On October 4, 2016 the sustainability department at Appalachian State University presented the film The Seventh Fire. This was the 3rd of five films in the series devoted to social justice that the sustainability department is presenting. This film was an informative piece on the prevalent drug and gang issue that is common on Native American reservations. The film focuses on the White Earth Indian Reservation and two members who act as large influences in the gang and drug culture that runs rampant through this community. Throughout the documentary both Rob Brown and his 17-year-old pupil Kevin struggle with gang affiliation and the want for redemption and salvation. The film starts off showing the only sincere moments that viewers will watch with cuts to beautiful fields and artistic shots of headlights coming down a road. Director Jack Riccobono is quick to come away from these scenes as he delves straight into the bitter world Rob and Kevin are divulged in. Their story is told through first person accounts of the films Rob and Kevin, showing viewers their life stories through their own words and actions. The director uses techniques commonly found in documentaries, such as having titles and narration, to fully engage viewers into the lives of the subjects. Director Jack …show more content…
Drugs and gang affiliation influence the youth in the communities with resources to escape for better things being so limited. This film shows issues that coincide with the class as well, we have pushed the indigenous people off of their lands and limited them so much that this is the life that they are forced to live. Environmental issues with these problems include drugs going into the water streams and waste, old furniture being disposed of by burning it. The conditions of life for the people living on this reservation is very bleak and the director does an astonishing job at showing
The Indian Act existed as an effort to break down traditional indigenous ways and replace those ways with the European culture. The Act gave the government the domination and power to assimilate First Nations peoples through the means of residential schools. The horrific reality of the Indian Act was extended far beyond the residential school system. From social perspectives, many First Nations cultural practices and ceremonies were banned and deemed illegal. Aboriginal people were denied basic human rights and were unable to defend themselves. Sequentially, many turned to an escape route of crime to let out anger. Drug, alcohol and physical abuse were a few to name. The Indian Act is complementary to both the plotline and characters because they deal with the same struggles as many modern day First Nations people. Since Pete had an unstable childhood due to poor parental relationships he turned to activities that allowed him to experience liberation such as the unsolicited use of drugs and gang activity.The hardship Pete and his family faced lead him to his unwise choices. Laboucane Benson alludes to the historic event through portraying the modern day existential crisis caused by oppression and her take on the issue. The advantage of using modern day to reflect upon the Indian Act is that is it can show the everlasting effects of the situation and the influence it still has on many First Nations lives, 150
Throughout the film, the filmmaker follows the three victims around in their everyday lives by using somber music and backgrounds of depressing colors. The documentary starts off with colorful images of the scenery
Though the stereotyping and alienation is strong in Dougy and Gracey’s community they manage to break away from it. The whites feel that the Aborigines get everything free from the government and never do any work of their own, and according to the book, most of them do just this.
Breaking news! Recently there has been a fire in the small town of Windrixville, nearly killing four young children and two teenage boys. In this tragic incident, three young men rescued some young children from a burning church. Apparently, the children were playing in the church when it was set on fire. Our three heroes, Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, and Ponyboy Curtis heard the voices of the kids from inside the church and they knew something had to be done. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of these children’s lives.
As a result, both films represent Natives Americans under the point of view of non-Native directors. Despite the fact that they made use of the fabricated stereotypes in their illustrations of the indigenous people, their portrayal was revolutionary in its own times. Each of the films add in their own way a new approach to the representation of indigenous people, their stories unfold partly unlike. These differences make one look at the indigenous not only as one dimensional beings but as multifaceted beings, as Dunbar say, “they are just like us.” This is finally a sense of fairness and respect by the non-native populations to the Native Indians.
When a 10 year old boy (Robert “yummi” Sandifer, from Atlanta) in a gang is executed by his gang “friends” because he was bringing heat from the cops on the gang because that boy shot a 12 year old girl, it’s a sad commentary on society. When there is a lack of social stability in a community, it reflects onto the children who seem to have nothing else to do, or no other way of getting the attention they need.
In Eden Robinson’s novel, Monkey Beach, there is a reoccurring aspect of the impacts residential schools have on aboriginal people. This viscous cycle of residential schooling involves removing children from their homes, disrupting cultural practices, punishing and abusing helpless children, and then sending them home to their parents who are also taught the same unhealthy behaviours. The purpose of residential school is to assimilate children into western culture, as indigenous cultures are seen as inferior and unequal. Due to residential school systems, there is an opposing force between Haisla culture and settler traditions; settler knowledge being of evident dominance, which results in suffering to the indigenous peoples on various levels:
The novel “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese demonstrates the many conflicts that indigenous people encounter on a daily basis. This includes things such as, the dangers they face and how they feel the need to flee to nature, where they feel the most safe. Another major issue they face is being stripped of their culture, and forcibly made to believe their culture is wrong and they are less of a human for being brought up that way, it makes them feel unworthy. Finally, when one is being criticised for a hobby they enjoy due to their indigenous upbringing, they make himself lose interest and stop the hobby as it makes them different and provokes torment. People who are trying
The fact that War on Drugs and incarceration is a rebirth of caste of America, is correct. If you are African- American you will go to prison because of the caste system. People choice to be what they want to be. Yet Michelle point is correct, human beings need to realize everyone is different. Problems are created because one it creates them. Also we talked about the nullification system in class, and is one way in solving racism in the justice system and the government. Michelle Alexander uses statistic through the book. She explains the difference from 1990s to today’s world. This makes it easier for the reader to tell the contrast.
Poverty is a huge issue for Native Americans, an everyday trip to school is walking in the freezing cold with only a T-shirt and a ripped pair of jeans. Walking down the road you see nothing but rundown houses and a group of punks beating up a kid. Looking to the side of the road you see a man, about thirty-two years old, lying on the sidewalk surrounded by about eight empty liquor bottles. You get to school, and in the hallway there is a kid leaning up against a cold brick wall, he is pale, skinny, and he looks really sick. He is so hungry and so skinny that you can see under his rib cage. You also notice that half the teachers chose not to go to school and all the hallways are empty from lack of kids actually going to school. In my essay,
Though the film mentioned the impact that residential schools had and still has on the aboriginal people, I felt that this issue needed to be stressed further because the legacy of the schools is still extremely prominent in aboriginal communities today. The film refers to the fact that residential schools harmed the aboriginal people because they were not able to learn their culture, which has resulted in the formation of internalized oppression within in the group. “The...
Society is faced with various problems that hinder the development of its communities. These issues affect the society in a numerous of ways and has a major effect on the citizens of the community as well. Social adversities causes grief and is also the cause of crimes and other miscellaneous activities that occur in inequitable areas. In the film, Fruitvale Station, there are abundant amounts of these adversities and societal issues that are illustrated. Fruitvale Station is a great example of a film that shows accurate social issues that occur in today’s society. The movie demonstrates issues of inequality, racial prejudice, gang involvement and also unemployment. It also shows how the people who are forced to live with these issues, fight for survival to maintain to see another day.
District 9 is a film that takes us into a realm of a different world from the one that we know now. It combines extraterrestrial life with immense science fiction to illustrate a story we could only imagine to ever actually occur. Although it was created for entertainment purposes, the motion picture can be compared to many different types of individuals and situations. District 9 displays many underlying concepts throughout the movie about racism, prejudice and discrimination. While studying and analyzing the plot and characters, these concepts became more translucent to me, the viewer. This paper will discuss the treatment of District 9 residents and equate their treatment to people with disabilities.
Throughout the course of time, adaptations of real events have been altered for entertainment purposes. This grand scheme has essentially influenced every single aspect of the industry to invoke emotion and drama to the viewer. Movies such as “The Fault in Our Stars”, “______________” and “____________”; These popular movies weren’t completely factual in fact most of the movie that are based on a true event are mainly fiction. In those few cases it’s understandable that the industry wants to engage a greater target audience to gain more monetary capital. Recently, the movie “Mississippi Burning” directed by Alan Parker faced similar scrutiny because the movie wasn’t based off complete true event. In many cases such as this one, changing historical
Specific elements of the storyline that display the theme racism include: the display of animalistic treatment, enforced religious practices, and historical comparisons. The film reveals the overarching government belief that the white race is smarter and purer, to the inferior, uncivilized and misguided, darker-skinned, Aboriginals. This belief is demonstrated throughout the film and signifies the government’s attitudes toward the half-caste race as: uncivilized animals that need a trainer to discipline them. For example, the film shows the girls being transported like livestock to th...