Contemporary Native Americans in Film

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

An examination of contemporary Native American actors, directors and writers focusing on the emergence of a Native aesthetic in film and the social, political and historical concerns of Native film-makers. Consideration will also be given to the relationship between Native film-making and mainstream cinema. The work of Graham Greene, Adam Beach, Gary Farmer, Chris Eyre, Sherman Alexie and Gil Cardinal will be studied.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge required. All students welcome.

Content of Course

1. An historical overview of Native Americans in film and the emergence of more realistic representations in contemporary mainstream cinema.

2. Reservation Blues 1 - the Canadian experience in Dance Me Outside.

3. Reservation Blues 2 - new directions. Chris Eyre and Smoke Signals.

4. The Lakota experience - Skins.

5. Gender and Sexuality - Sherman Alexie and The Business of Fancy Dancing.

6. History and Memory 1 - Inuit myth and legend – The Fast Runner.

7. History and Memory 2 - History from underneath: Native interpretations of historical experience – The Temptation of Big Bear.

8. The Commercial aesthetic - Alternative views and different perspectives - consideration of The Dark Wind and Skinwalkers - adaptations of two Tony Hillerman thrillers by Native and non-native film-makers.

Teaching method(s)

Course will be lecture-based, with discussion and analysis of film extracts and features.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

Have an understanding of cinematic representations of the Native American experience / culture.
To critically assess the cinematic strategies of Native film-makers.
Understand how Native film-makers articulate with mainstream North American cinema.

Sources

Core Readings

Jacquelyn Kilpatrick (1999). Celluloid Indians - Native Americans and Film, Lincoln & London: University of Nebraska Press
Beverly R. Singer & Robert A. Warrior (2001). Wiping the War Paint off the Lens - Native American Film and Video, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press
Elizabeth Weatherford (1981). Native Americans on Film and Video, New York

Web Sources

Movies and Native Americans - http://www.americanwest.com/pages/namovies.htm

Excellent bibliographical resource - http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/IndigenousBib.html

University of Minnesota gateway to key web links on Native Americans in film - http://subject.lib.umn.edu/socsci/amerin

Class Handouts

Each session will contain relevant notes produced by the tutor.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.