Powerlands Review
Prior to viewing this documentary, I only had a vague knowledge of indigenous struggles. Much of what I knew came from social media and none of it was in-depth. The documentary was eye-opening to the diversity of the struggles among communities and the diabolical nature of energy corporations. However, equally important was the discussion afterwards, which emphasized the importance of understanding that the documentary was created with the specific purpose to invoke certain emotions and encourage specific actions. Powerlands cannot be exclusively understood as an objective knowledge production.
As it was an online event, it was difficult to determine the impact that the documentary had on the audience, however, as an audience member myself, I left feeling as though I learned a lot about indigenous movements against energy corporations, and the discussion/question and answer session after the screening was especially important to gaining not only the knowledge from the film, but a “story” from actual people. As I wrote above, the documentary has a specific purpose, and while the guest speakers had agendas of their own, they also were present specifically to talk about issues that the film may have missed. I think the combination of the documentary screening and the discussion was vital to what I learned and how I think about native movements currently. In short, the movie itself was not the full story.
One of the issues that the documentary focused on is the loss of lands. Each of the indigenous groups were struggling against some government or corporation that was trying to take their land. This central issue (along with indigeneity) united what could otherwise be seen as individual stories. Much of the documentary was “interviews” with people from various communities, however instead of an obvious question-answer style of interview, many of the clips seemed to embody storytelling elements. Many clips fit into Joe Lambert’s (2018) seven components of digital storytelling, particularly experiential and first person stories that are self revelatory. The story told by a Filipina woman was a powerful memoir of a terrifying incident in which people she knew were killed; the “interview” was short, but featured her telling her own story, specifically with the goal to explain her (lack of) involvement with radical Filipino movements. This and other short “interviews”/clips were a vital part of the documentary and were weaved together to craft a grand narrative. While the documentary is not a full digital storytelling project, it embodied many of the elements important to the form.
We can also look to Coco Fusco’s work to gain a better insight of the importance of this documentary. Fusco emphasizes that colonial structures have a lasting influence on society, and nowhere is that more clear than with indigenous struggles. There is no individual struggle; what happened hundreds of years ago when colonists first arrived in the Americas/Philippines/other countries is directly responsible for the current push to take even more (land) from indigenous groups. The consumption of indigenous lands by energy corporations is a direct result of generations of ignoring their voices. While the documentary primarily focuses on the current struggles, Fusco’s explanation of colonization and the structural consequences of building government and social culture based on it provide further depth to the film. Fusco (1994) writes, “[t]he literalism governing American thought complements the liberal belief that we can eliminate racism through didactic correctives; it also encourages resistance to the idea that conscious methods may not necessarily transform unconscious structures of belief” (p. 159). The problem is not just the current situation (whether it is environmental racism, loss of indigenous lands, or any number of struggles), but resistance to actual solutions.
In a similar vein, in the discussion session after the screening after being asked, “What is the best way to help?”, Dr. Christine Willie emphasized the importance of activism within one’s own community. While large scale protests and actions are often idolized and popularized in media reporting, Dr. Willie talked about how it is not always the most productive solution. She emphasized that many want to go out and travel to other communities to help them without realizing that they are most needed within their own community; without downplaying the importance of solidarity, she explained that sometimes the most effective strategy at resistance is to look within and create change.
Powerlands was a powerful documentary that explored the current struggles of indigenous people that are fighting for their land against energy corporations. The screening of the movie as well as discussion afterward were both components of this review and vital to what I learned from the event.
The image I have chosen reflects one of the major points I have learned from this experience. I took a picture in the park land behind my house. I spent a lot of my youth running around the creek and playing with my friends in the forest. When we discuss environmental concerns, there’s a push for going to protests and taking large scale action, but equally important is taking care of our own communities: like the little piece of Rock Creek Park behind my house. When thinking about environmental issues in my own community, I strive to remember Dr. Willie’s words about making change: sometimes it’s most important to start at home.
Works cited:
Fusco, C. (1994). The Other History of Intercultural Performance. MIT Press 38(1), pp. 143-167.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1146361.
Lambert, J., & Hessler, B. (2018). 4. The World of Digital Storytelling. Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives,
Creating Community (pp. 37-52). Routledge.