Throughout history different cultures have embraced
different aesthetics, and expressed these aesthetics
through artwork that is unique to a respective culture
both in form and style. This phenomenon is now
manifesting itself in a new way with regard to the use of
photography among contemporary Native Americans. The
culture of the various facets of Native America has its
roots in the art of oral tradition; the passing of myths,
stories, and history from generation to generation has
been a mainstay of American Indian cultural heritage. As
of late, some modern Native American artists have cited
photography as the medium with which they hope to carry
their culture into the twenty-first century. Additionally,
in a world that is so dependent upon technology, it seems
unlikely that a culture reliant on the passing of history
orally would be able to survive extinction. Photography
would enable the culture of Native Americans to be
preserved on film.
The commentary and artwork of Lee Marmon and Leslie
Marmon Silko, contemporary Native Americans, attests to
the theory that photography is the modern alternative to
the oral tradition. Through Marmon's photography and
Silko's prose, the two create many sound arguments for
suggesting that photography is analogous to oral
tradition for contemporary indigenous peoples.
However, one must question the validity of such arguments,
regardless of how strong they appear to be. Many
questions arise when reflecting upon the idea of
photography as a new medium for the oral tradition. Is it
possible for a society that is so firmly rooted in one
tradition to simply switch to something so drastically
different? Although oral tradition is subject to
interpretation, is it not a less subjective medium that
photography, in which one photograph can mean something
completely different to two people? Although Silko's
suggestions seem valid, one cannot help but wonder how
much, or how little, the oral tradition and photography
could possibly have in common, and how a society that has
held on to the same stories for millennia could forsake
this tried-and-true medium for something as transient as
photography.
The new Native American aesthetic and Leslie
Marmon Silko
Silko argues that in order to understand her idea of
photo narrative, we must attempt to understand how Native
Americans view photography. Modern Native American
aesthetics differ greatly from those in past years. Much
of the older photography concerning the culture of the
indigenous peoples of America reflects the 'otherness'
that is traditionally attached to Native American
identity. If one examines an older photograph of an
American Indian, many of which were taken by white
photographers, the emphasis is on exploiting the
superficial aspects of Native American culture.
Contemporary photographer Ben Marra's photographs, which
depict the traditional garb associated with the Powwow,
demonstrate the image of the archetypal American Indian
prior to the American Indian movement of the 1960's.
Photography after this movement, which resulted in the
rise in popularity of artists, authors, and activists of
Native American origin, reflects an appreciation of
Indian culture that goes beyond the depiction of an 'Indian
Chief', complete with tomahawk and feather headdress.
Modern photography, such as that of Lee Marmon, projects
an image of Native American culture that dispels the
grandiose 'chief' imagery; snapshots (and I term them
snapshots because the emphasis is on the spontaneity and
reality associated with modern-day life) demonstrate how
modern Native Americans actually live.
The New Aesthetic revels in the common. Modern American
Indian photographers do not attempt to hide the
atrocities of contemporary reservation life, nor do they
attempt to exploit the stereotypical 'Indian' persona.
Many images, such as the photographs of Lee Marmon in
Leslie Marmon Silko's Storyteller, reflect the
daily life of Native Americans. In this work, pictures
often depict the Silko children in tattered clothes
performing daily tasks; also, many of the pictures are
completely devoid of the human figure and, instead, focus
upon he process of destroying the environment. The New
Aesthetic, which attempts to depict the true nature of
daily life, is reflected in the photography of Marmon. It
is the 'common image' which Silko looks to in an attempt
to explain how the idea of photo narrative may come to
replace the oral tradition in the lives of contemporary
Native Americans.
The photo-narrative and the art of storytelling
In the realm of Native America, photography does not
carry the same connotation that is normally attached to
the art in 'white' culture. In 'white' culture, people
often perceive a single photograph as a work of art,
particularly if it depicts something sublime or pleasing
to the eye. As discussed previously, the subject of much
Native American photography is common, daily happenings.
Additionally, in contrast to the preference among 'white'
culture to view a single photograph as a work of art,
Native Americans are partial to the 'stringing together'
of images. The result of this is a pictographic story, or,
what Leslie Marmon Silko refers to in her essay 'On
Photography' as a 'photo narrative'. Silko writes,
As I began to look at
the prints, I realized each roll of film formed a
complete photo narrative (Silko 181)
In this regard, the
photography and the oral tradition become closely
intertwined. In the art of storytelling, the storyteller
is the master of the tale; the words emitted from the
storyteller's mouth form the stories that have allowed
Native American culture to survive. The photographer
becomes this representative storyteller. What he or she
chooses to depict in a given photograph is likened to the
words he or she would speak if a story were being told.
Silko discusses how a roll of film can be both memorable
and horrifying. She speaks, perhaps hypothetically, of an
instance in which she developed a roll of film and
spotted a 'menacing black sedan' in the corner of several
photographs. When she views the developed roll in its
totality, she spins an intricate tale of how the
seemingly insignificant car alludes to a story of the
abduction of a woman, who was later murdered and buried
in the desert. In this example, Silko describes how her
idea of photo narrative operates. A roll of film is like
a story without words. In looking at the roll of film she
describes, a Native American viewer is inclined to create
a story based upon the photographs. This act of creating
stories is not something that can be easily understood by
'white America', as the culture of oral tradition is, in
and of itself, a foreign idea. Photo narrative is also
significantly similar to the oral tradition in its
fragility. Most people are familiar with the layman's
oral tradition associated with the game of 'telephone'.
Stories, undoubtedly, morph from one generation to the
next, and no two people interpret a story in the same
manner. This is also the idea behind the Native American's
perception of photography. A series of photographs, such
as the Silko's black sedan series, might connote the
abduction story in the mind of one viewer, while a second
viewer might concoct an elaborate story about a cross-country
drive in the very same sedan, and so on.
Is Silko's argument valid?
The Names, penned by N. Scott Momaday, a
contemporary author, provides opposition to Silko's
theories. This work, which happens to be the author's
memoir, contains a combination of prose and photography
that demonstrate the New Aesthetic discussed earlier. The
reader of the work is encouraged to study the pictures of
Momaday and his relatives while reading the passages
about the actual occurrences of his life. The pictures
prove to be integral to the power of Momaday's work, and
surely each photograph reveals a story in its own right.
However, if one were to assess the success of the work
had it consisted merely of photographs, the end result
would surely indicate a story with less depth and detail
than Momaday's intricate combination of text and
photography. Although the photographs are an integral
component in The Names, they are not adequate
replacements for the story as told through Momaday's
words.
Silko's argument is interesting, but almost speculative
in nature. She makes many interesting comparisons between
the oral tradition and the art of photography, but fails
to effectively communicate the overt connection between
the New Aesthetic in Native American photography and the
photo narrative to her audience.
A more plausible conclusion suggests that each idea might
exist separately, and that the Native American
photographs of common subjects might well be as powerful
if they were viewed individually as opposed to the manner
in which Silko suggests (an entire roll of film at one
time). Additionally, it seems unlikely that photography
would or could entirely replace the art of storytelling
amongst people that have relied upon the practice for
millennia.
Although, as Silko argues, each story is subject to
change and interpretation, there is a definite 'base'
that each story retains. If a story is told, for example,
about a cat chasing a mouse, the details of the story may
change, but the general concept of the story remains
unchanged regardless of who happens to be telling the
story and who happens to be listening. This is not so
with photography. Silko's example of the roll of film
could be said to disprove her own point. She cites this
example to demonstrate how people interpret photographs
in the same manner in which one would interpret a story.
With oral storytelling, while there is no guarantee that
a given tale will remain unchanged, there is a guarantee
that the general theme of a story is retained. This is
the entire basis for the art of storytelling: to pass
important knowledge from generation to generation.
Photography is constantly subject to personal
interpretation, and two different analyses may appear
completely different; in this regard, it is questionable
whether any tradition is retained. Although photography
is a fascinating means by which to conserve some facets
of Native American culture, technological advancement
does not always equate with progress. Modern Native
Americans, if they are intent on preserving their
cultural heritage, should not sever ties to oral
tradition.
Bibliography
Marmon Silko, Leslie. Storyteller. Arcade
Publishing Inc: New York, 1981.
Marmon Silko, Leslie. Yellow Woman and a Beauty of
the Spirit. Touchstone: New York, 1997.
Momaday, N. Scott. The Names. U. of Arizona P:
Tucson, 1976.
© Heather-Ann Wickers, State
University of New York at Stony Brook, August 2005
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