Tuesday, October 4, 2011

"Reel Injuns" Discussion Question 4.

According to the movie, the director, Neil Diamond's visit to the Injun themed summer camp allow us to witness the degree of influence Hollywood's portrayal of the native american has on the participants and volunteers. Camps of similar nature or what is known as adventure based experiential learning programs were designed for character development and adulthood preparation through empowering such youths and volunteers with leadership positions and responsibilities through communal living and activities. Although, the idea behind such Injun themed program are positive in nature the main downside (as seen through the movie) is the misinterpretation and perpetuation of the native american images as portrayed in hollywood films.

It was clearly documented through Diamond's visit, that when both youth volunteers and participants assumed their alter-egos as Injun's of various "tribes" they immediately acted in opposite to their real self (or socially accepted mannerisms and behaviors). The transformation into Injuns made them display hostility, degree of violence and an alpha-male character, that may result in a negative result to the objective intended from such programs. In this case, when non native american people seemingly try to adopt the "Injun culture", they are in actuality adopting a set of behavior that is unlike the true native american cultures, instead displaying acts of savagery and hostility. This was re-iterated in Diamond's interview with the camp counselor which knew the "mentality of the natives" through watching "two to three" movies.

Although, pop culture medium like that of movies and films served as great tools for desemminating informations and ideas, one has to be very careful to accept such representations without questioning its credibility. The power of movies as a information carrier, undoubtedly could either canonize an individual or an entire race/tribe or condemn it to an incorrigible state.

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