Spring Break
Native American film festival features culture, fights stereotypes
Taylor Dolven
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Campus
Native American filmmakers have traveled from as far as Austin, Texas, to present their films and participate in discussion with students and community members as part of Miami University's Native American Film Festival.
The festival will take place Wednesday through Friday on Miami's Oxford campus, with screenings from 4 to 6 p.m. each day.
The department of anthropology has teamed up with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Film and Video Center to create this unique event. Twelve Native American films will be featured on topics ranging from steel building Mohawk Indians in Manhattan to modern stereotypes of native people.
Leighton Peterson, assistant professor of anthropology, said these films don't often make it to broadcast television.
"Students need to take advantage of these things that they will never see turning on HBO," Leighton Peterson said.
Leighton Peterson stressed the uniqueness of this festival. When speaking about filmmakers like Bennie Klain and Regan Tarbell who are attending the festival, Leighton Peterson said, "We have some bigwigs coming."
Tarbell is the film curator for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Film and Video Center and is co-curator of the festival. Klain is the co-producer of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival selection, The Return of Navajo Boy.
"The fact that we have the filmmakers here on campus is what makes it truly special," Leighton Peterson said.
While hearing about Native American issues from anthropology experts can be beneficial, Peterson believes this information will have more of an impact because it's coming directly from Native Americans.
"Miami was willing to host Native Americans who are experts about themselves," Leighton Peterson said.
The A.T. Hansen Lecture Fund is supporting the festival. The fund is named after Miami's first anthropology professor, Asael T. Hansen, who left Miami to study Japanese internment camps in the 1940s. Two of his students, George H. Fathauer and Johanne Wainwright Fathauer, were so influenced by Hansen that they came back to Miami to become anthropology professors themselves. In 1990 they created this fund to honor their mentor.
The festival will take place Wednesday through Friday on Miami's Oxford campus, with screenings from 4 to 6 p.m. each day.
The department of anthropology has teamed up with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Film and Video Center to create this unique event. Twelve Native American films will be featured on topics ranging from steel building Mohawk Indians in Manhattan to modern stereotypes of native people.
Leighton Peterson, assistant professor of anthropology, said these films don't often make it to broadcast television.
"Students need to take advantage of these things that they will never see turning on HBO," Leighton Peterson said.
Leighton Peterson stressed the uniqueness of this festival. When speaking about filmmakers like Bennie Klain and Regan Tarbell who are attending the festival, Leighton Peterson said, "We have some bigwigs coming."
Tarbell is the film curator for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Film and Video Center and is co-curator of the festival. Klain is the co-producer of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival selection, The Return of Navajo Boy.
"The fact that we have the filmmakers here on campus is what makes it truly special," Leighton Peterson said.
While hearing about Native American issues from anthropology experts can be beneficial, Peterson believes this information will have more of an impact because it's coming directly from Native Americans.
"Miami was willing to host Native Americans who are experts about themselves," Leighton Peterson said.
The A.T. Hansen Lecture Fund is supporting the festival. The fund is named after Miami's first anthropology professor, Asael T. Hansen, who left Miami to study Japanese internment camps in the 1940s. Two of his students, George H. Fathauer and Johanne Wainwright Fathauer, were so influenced by Hansen that they came back to Miami to become anthropology professors themselves. In 1990 they created this fund to honor their mentor.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Billie Bagwell
posted 11/03/09 @ 4:05 PM EST
Want to commend Taylor Dolven on the interesting article on the Native Americans. Wouldn't it be great if these cinemas could be playing on one of the national TV stations (History channel?). (Continued…)
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posted 11/07/09 @ 2:41 AM EST
American Steel is popular in the world as a leader in pre-fabricated and Industrial Steel Buildings. These buildings stand for durability,designs and energy efficient. (Continued…)
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