[T]he most obnoxious aspect to this film is self-proclaimed Indian activist Russell Means, who sneers at how Hollywood continues to perpetrate negative imagery of the American Indian. Never mind that he’s profited from appearing in several Hollywood films. Means then insinuates he was personally thrilled to see the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11. If Means can coherently explain how the thousands killed on 9/11 were responsible for the state of Pine Ridge today, I would love to hear it.
6 comments:
Writerfellahere --
Have been offline for over a week and, boy, is writerfella brimming!
Without yet having seen this 'documentary', writerfella sees that it simply is a propaganda organ in the tradition of Leni Riefenstahl, complete both with a showcase figure and a philosophy figure. And Russell Means actually has the gall to criticize the very industry that has kept his presence and name (and bank account) alive before the American public! There's an old phrase: it's a poor workman that curses his own tools. writerfella believes that this is a prime example of the insular nature of Native films and films about Natives that represent only themselves despite their claim to be about "the People". Russell Means is a person but he is far from being "the People". He is a 'transnational terrorist' and self-aggrandizing personality whose motives mirror those of Yeagley.
Have a brief writerfella anecdote -- in the late 1970s, writerfella was invited by his sister and brother-in-law to a Native school where they taught near Albuquerque to speak about his writing. Somehow, "Russell Bates" coming to the school was twisted to become that either "Russell Means" and/or "Dennis Banks" was coming to speak at the school. The place almost went into lockdown and extra armed security was ordered up for the appointed day. Imagine the disappointment on the part of school officials when they were confronted by a tall Kiowa Native American science ficion writer whose main mission there was to talk about the importance of an education and to show his STAR TREK episode...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Maybe Means adopts the Ward Churchill perspective...those that dies in the World Trade Centre on 9/11 we're like 'little Eichmans' because they never questioned thier governments oppressive and exploitative ways, indeed, they profited from them. Or maybe Means has an all together different interpretation, I don't know.
By the way, thanks for blogging about this stuff. Personally, I think how people see themselves portrayed in the media informs their actions (and of course others perceptions) in the real world. Positive recognition is key!
Writerfella here --
Yo, Hayden! What do you hear from Jane Fonda these days?
All Best
Rus Bates
'writerfella
You're welcome, Hayden. When you say "how people see themselves portrayed in the media informs their actions," I agree completely.
P.S. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're not Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda's ex.
Ha ha. Sorry to disapoint writerfella, Rob's right, I am not Tom Hayden, nor have I ever met Jane Fonda.
Writerfella here --
Too bad! She'd put your face into next week!
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
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