Visions of Sovereignty: Tribal Sovereignty through the Lenses of Postcolonialism, Indigenous Film, and Visual Anthropology

Author

Martin I. Lopez, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Year of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology

Department or School/College

Anthropology

Committee Chair

Kelly J. Dixon

Commitee Members

Gregory Campbell, Wade Davies

Keywords

sovereignty, anthropology, indigenous film, visual anthropology

Publisher

University of Montana

Subject Categories

Anthropology | Other Anthropology | Social and Cultural Anthropology

Abstract

Tribal sovereignty has been a topic of discussion since the beginning of colonization in America. Anthropological thought, especially postcolonialism theory, addresses how colonialism can be analyzed to gain a better understanding of Indigenous perspectives on sovereignty. Visual sovereignty, an example of Indigenous Film, is an interdisciplinary approach that can contextualize in specific histories and social interactions all while serving individual tribes, depending on which tribe the filmmaker represents. A film, for instance, can be edited in a way to convey Indigenous ideas of time and space and staged presentations of oral histories that are nearly impossible to display through written words. Anthropological film studies, or Visual Anthropology, have also been gaining notoriety in the academic world as a powerful and useful tool in education. Indigenous film makers creating anthropological films, therefore, could provide a unique way of expressing, teaching, and learning about Indigenous issues such as tribal sovereignty and postcolonialism.

Recommended Citation

Lopez, Martin I., "Visions of Sovereignty: Tribal Sovereignty through the Lenses of Postcolonialism, Indigenous Film, and Visual Anthropology" (2017). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11032.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11032