Digital Storytelling

Powerlands Review

“Powerlands,” is a powerful documentary which provides a glimpse into Indigenous struggles and empowerment in the US, the Philippines, Colombia, and Mexico. The stories of environmental devastation caused my chemical companies are told by those most affected, across four regions. I was unfortunately unable to attend the livestream viewing of “Powerlands,” which was hosted by Dr. Tania Lizarazo with special guests Dr. Andrew Curley and Dr. Christine Willie, but I did watch the recording and discussion which was held prior to and after the viewing. I was disappointed that I could not attend the live discussion of “Powerlands,” but having the ability to pause and take notes when something caught my attention did have its perks. This is a film about Indigenous people’s struggle against resource colonization and their quest to protect the land.

I did have some previous knowledge on the subject of resource colonization, the topic has been discussed in a few of my classes here at UMBC. These classes included Indigenous Heritage: Issues of Representation and Ownership, taught by Dr. Ashley Minner, Gender, Human Rights, and Political Violence in Latin America, taught by Dr. Maria Celleri, and Women, Gender, and Globalization, taught by Dr. Carla Maenza. Something I remember being particularly shocked about learning about at the time was lithium mining. Advocates for the Green New Deal, and more generally for electric cars, do not talk about how lithium mining is displacing and harming Indigenous communities in the US and in Latin America. But, my background knowledge on the subject is not extensive. I was unaware of the struggles and violence caused by Glencore in the Philippines. I was honestly not entirely sure what the primary focus of the documentary would be on, but I was expecting it to stir up certain emotions. This is something that was discussed after watching the film, this idea that films play on certain emotions such as sadness in order to get a reaction from viewers, and hopefully reach the public. And, it works.

“Powerlands” featured interviews but they were not traditional interviews. The storytellers did not answer questions with a “yes” or “no” answer and a slight elaboration. They told their stories with such vivid imagery and raw emotion, which allowed viewers a glimpse into what it feels like to watch your land, your family, your community members be killed simply for existing and defending the land that they were grown on. The story of the Capion family being slaughtered is what first comes to mind. The pain in the women’s voices as they explain what happened was so powerful and so moving. In our Self Representation module, we read “Coaxing an Intimate Public: Life Narrative in Digital Storytelling,” by Ana Poletti. Poletti wrote that digital storytelling is about amplifying the ordinary voice. This quote resonated with me because to me that is exactly what makes digital storytelling so powerful. This one woman, Melanie Capion, sharing the story of her sister and nephew’s death is all about amplifying one voice and turning it into a movement. Poletti explains that the separation between individual and political narratives is critical to digital storytelling as a movement “aimed at effecting change in social and political spheres through the inclusion of marginalized voices” (Poletti, 74).

As was discussed in the conversations held after the “Powerlands” viewing, there were some gaps. Dr. Willie discussed some of the tensions surrounding leaving one’s own community and therefore abandoning the responsibilities there, to be a voice for another community. This is something that I feel like the documentary did not touch on, but then again there is only so much that can be reviewed in an hour and fifteen minutes. Dr. Curley also touched on ways to be an ally, which he explained was a bit of a challenging question to answer. The takeaway that I got from this discussion was be aware, do your research, and trust that the storytellers are experts on their own stories. It has been three and a half years since I took Global 101, but from what I remember there was little, if any, discussion on the overlap between environmental issues and Indigenous rights. And if this film taught me anything, it is that you cannot talk about one without mentioning the other, they are deeply intertwined.

Works Cited
Poletti, Anna (2011) 'Coaxing an intimate public: Life narrative in digital storytelling', Continuum, 25: 1, 73 — 83