Often dominant groups are motivated by the need to stay in influence and power. Through their wealth they use media to their advantage and portray what they want. The portrayal of history is from their point of view. They popularize their culture, in hope to show it as the mainstream culture and help others assimilate Whereas, other cultures use individual media to to re-perpetuate and put culture and history into their own context, reeducate the population and create oppositional resistance. For years, the natives were objectified, ridiculed and their experiences were never portrayed in mainstream cinema or elsewhere. They were shown as uncivilized beings. Aboriginals or First Nation persons had always been underrepresented. For example, …show more content…
It used the participatory style of filmmaking where the director was directly involved in events being shown on screen. For example in Kanehsatake, the director Alanis Obomsawin is shown actively participating in the struggle of her people. She presents her point of view in the film, which is similar to the point of view of the other Mohawks. This is different as the aboriginals and mohawks haven’t ever been presented in such a way. We see her presence in the movie and through her interactions we get a different perspective of the events that occur. They are not trying to be neutral or objective in the film. The subjectivity is evident. So through this and independent cinema the audience is introduced to an altogether new reality. One that was hidden from them throughout the early twentieth century an alternate reality was shown. In Kanehsatake, they show how some of Mohawk land is being used to build a golf course and residential area. This land to the Mohawk is sacred and of great significance in their culture. They are forced to fight for it. The same people who were earlier shown as savages are being mistreated and protesting in non violent ways while their effigies are being burnt and the majority are calling them savages and supporting the military around Mohawk land. Earlier too, the mainstream filmmakers were presenting the unjust situation in a balanced way, where the audience was to make the decisions. Which was unfair because they were accepting the wrong the oppressors did as a right. The people of Attawapiskat and had always been underrepresented and misinterpreted since the media that was shown was produced by the majority, those with personal interests and those in power. Hence, they used media to perpetuate stereotypes, to show themselves as being just and fair. The situation in Kanehsatake was of the interests of major public business competing against the interest of the Mohawk. So through a