"Authenticity" Indigenous Media
Gisselle Bermudez
Thursday, March 08, 2012
“Authentic” is a double-edged sword. Discuss this statement using at least 2 indigenous media examples. How can something be a double-edged sword? How can something be harmful and at the same time helpful? We are currently living in the 21st century; there have been many lives that lived on this earth before us. These lives have done a lot of work that have got us to where we are today. This being said it is so hard to think of something new to come up with when it has probably been done before in the past in one way or another. According to dictionary.com authentic means “not copied, false, original.” To the dominant culture being authentic means coming up with something new to show the world but because, often words have more than one definition, being authentic does not always mean inventing something new to show the world. In fact, to indigenous groups it means keeping their beliefs, everyday activities, culture, etc intact. It is keeping everything they know their ancestors did and what their parents taught them to do without improvements or change.
In this essay I will be comparing different indigenous groups and how the meaning of” Authentic” can be a double-edged sword to these indigenous groups. For indigenous groups being authentic is critical. Not only because it is important for them to keep their culture intact but also because it is an effective political tool. This political tool can help them negotiate land, which is one of the most important things for them because it is the main tool of survival. Many critics argue that even though these tribes are isolated they are not untouched by outsiders therefore they are not indigenous, they are just isolated groups. Video in the village’s project has been working with many tribes such as the Nambiquara, Cavião, Tikuna, Kijani Iakaha and Kaiapó. Their goal is to introduce them to the art of film so they can preserve their culture and
Thursday, March 08, 2012
“Authentic” is a double-edged sword. Discuss this statement using at least 2 indigenous media examples. How can something be a double-edged sword? How can something be harmful and at the same time helpful? We are currently living in the 21st century; there have been many lives that lived on this earth before us. These lives have done a lot of work that have got us to where we are today. This being said it is so hard to think of something new to come up with when it has probably been done before in the past in one way or another. According to dictionary.com authentic means “not copied, false, original.” To the dominant culture being authentic means coming up with something new to show the world but because, often words have more than one definition, being authentic does not always mean inventing something new to show the world. In fact, to indigenous groups it means keeping their beliefs, everyday activities, culture, etc intact. It is keeping everything they know their ancestors did and what their parents taught them to do without improvements or change.
In this essay I will be comparing different indigenous groups and how the meaning of” Authentic” can be a double-edged sword to these indigenous groups. For indigenous groups being authentic is critical. Not only because it is important for them to keep their culture intact but also because it is an effective political tool. This political tool can help them negotiate land, which is one of the most important things for them because it is the main tool of survival. Many critics argue that even though these tribes are isolated they are not untouched by outsiders therefore they are not indigenous, they are just isolated groups. Video in the village’s project has been working with many tribes such as the Nambiquara, Cavião, Tikuna, Kijani Iakaha and Kaiapó. Their goal is to introduce them to the art of film so they can preserve their culture and