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Course Description
Welcome! This course is designed to give you a chance to explore the
representation of Native Americans in film. More people worldwide get their
ideas about "Indians" from popular film than from any other source. This class
examines the changing representations of Native Americans in film, from
Hollywood Westerns to very recent films and videos made by Native people. For
centuries, Europeans and European Americans have controlled the representation
of Native people on the screen. In the past 2 or 3 decades, Native people have
begun taking control of their own representation as
a way of asserting visual and artistic sovereignty. By examining a wide variety of film sources as our
primary texts, we will attempt to deconstruct the image of the American Indian
in light of the films' social and political contexts and their underlying
ideologies. As we view films and videos created by Natives, we will consider indigenous
ideologies, aesthetics and goals, and how they may differ from those of non-Native-made
films.
We'll begin by reading about the history of the representation of Native Americans
in American films and then begin watching a selection of films which include
and/or feature the
representation of Native Americans. The course will be heavy on discussion with your participation
crucial to the course's success. Come to class prepared to discuss the readings
and the films--prepare comments and questions for class.
You will do in-class writing, short essays, and a final written and oral
project.
Writing about film can help us
-understand our own responses to a movie better
-convince others why we like or dislike a film
-explain or introduce something about a movie, a filmmaker, or a group of movies
that our readers may not know
-make comparisons and contrasts between one movie and others, as a way of
understanding them better
-make connections between a movie and other areas of culture in order to
illuminate both the culture and the movies it produces from
A short guide to writing about film
Watching and writing about films that include Native Americans can help us
-recognize U.S. values and ideologies about "Others"
-recognize how and for what purposes Native people have been "colonized" by film
-recognize how Native people have taken control of their representation on the
screen, told their own stories, and rejected domination by mainstream media
-recognize colonialism and hopefully decolonize ourselves
My Teaching Philosophy/My Pledge to You
I strive to teach in a way that
fosters active student participation (instead of passive
consumption), critical thinking (questioning, looking and
investigating from multiple perspectives), self reflection, and
transformation, in a democratic setting where authority and power
are shared by students and teacher. I will challenge myseIf and my
students to recognize the injustice of the status quo, and to try to
find solutions to the problems of inequality in American society,
even though this will cause discomfort and conflict.
My courses strive to help students
attain UI Learning Outcome #4: "Clarify purpose and
perspective--Explore one's life purpose and meaning through
transformational experiences that foster an understanding of self,
relationships, and diverse global perspectives."
I pledge to treat all students with
respect and expect you to treat your fellow students and me with
respect. In this course we will strive to form a relevant and
effective learning community that will have a lasting and positive
impact on you.
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