Accessing the Inuit: Challenges Faced by Atanarjuat’s English-Canadian Viewers

2139 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Representations of indigenous people in film

As a film made by Inuit people and for the Inuit community, Atanarjuat provides the audience with a privileged look into the Northern society. Throughout the film, many viewers are exposed to elements of Inuit culture which are unfamiliar. The film’s director, Zacharias Kunuk, faces a paradox because he wants viewers to feel like insiders of Inuit culture, yet the viewers cannot truly understand the cultural traditions that are represented in the film. The majority of the viewers have never lived in an Inuit community and have very little sense of the ideologies that persist in Inuit society. Because Atanarjuat does not aim to be an educational film, it does not explain itself. There are many moments throughout the film which cannot properly be understood by non-Inuit viewers, and, despite his goal of inclusion, Kunuk does not offer any explanation to ease the audience into the culture. In analyzing the film, non-Inuit critics are presented with the challenge of describing First Nations art while being aware of the inherent power imbalances in doing so. Because Atanarjuat acts as a counter reading to the popular myth of the Inuit, the film portrays the Inuit people as they perceive themselves rather than as the larger Canadian society would portray them. This shift away from the centre of society, looking to an underrepresented group, is an example of decentering. Although Kunuk establishes a connection between the Inuit characters in the film and the non-Inuit viewers, he also provides many moments of intentional inaccessibility, reminding the viewers that in this instance, the Inuit are privy to more information than the non-Inuit audience. Before looking specifically at Atanarjuat, we must acknowledge the dangers of describin... ... middle of paper ... ...n. The film serves as a counter reading to the popular myth of the Inuit, and viewers face challenges as parts of the film are inaccessible. By not explaining important conventions that appear in the film, the filmmakers remind English-Canadians that there is a whole society in the North that is unlike their own. Igloolik Isuma Productions caters mainly to an Inuit audience by producing Inuktitut films and TV shows, but Atanarjuat appeals to global audiences as well. Works Cited Atanarjuat. Dir. Zacharias Kunuk. Igloolik Isuma Productions, 2000. Cohn, Norman. “The Art of Community-Based Filmmaking.” Brick 70 (2002): 21-3. King, Thomas. “Godzilla vs. Post-Colonial.” Unhomely States: Theorizing English-Canadian Postcolonialism. Canada: Broadview, 2004. 183-90. Krupat, Arnold. “Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner and Its Audiences.” Critical Inquiry 33 (2007): 606-31.

Show More
Related

  • Shaun Tan The Rabbits Analysis

    589 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout time, many people feel as if they have lost their connection to their cultural from outside influences and numerous disruptions. Disruptions to one’s cultural can be seen in the Picture book The Rabbits by john Marsden and Shaun tan which is an an allegory of the invasion of Australia. Another example is the film avatar by James Cameron. The creators of these works are expressing the effect of man on nature and disruption it brings upon the cultural of the indigenous people who are the traditional owners of the land.

    Read More

  • We Still Live Here Analysis

    689 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film illuminates the life of the Wampanoag language and cultural meanings. How there had been threats posed to both since the times of European colonization, when the Wampanoag people had put up little resistance. The film is not a recap of the Wampanoag

    Read More

  • The Sociological Effects of Residential Schools

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to conservative conflict theory, society is a struggle for dominance among competing social groups defined by class, race, and gender. Conflict occurs when groups compete over power and resources. (Tepperman, Albanese & Curtis 2012. pg. 167) The dominant group will exploit the minority by creating rules for success in their society, while denying the minority opportunities for such success, thereby ensuring that they continue to monopolize power and privilege. (Crossman.n.d) This paradigm was well presented throughout the film. The European settlers in Canada viewed the natives as obstacles in their quest of expansion by conquering resources and land. They feared that the aboriginal practices and beliefs will disrupt the cohesion of their own society. The Canadian government adopted the method of residential schools for aboriginal children for in an attempt to assimilate the future generations. The children were stripped of their native culture,...

    Read More

  • Indian Horse Wagamese Analysis

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese demonstrates the many conflicts that indigenous people encounter on a daily basis. This includes things such as, the dangers they face and how they feel the need to flee to nature, where they feel the most safe. Another major issue they face is being stripped of their culture, and forcibly made to believe their culture is wrong and they are less of a human for being brought up that way, it makes them feel unworthy. Finally, when one is being criticised for a hobby they enjoy due to their indigenous upbringing, they make himself lose interest and stop the hobby as it makes them different and provokes torment. People who are trying

    Read More

  • No Suger, by Jack Davis

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    Davis employs theatrical devices to invite the reader to criticize and endorse certain aspects of the ethnicity and identity of the Non-Indigenous and Indigenous people in the play No Sugar. The post-colonial play presents dichotomies of the markers of ethnicity of each group, and the values each group endorse. The play invites the audience to condemn the ethnocentrism and refusal of Non-Indigenous people to integrate with the Indigenous people. It suggests that the Non-Indigenous people are unwilling to diversify and accept Nyoongahs into their (dominant) cultural identity, despite the Nyoongah characters attempts to integrate with them. Thus it is in these ways that the choices of staging have contributed to meanings made concerning ethnicity and identity.

    Read More

  • The Effects Of Assimilation In Black River By Maurice Kenny

    1877 Words  | 4 Pages

    It acts as a mechanism to re-live the past and embrace their spiritual and emotional connection with the land and re-store faith in their future. Readings of their lives and traumas they faced together instead of alone is also a way to look past the shame and embarrassment (Episkenew, 16). “Tribal relations” are also a vital part of their healing and cultural identity that is able to be re-kindled through Indigenous storytelling even theatrical productions. The priority being to heal their mental and emotional health and with the support of each other, this cohesive community stands a better chance at

    Read More

  • Inuit Culture Essay

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    I knew whatever innocent ethnographic research I had planned would now be fruitless. The devastating effects which Western culture had on these villages were so profound and impossible to ignore. As I walked the rugged dirt roads crowded by elderly white Canadian tourists smiling from ear to ear, snapping pictures of this serotonin mirage. These tourists had been blind to the pain behind the eyes of the street vendors. Vendors who donned ragged clothes which indicated a high level of strength required of them to hold a smile and pretend their world was a fairytale (for the short amount of time we were there). Their streets were littered with pollution, the local grocery market had inflated prices (such as a carton of milk for $15), and in one instance a village’s school had been burnt down by local teenagers. The health of these communities were tragic and I quickly learned about the high volume of adolescent suicide which runs rampant in these villages. This experience made me question the mechanisms which devastated the inuit people and detached them from their ability to master their environment. I questioned why this specific diaspora of Inuit were so marginalized while their contemporaries across the Davis Straight seemed to be living more comfortably. However, to understand their plight, one must first examine the history of the Inuit and the sociopolitical dynamics of the Canadian Arctic.

    Read More

  • Reel Injun Film Analysis

    284 Words  | 1 Pages

    The portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema had evolved further from their real image. It was said that, the cinema was started to film the Indians. They were characterized as “spiritual, noble, and free”. In the Silent Era, they were given a chance to act and direct movies. They're the stars of the shows. It depicts family, unity, brotherhood and only brutal when necessary. But then, as time goes by, their portrayal changed. The Indians were branded as savages. "Stagecoach" was the movie that started it all, it made them look vicious and bad. Then, colonialism started. They were reduced from groups of natives, with different identities and cultures, to just Indians. They were now viewed

    Read More

  • The Truth about Stories

    2174 Words  | 5 Pages

    In “The Truth about Stories”, Thomas King, demonstrate connection between the Native storytelling and the authentic world. He examines various themes in the stories such as; oppression, racism, identity and discrimination. He uses the creational stories and implies in to the world today and points out the racism and identity issues the Native people went through and are going through. The surroundings shape individuals’ life and a story plays vital roles. How one tells a story has huge impact on the listeners and readers. King uses sarcastic tone as he tells the current stories of Native people and his experiences. He points out to the events and incidents such as the government apologizing for the colonialism, however, words remains as they are and are not exchanged for actions. King continuously alerts the reader about taking actions towards change as people tend to be ignorant of what is going around them. At the end people give a simple reason that they were not aware of it. Thus, the author constantly reminds the readers that now they are aware of the issue so they do not have any reason to be ignorant.

    Read More

  • The Inuit People

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thousands of years ago, during the last ice age, mile-thick glaciers covered a vast portion of North America, and the Asian continent was joined to North America by a land bridge. The Arctic areas of Alaska, Beringia, and Siberia were free of ice. Vast herds of caribou, muskoxen, and bison migrated to these plains. Following them were the nomadic Asian ancestors of today's Inuit and Indians. The doorway to Asia closed about three or four thousand years later as the glaciers receded and melted. These people: the Inuit (meaning the people), adapted to their harsh tundra environment and developed a culture that remained untainted for a long time.

    Read More

  • Inuit People Research Paper

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    The First story “A living people, A living culture” showed the interconnectedness and interdependence of the Inuit community, It also showed me as the viewer that the Inuit community was one with their environment, one comment that caught my attention was “Love and respect one another, for the elders and for nature”. The video showed us their daily traditions of life from Hunting, to the elders telling the younger generations of stories, to the sound of drums and dancing being played during celebration. The next video “Respect for All Things” the Inuit believed everything around them in the environment was alive. This was plants, and animals alike and they believed if they were going to use it, then they have to respect

    Read More

  • Eros Eskimo Analysis

    2258 Words  | 5 Pages

    The subject of this paper is Eros Eskimos, an unusual and rare art book by Hughes de Jouvancourt published in Montreal during 1968. It appears to be one of many collectable limited edition art books published by Jouvancourt whose other books feature Quebecois artists such as Cornelius Krieghoff, Clarence Gagnon, Maurice Cullen, and Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté. The French language catalogue contains twenty-four erotic Inuit sculptures mainly from Puvirnituq with a few works from the neighbouring communities of Kuujjaurapik, and Inukjuak. The question then, is where to fit Eros Eskimo within the larger discourse of Inuit art history. Eros Eskimo can be understood through psychoanalytic theory as a colonial fetish constructed to cope with the threat posed by racial and sexual difference. This paper will examine the context in which the works were created before analyzing how they function as a colonial fetish before finally explaining how the fetish is maintained through disavowal and difference.

    Read More

  • Nanook Of The South Analysis

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    The structured perception of Nanook of the North by Flaherty shows the inclination of peoples’ criticism to something different from their assumptions. Nanook of the North is an ethnography depicting the Canada Arctic life of Nanook and his people. Flaherty’ underlying concept is to bring to light the already made assumptions of “Eskimo” culture. By using the narrative arc of the intro/exposition-conflict-rising action-climax-denouement/resolution, Flaherty is able to pass of staged events as in the walrus hunt as reality to make the ethnography more “authentic”. Nanook of the North helps also to detach the audience from what is occurring through music; music equals emotion. That emotion is what Flaherty uses throughout the movie to hold the

    Read More

  • Inuit Culture Research Paper

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you don’t already know, the Inuits are an indigenous people located in the Arctic; specifically Nunavut, Russia, Alaska, and Greenland. Interestingly, the Inuits have a distinct and unique culture, and partially a resilient one. Now, how might Inuit culture be related to Inuit resilience? Focusing on this question, my report will discuss Inuit culture, history, and resilience.

    Read More

  • The Nanook Sociology

    338 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jock Sturges once said, “Different members of different cultures will think that some things are beautiful,” which is representative of the perspective and feeling I accumulated throughout examining the film. The Nanook of the North encompassed the broad distinction of self-reliance, life styles, and something in reference to other cultures. The distinction of the one culture, the Eskimos, amongst others emphasized the unique elements that define variation we experience that we come to appreciate or think are “beautiful.” The variation I observed made me self-reflect on our culture and the effects it creates on our opinions.

    Read More

More about Accessing the Inuit: Challenges Faced by Atanarjuat’s English-Canadian Viewers

Open Document