View of American Indians through the Media - Research Paper Example

Ancient and Modern View of American Indians through the Media American Indians are a great part of the American history. This marginalized group of people have unique cultural beliefs and practices that impact hugely on other persons. This paper completes a comparative analysis of two American Indian films, The Apocalypto and The Avatar, each from the past and the present generation. It is an attempt to draw a comparison and reveal the practices and beliefs on the American Indians. Through scholarly and academic textbooks, the paper gives a detailed explanations and implication of these ideas. This discussion can educate the general public about the American Indians. Background Information The Native American Indians make up a significant part of of America’s history. This marginalized group of people were the earliest inhabitants of the American continent. Though they have lived in the country for thousands of years, they belong to the minority groups in America and currently their numbers are reducing. American Indians are known for their love for reserve areas and strict cultural and economic practices. This group of people mainly fed on bush meat and gathered fruits and vegetables from the rainforests. Additionally, their men and women had well-defined roles and responsibilities in the community set up. Their men were hunters, gatherers, and warriors who were expected to get food and provide care and security for their family (Ballas n.d.). Whereas, their women were tasked with tendering and providing care for children at home. In addition, they were expected to care for the family by preparing food. The natural foods American Indians consumed were fish, buffalo, and various types of birds (Ballas). While this group enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous lifestyle, the colonization of America by Europeans changed everything and impacted heavily on their way of life. They were subjected to harsh treatment, which included racism, land alienation, and consistent wars (CBS Report, 1969). Although some of them collaborated and embraced the new European regime, majority of them resisted. Consequently, a large number migrated to other parts of America mainly Western part of United States of America. Over the years, this group has been marginalized and prejudiced, but currently, American Indians are getting the much-deserved recognition and respect from both the government and the media. Though their numbers have reduced, they remain outstanding in American history. Ancient and Modern View of American Indians through the Media The American Indians are globally known as the indigenous people of the area currently known as the United States of America. They were the original inhabitants of the USA, long before they were conquered and forced out. For past decades, this marginalized group of people has formed tribes and inhabited forests and other inhabitable areas. Through activities such as hunting and animal domestication, the American Indians have managed to lead a calm, happy and prosperous life. In an attempt to educate and inform the world about the various changes in practices and cultural beliefs of this group, different movies have been acted depicting the lifestyles and traditions of the American Indians. The excellent examples are Apocalypto and The Avatar. These are two distinct movies from different generations represent Americans Indians in various ways. Although these movies portray them differently, they also have some similarities. Apocalypto is an ancient captivating and entertaining film acted in the Mexican rainforest. The film directed by Mel Gibson vividly recapture the heydays of the Mayan community. Though full of violent scenes, the film manages to educate and inform viewers various aspects of American Indians’ lives in the past decades. The film convincingly captures significant aspects such roles played by the community members during those days. Whereas, Avatar is a modern American Indian movie produced and directed by popular film producer James Cameroon. The film takes place in the year of 2154 in a strange and an imaginable world called Pandora. Through the actors Jake and Neytiri, James Cameroon reveals the evolution in production and view of American Indians by the media. Ancient American Indian movies frequently use real and existing characters. The movies have real humans as primary characters and supporting characters. Through Apocalypto, the use of real humans is evident. The main character Jaguar Pow is human and lives in the current world. On the contrary, modern movies adopt photorealistic, computer-generated characters. Due to the improved technology, film producers prefer imaginary and generated characters to real beings. In the film Avatar, James Cameron uses the Na`vi character. These are blue, 10-feet tall creatures with long tails and yellow glowing eyes (Cameron, 2009). Though these are human beings in reality, they are made to look like alien creatures in the movie. The character difference in both is a sign of the evolution in production of American Indian films. Furthermore, the ancient Indian movies possess an act of gender inequality when it comes to roles and characters. The old media often gave men more attention and respect than women as evident in their movies. In the ancient movies, men are the lead characters with women playing supportive roles. Furthermore, men are portrayed as the real warriors whose sole responsibility is to protect and feed the family (Hidden America, 2011). This aspect is evident in Apocalypto when Jaguar Paw goes hunting and also struggles and risks his life in order to save his unborn child and wife. Conversely, currently the media gives equal attention to both genders. Modern American Indian movies delegate movie roles equally to both genders without discrimination. In Avatar, Jake and Neytiri are the two lead actors. The two have been given equal opportunity to star in the movie despite the difference in gender. Although Neytiri is a woman, she is a warrior that fights to protect the Pandora and also saves Jake. Moreover, Avatar is full of artificial intelligence application and a range of technologies. The characters used such as Jake can walk even after being paralyzed. In addition, the producer uses robotics. This technology allows characters to gear up in amplified mobility suits. These suits enhance their mobility and work in the unimaginable world. They easily move through Pandora’s rainforest since they have the special suits. Furthermore, this movie has soldiers whose strength are consistently amplified using modern engine driven machines that majorly act as human muscles. On the other hand, Apocalypto offers little when it comes to use of technology. Mel Gibson approach provides a simple tale. There is nothing unique or original in the movie, and the scenarios are ordinary. The comparison in technology reveals the developments in Indian filmmaking and evolvement in the media. Although the ancient and modern American Indian films have differences, they also have some similarities. The two producers have managed to bring out some themes that are still prevalent among the American Indians. The two movies portray American Indians as uncivilized people with ancient lifestyle. From their feeding habits to clothing, these people entirely depend on animals and nature for everything. In the movie Apocalypto, the actors are half naked. Journell (2009) validates this point when he says most people view American Indians as half-naked savages. The only clothing they have is animals hides wrapped around their waist. Furthermore, these people dress their model with feathers from the bird (Ted Talk, 2012). The situation is also similar in Avatar. The characters in this movie are not dressed in modern clothes and are almost half-naked. Moreover, both movies portray American Indians as people who live in inhabitable regions. This group of people stays in dangerous areas where the climatic conditions are adverse and affects human health. In addition, security is not guaranteed as community members can encounter wild animals. According to Wyatt (2009), the most of American Indians live in reserve areas. Further, NBC Report (1990) states that they live in the poorest reserves in USA.In Apocalypto, the Mayans live in the rainforest. The security is a concern as seen when a jaguar attacks Paw. The presence of bees is also a concern to the community members. Similarly, in Avatar, the characters live in a rainforest in Pandora, an imaginable place. The environment is toxic, and normal human beings cannot survive in such an area. Through the movies, the media reveals that the living conditions of Indian Americans has not changed much over the years. Perhaps this is because they have been neglected by the government, and the media barely features them rendering them a forgotten lot. American Indians are a unique group of people with distinct traditions and culture. Through the two movies, ancient and modern, the productions expose the cultural and economic practices of this marginalized group. Additionally, the two movies inform and educate the viewers on the various evolutions and improvements in the lives of the American Indians. Further, the two films show the divergent views and perception of the media on the American Indians in the ancient and modern days. Currently, the media has accorded this marginalized group respect with women gaining much recognition in movies as opposed to the past decades. Further, the improvement of technology has enhanced production of better and clear Indian American Movies. References Ballas, D. (n.d.). “Historical Geography and American Indian Development. Journal of Cultural Geography of North American Indians. Retrieved 28 March 2015 from https://cascourses.uoregon.edu/geog471/pdfs/1206/ballas.pdf CBS News Special (1969). The Forgotten American Hidden America: Children of the Plains from ABC (YouTube) (2011) Jounell, W. (2009). An Incomplete History: Representation of American Indians in State Social Studies Standards. Journal of American Indian Education, 46(8). Retrieved 28 March 2015 from http://jaie.asu.edu/v48/48_2_%202009%202%20Journell.pdf NBC Report (1990).Tragedy of Pine Ridge Ted Talk December (2012). American Indians - thinking twice about Wyatt, T. (2009). The Role of Culture in Culturally Compatible Education. Journal of American Indian Education -, 48(3), 47–54. Retrieved 28 March 2015 from http://jaie.asu.edu/v48/48_3_%202009%203%20Wyatt.pdf Read More