Indigenous Aesthetics: Native Art, Media, and Identity (review)

Indigenous Aesthetics: Native Art, Media, and Identity by Steven Leuthold. University of Texas Press, 1998

Over the course of the past two decades, there has been a relative explosion of film and television production by indigenous people for cultural, political, and personal reasons. As one who teaches courses dealing with indigenous media, I have become aware that there is a lack of any serious surveys of Native filmmakers or the work that they produce. While there have been many important, scholarly studies dealing with racism and stereotypes in films by non-Indians, Leuthold's book is the first to provide an in-depth examination of the aesthetics of films produced by American Indians.

Using a systems approach, Leuthold's underlying premise is that artistic expression is interconnected with worldview and that aesthetic experiences shape collective identity.

Leuthold outlines a theory that links aesthetic systems with group identification in the context of cultural contact, conflict, and exchange. He reminds the reader that the role of aesthetics must be considered within the context of neocolonialism. Then he explains and unwinds his theory that those aesthetic expressions strengthen and enhance group identity. Leuthold's central point is that art is not separate from what many perceive to be non-art. He discusses the political consequences of art in the context of sovereignty and how the movement toward Native sovereignty can reinforce collective identity. In this sense, sovereignty is seen as a basis of indigenous self-representation.

Leuthold soundly critiques existing theories of art. What has been defined as art in Western cultures does not hold in Native cultures, which illustrates the problem of scholars insisting upon global theories and generalizing from one culture to another. The point is that we need to rethink how cultures conceptualize art, although the reality is that in the United States Euro-Americans continue to control the definitions of what is and is not art.

Leuthold examines Native identity, which he perceives as both a political and a cultural process, and links this to federal policy. Unfortunately, he relies on white scholars to describe Native political systems. This is especially glaring when we have such stellar scholars as Vine Deloria Jr., David Wilkins, and Gerald Alfred to draw on. In the context of the political, Leuthold examines the role of the media in Native communities. He extends this examination of media use in Native communities by analyzing early efforts in documentary films. He discusses the differences between documentaries made by Natives and non-Natives, which vary in goals and practices. Two chapters form the centerpiece of the book: one focuses on the work of two Native filmmakers, and one examines documentaries about Native artists.

The author uses the work of Native filmmakers George Burdeau (Blackfoot) and Victor Masayevsa (Hopi) to initiate the question: Do Native documentaries constitute a unique aesthetic expression? After examining selected works of both filmmakers, Leuthold concludes that there is such an expression, which can be seen by the work that is produced and how is it produced. This is a lengthy and substantive discussion, with one major flaw. Although Leuthold mentions that the two come from very different backgrounds, it is a difference that is given scant importance. Burdeau is a filmmaker who grew up in an urban setting and for thirty years has worked in the national media scene, including projects for Turner Broadcasting and national PBS. Masayesva, on the other hand, is a reservation-based video artist, who works independently with personal resources and limited grant support. This distinction is critical on many levels: the effect of "professional" standards upon style and approach, the producers' community/
clan/family relationships and how these impact both form and ethical practice, even the very choice of story and its salability in the national media markets.

Leuthold's concluding chapter states that there are two themes that shape the relationship between indigenous aesthetic expression and...