Essay 3, Alicia Thomas - Native community responses to 'Empire'

Cultural imperialism in the context of the media inherits a new power when applied to the Native American audience.  The ideological background embedded in the way most view Native cultures is the catalyst for this. Are citizens of the world shaped by common socialization when it concerns Native people? My research would suggest yes.  Tomlinson suggests that media imperialism is happening, but that it is affected by many different channels. This assertion is not analogous to the ?space? that Native communities inhabit in the hermeneutic world of media.

Empire in the context of media still runs rampant and places Native people on the outsides/fringes of the ?nation-state?, denying them access into the universal constructs of globalization. For example, Mark Trahant, a noted Native journalist and historian, pointed out that it is easy to ignore tribal jurisdictions when ?we don't even teach the basics of why tribes are governments in our school system, let alone report them in the news media.? As a result, the concept is ?often framed from an outsider's perspective? with more weight given to the remarks of opposing groups because "their claims are something most readers can understand.? (Lowe, Mella, pg. 103).

It becomes impossible to talk about a common culture in the fuller sense without talking about who is defining it, within which set of interdependencies and power balances, for what purposes and with reference to which outside cultures have to be discarded, rejected or demonified in order to generate the sense of cultural identity.? (Featherstone, pg. 11).

How do Native communities begin to right the wrongs forced upon them by a denial of right of entry and cultural evolvement? Stereotypes and misperceptions still permeate the discourse within which this community is examined and analyzed.  ?Stories about Indians tend to fall into one of four categories: Indians on the Warpath [legal issues involving treaty rights]; Pretty Pow Wow Pictures [safe, romanticized Indians 'keeping tbeir traditions alive']; From Reservation Rags to Riches [the misrepresentation that all Indians are rich because of gaming]: and the Little Indian Who Could [stories highlighting successful Indians 'who have made it' in the white man's world].? (Lowe, Mella, pg. 103). Another example of cultural dominance in media form can be seen ?in mail order catalogues such as Coldwater Creek and others often use images of Indians to sell jewelry, blankets, artwork, and pottery.  While these images may seem harmless, they often ?freeze? the Native American culture in a space and time where they remain eternally subordinated and serve as nothing more than a means of commodification for the dominant culture. (Mare, 1999, pg 4).?

How do we start the process of stripping away the superficial layers of understanding and promote collaboration and mutual understanding after centuries of harmful dissemination? Thankfully, the logic and construction of empire in relation to Indian people is changing for the better.  The power structures are being rejected and rebuilt into new modes of thinking, reacting and transmitting patterns of truth. NVISION, the non-profit organization and grassroots movement that is redefining ?Native America? is a product of this resurgence of sovereignty and autonomy among the Native communities.  The new generation of Indian youth is one of modernity, tradition and leadership, ready to challenge the notion of empire. More radio stations and newspapers are also dotting the horizon in Indian country, and as more Native people redistribute to cities, the opportunities and reorganization efforts will continue to expand.

As Tomlinson notes, ?our lives are lived as representations to ourselves in terms of the representations present in our culture: our biographies are, partly, ?intertextual?. We can make matters less abstract by giving an illustration of each ?moment? in this interplay.

The outlook is positive for the future of discourse in relation to Native communities. The threat of empire can and its eventual removal are possible if these efforts in challenging and defeating the system/status quo are successful.

References:

Featherstone, M. (1990). Global culture: an introduction. In M. Featherstone (Ed.), Global culture: Nationalism, globalization, and modernity. London; Newbury Park: Sage. Electronic reserve: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/eresdocs/files2/h6045.pdf.

Loew, Patty; Mella, Kelly (2005).Black Ink and the New Red Power: Native American Newspapers and Tribal Sovereignty. Journalism & Communication Monographs, Vol. 7 Issue 3, p99-142, 44p

Mare, Lesley Di (1999). Cultural Commodification. World Communication. Vol. 28 Issue 2, p3, 3p

Tomlinson, J. (2003). Media imperialism. In L. Parks and S. Kumar (Eds.), Planet TV: A global television reader. pp. 113-134. New York and London: New York University Press. Electronic reserve: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/eresdocs/files2/b7030.pdf.

www.myspace.com/nvision1 (Retrieved May 31, 2007).

Posted at 12:10PM Jun 08, 2007 by alicia kathryn thomas in General  |  Comments[4]