Cinema and Representation
This theme focuses on the ways in which Aboriginal peoples have been represented in NFB documentaries. Film excerpts illustrate how the representation of Aboriginal peoples has evolved over the last fifty years.
Excerpts
Caribou Hunters
1
César's Bark Canoe/César et son Canot d'écorce
1
Circle of the Sun
2
The Other Side of the Ledger: An Indian View of the Hudson's Bay Company
2
Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole
1
1. Describe the scene at the Grass Dance. Does the filming of ceremonies and rituals have an impact on the viewers’ perception of the people associated with the cultures portrayed?
2. What prediction is made by the narrator regarding the Sun Dance and other Aboriginal ceremonies? Can you identify the factors that have helped to prevent the prediction from coming to fruition?
 |
Short Description
The film captures, for the first time, the Sun Dance at the gathering of the Blood Indians of Alberta in 1956. The narrator reveals the significance of the circle to Blood Indian culture and spirituality and addresses the predicament of the young generation.