NS200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Google Images, Social Exclusion, Sweat Lodge

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Native Studies
• Course: NS200
• Professor: Adam Gaudry

Document Summary

Intra & intertribal communications systems used to be prominent in north american indigenous societies. Stories and songs were utilized to pass on information to following generations (refer to chapter 3). Information-exchange (between families, communities, war and trade parties, etc. ) was mostly done verbally. Federal policies prevented regional indigenous communications and forced native people to embrace new methods for transmitting informations (ie: newspapers, newsletters, etc). However, indigenous people are being wrongly framed in the mainstream media. So, native canadians eventually developed their own historians, poets, journalists, actors in order to present a more accurate image of indians to the canadian society. Since 1970s, natives use the media not just to change the negative perceptions, but also to promote self-determination, resist outside cultural influences, for entertainment, & cultural expression. Since first contact, european media already controlled the image of indigenous peoples. Common representations of indigenous peoples: noble, peace-loving savage, bloodthirsty & warlike savage.