Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner: Culture, History, and Politics in Inuit Media

Huhndorf, Shari M.

doi:10.1525/aa.2003.105.4.822

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…There is a particularly strong language revitalisation discourse in Sámi media (Blommaert et al , 2009), which is understandable given the historical marginalisation of Sámi language within the Norwegian education system. In the Canadian Arctic, Inuit media accompanied the development of activism focused on land claims settlements, revival of traditions and return of political control to indigenous communities (Huhndorf, 2003, p. 823). Land claims activism resulted in the 1999 founding of Nunavut (which means “our land” in Inuktitut), the largest settlement in Canada’s history.…”

Section: Knowledge Observation and Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic governance, indigenous knowledge, science and technology in times of climate change

Arruda

Krutkowski²

2017

JEC

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Purpose This paper aims to place a discussion of traditional knowledge and the indigenous voice within the framework of Arctic governance. Design/methodology/approach The study involves literature review spanning different disciplines and highlighting important case studies. Findings The advance of low-cost, portable technology has brought about tremendous opportunities for indigenous people. Knowledge and observation are no longer monopolised by scholars, filmmakers or politicians based in the West. Film has proved to be a powerful tool for cultural preservation while the internet (video sharing sites and social media platforms in particular) have empowered local communities and facilitated their involvement in political activism and local governance. New ways to represent themselves have been a crucial step forward, yet the new goal is to work towards greater recognition of the “indigenous voice” and ensure traditional knowledge is not treated as anecdotal and irrelevant in managing Arctic affairs.. Research limitations/implications The conclusions reached in the discussion need to be further explored by extending the research into Inuit communities to survey how technology can facilitate and impact collaborative forms of governance in the Arctic. Practical implications This research provides an increased understanding of how technology transforms power relations. Policymakers can see that the indigenous community in the Arctic is not lodged in the past. Their increased use of new technology can serve as an effective oversight of political decisions and economic initiatives, particularly those relating to oil and gas exploration in the region. Social implications Indigenous views and knowledge are literally crossing borders through media. Initially perceived as a cultural threat, film, video and internet are now regarded as powerful technology tools for cultural preservation and empowerment of local communities. In other words, the modern communication patterns are a crucial mean of indigenous population take part of the current global debate, express their concerns, reinforce their values and traditions and have an active voice in the globalised world. Originality/value This paper illustrates how technology helps indigenous communities to address different economic, environmental, cultural, educational, research and other issues in the Arctic. Robust evidence is presented to support the call for traditional knowledge to become an integral part of decision-making processes across all institutions of governance in the Arctic.

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Section: Knowledge Observation and Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic governance, indigenous knowledge, science and technology in times of climate change

Arruda

Krutkowski²

2017

JEC

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“…Garnering critical acclaim world‐wide, Atanarjuat won prestigious awards, among them the Camera d'Or for Best First Feature Film at the 2001 Cannes International Film Festival. Academic researchers celebrated the film, variously describing it as a colonial allegory (Huhndorf ), a telling example of Inuit culture ‘talking back’ (Bessire ), and an achievement in ‘indigenous advocacy’ (Ginsburg ). A research monograph was published that tracked the film's genesis (Evans ).…”

Section: The Global Screenmentioning

confidence: 99%

With or without the camera running: the work of Inuit film‐making

Wachowich

2020

Royal Anthropological Inst

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This article argues for the critical evaluation of indigenous media, art, and aesthetic practices within local trajectories of meaning-making. Drawing on ethnographic research in Arctic Canada with a notable Inuit video and film production company, Igloolik Isuma Productions, I emphasize the value of focusing on locally defined processes of filmic production and on relational bounties accrued outside the camera's field of vision. Indigenous media-making emerges as a collaborative, adaptive, intercultural, and improvisational practice, one akin to Inuit traditions of hunting, carving, garment-sewing, tool-making, and story-telling, and celebrated for its ability to foster unique environmental relationships, material practices, and perceptual orientations. Exploring the compound and relational workings of indigenous media invites critical reconsideration of the generative potentials it holds for the practitioner-inhabitants of indigenous communities, anthropologists, and mainstream audiences more broadly.

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“…The tense dynamic between individuality and attempts at dominance and collaboration and enforcement of prestige is well illustrated by the traditional Inuit tale of Atanarjuat (Huhndorf 2003). In this traditional story an initially fair and egalitarian Inuit society tolerated several unhappy years of 'evil' aggressive behaviour by a leader who rapidly took control and became unpopular (by ridiculing poor hunters, being lazy, not sharing food, and playing a part in the murder of one of the group).…”

Section: The Long Term Dynamics Of Prestige and Dominancementioning

confidence: 99%

‘The Bashful and the Boastful’

Spikins

2008

J World Prehist

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The creation and maintenance of influential leaders and authorities is one of the key themes of archaeological and historical enquiry. However the social dynamics of authorities and leaders in the Mesolithic remains a largely unexplored area of study. The role and influence of authorities can be remarkably different in different situations yet they exist in all societies and in almost all social contexts from playgrounds to parliaments. Here we explore the literature on the dynamics of authority creation, maintenance and contestation in egalitarian societies, and discuss the implications for our interpretation and understanding of the formation of authorities and leaders and changing social relationships within the Mesolithic.

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Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner: Culture, History, and Politics in Inuit Media

Cited by 10 publications

References 1 publication

Arctic governance, indigenous knowledge, science and technology in times of climate change

Arctic governance, indigenous knowledge, science and technology in times of climate change

With or without the camera running: the work of Inuit film‐making

‘The Bashful and the Boastful’

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