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MCKNIGHT-Journal Summary

My Multi-media TUMBLR journal allowed me to look into Colombian culture with the movie Encanto and Native American culture, the website Amerinda and the documentary series Skindigenous on YouTube. As a design major I was most interested in learning about the ways that Native Americans are preserving their culture through various art forms. This included mediums like theater that I hadn’t previously considered when starting this course. I had a decent idea about the power dynamic between Native Americans and white Americans, but to be honest this class was more informative than most of my education in previous history classes. I was able to learn more about specific events such as The Wounded Knee massacre. The media I consumed for this blog was inspiring to me because all of it was about uplifting culture in the modern day. Learning about history but also focusing on what we can do in the here and now. 

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TUMBLR Blog #3 Social Media Platform

Amerinda is an organization based in New York that works to promote Native American art and also to preserve and educate about native culture. One section of the website that stood out to me was the ‘Recovering Memories’ which was about a photography showcase in 2018. The Wilmer Jennings Gallery hosted the organization and they presented photos of Native American life in New York in the 1960’s. ‘Atlantic Avenue Pontiac’ was a photo that stood out to me because I interpreted it as a clash between traditional versus modern culture. In our first discussion we learned about the Mirzoeff ‘s “shadow archive” and how photography can be interpreted in many ways based on a person’s preconceived notions. Photography is a powerful art form because it is able to capture a singular moment yet these moments have multiple meanings that are imbued by the viewer.

‘THE TROJAN WOMEN’ a Native American adaptation directed & adapted by Sarah B. Denisoz is one of the many theater productions that has been set up by Amerinda. This play is classic Greek theater and has been adapted from the perspective of Native Americans. The production represents intersectionality of both gender and ethnicity. Additionally these theater productions utilize a cast that has been selected from the community of Native Americans living in New York. It is a way to engage the larger New York community while also promoting Native American actors. In Takaki’s chapter about Native Americans one of the key issues they face in America is resisting the assimilation into white America. ‘THE TROJAN WOMEN’ and other productions are a way for New York Native Americans to feel connected to their culture and preserve it in the modern day.  

To conclude, Amerinda provides a host of ways for artists in the Native American community to have their voice heard. They focus on helping spread information about these artists as well as helping them acquire grants to help continue their creative journey. Amerinda generates conversation through these productions as well as providing information on their website so you can dive deeper on these artists if you would like to learn more. 

Works Cited:

Visual arts. Amerinda Inc. (n.d.). https://amerinda.org/main/

Atlantic Avenue Pontiac c. 1960. Harry Pappas, photographer

Takaki, Ronald T., and Clint Smith. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Back Bay Books / Little, Brown, and Company, 2023. 

Fusco, Coco, and Brian Wallis. Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self. International Center of Photography in Association with Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 2003.

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MCKNIGHT - TUMBLR Blog #2 Movie

Encanto translates to enchantment, but In this film I think it may refer more to a blessing. The animated movie follows the Columbian girl Mirabel and her magical family. Mirabel’s grandmother was forced to escape her country and move due to violence and lost her husband in the process. At what seemed like the lowest point, her grandmother receives a candle which provides the family with magical blessings and a house for them to live in. The main theme of the movie is the complex nature of family. Mirabel’s grandmother means to protect her family, but in the process she disregards some of the most important parts of a family. That being unconditional love. 

One aspect of the movie I think was powerful was how they introduced the grandmother's personal conflicts in moving to a new land. This is a common part of family history for many non white American families. In some ways the community that the characters create is meant to represent how many different immigrants have created their own cultural spaces within America.   

Encanto’s protagonist Mirabel represents intersectionality in the Latinx community. She is Colombian and this part of her identity is important, but she is also grappling with her identity as a woman. She feels compelled to compare herself with her family and I think this is a struggle that anyone can relate to. Family expectations are a big conflict in the movie and Mirabel is able to set aside the assumptions about her family members and learn about each of their unique struggles. 

Encanto generates conversation regarding race in America by providing more representation for Colombian Americans. In my opinion representation done well in the media is an underrated way to bring up cultural differences and intersectionality. The fact that Encanto is marketed for children is also an important thing to note because often non white kids growing up in America face a lack of representation in the media. It can mean a lot to see someone from your culture in a movie or TV Show.  

Works Cited:

 Walt Disney studios home entertainment. (2022). Encanto.

Milano.Takaki, Ronald T., and Clint Smith. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Back Bay Books / Little, Brown, and Company, 2023.

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MCKNIGHT - TUMBLR Blog #1 (Post)Television

One of the ways that culture can be maintained and preserved is through art. For this blog I watched the documentary series Skindigenous on YouTube to learn more about how Native American art practices are being preserved in America today. One of the main purposes of our course is to better understand how different American cultures represent themselves visually and how we can use this to better understand the history of different cultures in America. Skindigenous uses examples from many parts of the Americas but I will focus mainly on the United States examples because that is the main topic of this course.

The Documentary takes us first to Alaska where we learn about the gold mining culture and how people still make a living decades after the gold rush. Next, we visited Alberta, although not in the United States, this example still felt relevant to me and I wanted to include it. In Alberta, Portage College supports a contemporary and traditional art school that focuses on maintaining traditional art processes relevant to Native American Art. This was important to me because I think institutions like this are a key part in preserving culture. The documentary series even took us to Hawaii where it focused on the art of tattooing and how it’s being preserved through a passion for craft and a focus on legacy and the education of apprentice tattoo artists.

The Americanization of Native Americans was a central theme described in Ronald Takaki’s book ‘A Different Mirror’ At first American settlers wished to simply eradicate the native population, but eventually they decided that these people could be instead “civilized” and this is around the time the U.S Indian Bureau started the reservation system. Although eventually the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 would do more to protect tradition, it’s obvious that there was irreparable damage done to Native American peoples and their culture.

Skindigenous creates a dialog about cultural diversity by utilizing a documentary style of filmmaking. This paired with the fact that the series is available for free on YouTube makes it even more approachable. Although the series focuses on Native Americans, Skindigenous is more about the individual stories of people in different parts of the country. I think the segment in Seattle was the most powerful in showcasing how modern Native Americans are using their voices to encourage the protection of the environment. 

Works Cited: 

Takaki, Ronald T., and Clint Smith. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Back Bay Books / Little, Brown, and Company, 2023. 

“Skindigenous Mini Documentary | Alaska.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Jan. 2018,www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVHSeKlXQAE&list=PL4t_WPw9ba2K2s_McJlFM5hr-aDprQwWM&index=1. 

“Skindigenous Mini Documentary | Alberta.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Jan. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbVihrbdKEA&list=PL4t_WPw9ba2K2s_McJlFM5hr-aDprQwWM&index=2. 

“Skindigenous Mini Documentary | Hawaii.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Jan. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=68TGiC-fqAM&list=PL4t_WPw9ba2K2s_McJlFM5hr-aDprQwWM&index=3. 

“Skindigenous Mini Documentary | Seattle.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Jan. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=onLdfxzPmEc&list=PL4t_WPw9ba2K2s_McJlFM5hr-aDprQwWM&index=9.