Why Make Movies?: Some Atikamekw Answers (Essay‪)‬

Adair introduced (to Sam) the subject of teaching young Navajos to make movies. Sam was very interested and Adair explained exactly what we intended to do. After some thought, Sam turned to Worth and through the interpreter asked, "Will making movies do the sheep any harm?" Worth was happy to explain that as far as he knew no harm would befall the sheep if movies were made in the community. Sam thought for a few seconds, and looking straight at Worth asked, "Will it do them any good?" Worth was forced to reply that as far as he knew it wouldn't do the sheep any good. Sam looked at us both and said, "Then why make movies?" (Worth and Adair 13) In 1966, Sol Worth and the anthropologist John Adair taught young Navajo Natives the basics of camera use and of filmmaking, thinking that the formal qualities of the films produced would reveal some hidden aspects of their culture or worldview. The passage quoted above details a conversation about their project with Sam Yazzie, the eldest healer in the community. And although it was written nearly 40 years ago, it is still relevant because it illustrates the importance of a cultural practice making sense to those who are engaged in it (in this case the use of video), and for anthropologists trying to understand that sense. Today, Native people understand the power of images very well, as a result of Western media products having been introduced into their homes. Yet because of the social, political and economic context in which Natives live, their preoccupations and expectations regarding cinematic representation and narrative are distinct from those of Westerners (Ginsburg 1995, 262). They are consequently particularly deserving of attention.