Scholarly Work - Indigenous Research Initiative
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/15852
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Item Fanihi : a cultural digest. Cannibalism or conservation?(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2010) Tharp, James Whitney; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ronald Tobias.There is a conflict on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands between conservationists and the cultural traditions of Chamorro inhabitants. The traditional model of broadcasting media to a wide audience is not effective in intervening in environmental conflicts within indigenous communities compared to an emerging model of filmmaking that embraces local voices and perspectives. Historically, indigenous depictions in media tend to misrepresent "Others" in order to reinforce the imperialist interests of Western society. Within this essay I intend to analyze how Western media suppresses indigenous voice while investigating strategies for the creation of effective environmental films targeted towards specific local audiences. Awareness of the mistakes of filmmakers of the past combined with the availability of inexpensive production and distribution technologies will allow alternative models of filmmaking to portray a diversity of perspectives. Environmental films that feature indigenous voices allow local communities to define and strengthen their own cultural values while creating texts that broaden global understandings of the diversity of the human experience.Item Developing a cross-cultural narrative in environmental film : a case study from Aotearoa(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2012) Dunning, Dawson Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ronald Tobias.Environmental filmmakers often construct narratives about cultures or appropriate cultural ideas for their storylines. However, the majority of environmental films rely on Western methods of filmmaking and storytelling, even when the topic of these films may be non-Western and the narratives involved are non-linear and complex. In this essay, I argue for a cross-cultural approach to narrative development in environmental film that incorporates defining aspects of storytelling from the cultures represented. I use my experience of making a film about cultural collaboration in New Zealand resource management as a case study and I highlight the challenges of developing a cross-cultural narrative in environmental film.