and mestizo Mexican immigrants and even between them and Americans. That would probably have been another film but I mention it because I am curious about those dyanmics as well. But this aside, it’s a very interesting film and I look forward to seeing Cruz’s other films. For more information on her work, including acquiring a copy of  Sueños binacionales / Bi-natinoal Dreams, visit Petate Productions.

Sueños binacionales / Bi-national Dreams, un video por la videoasta Yolanda Cruz, se enfoca en las experiencias de dos grupos indígenas mexicanos que han inmigrado a los EEUU. La primera parte del documental se enfoca en la comunidad mixteca. Son uno de los grupos indígenas mas grandes de Mexico y han inmigrado a la region de California conocida como Fresno por mas de 30 años. Dos miembros de la comunicad hablan acerca de cómo la comunidad mixteca se ha organizado al rededor de temas sociales y cómo sus redes de comunicación intercomunitarias les ha permitido comunicar con miembros de otros pueblos mixtecas en la área de Fresno y en Mexico. Los líderes que son entrevistados demuestran un fuerto compromiso con sus comunidades en los EEUU y en Mexico y parece que están logrando el sueño binacional del título del video.

La seguna parte del documental no es tan optímista pero tal vez por ese motivo, fue hasta mas interesante para mi. Se trata de la comunidad chatino, uno de los grupos indígenas mas pequeños de Mexico. Empezaron a inmigrar al estado estadounidense de North Carolina en los últimos diez años.

Aunque esta parte del documental esta en español, una gran parte de esta sección está en el idioma chatino. Me gusto este detallo porque no siempre se tiene la oportunidad de oir idiomas indígenas ya que se privilegia el español o inglés (me doy cuenta de la ironía ya que está sección en español esta debajo de la sección en inglés. En mi caso no es por etnocentricidad ? norteamericana sino porque hablo mejor en inglés que español). Aunque la gente blanca o mestiza suele enfatizar el aspecto práctico de la adquisición de un idioma, creo que es verdad que  el sónido de un idioma trasnmite energía. Me acuerdo del señor mapuche que hablo durante el panel en marzo que empezó su charla tocando un instrumento diciendo que es importante que el público oiga esa vibración. Un amigo otavalo (notando que a veces utilizo el kichwa básico que conozco) una vez hizo el comentario que los sónidos y tal vez las vibraciones del idioma son importantes oir tambien.

La parte chatino no fue tan optimista como la seccion mixteca. Mitad del pueblo chatino (retrocedí el DVD pero no pude encontrar el nombre del pueblo) han inmigrado a los EEUU. Esto da la impresión que los inmigrantes no van a regresar a Mexico, al menos no permanentemente. Una trabajadora de hotel dice que le sería difícil regresar a México. Otro miembro de la comunidad que vive en México que conversa orgullosamente en chatino hace el comentario que no todos están manteniendo el idioma chatino.

No he traducido la siguente parte todavía…

Also, one of the community members in Mexico notes how the money earned while Chatinos travel to the United States could be better spent. Although his tone is pretty somber (since no one seems to be taking him up on the idea), he offers a very good plan of action for how the community could become more self sufficient. I wonder if the video circulated among community members and anyone listened?

I thought this film was great the first time I saw it. I still think it is a great example of the heterogeneity of Latino immigration to the United States and of indigenous groups even within a single nation. It could be used for classes on immigration, identity and community organization.

My only small gripe is that I wish the video had more background information on the indigenous groups both in Mexico and those who traveled to the United States. My second viewing of the video was related to an exhibit I am working on about the changing patterns of Latin American and Caribbean immigration to the United States. I am specifically writing a section on Latin American indigenous immigrants. It would be nice to have had more figures or statistics on the communities. It would have also been interesting to see the dynamics between Chatino, Mixtec and mestizo Mexican immigrants and even between them and Americans. That would probably have been another film but I mention it because I am curious about those dyanmics as well. But this aside, it’s a very interesting film and I look forward to seeing Cruz’s other films. For more information on her work, including acquiring a copy of  Sueños binacionales / Bi-natinoal Dreams, visit Petate Productions.