The Indian Act and The Indian Male

Power happens at the level of the National body and at the level of the individual body. The lasting force of colonization is that it occupies both bodies.

Latour and Dumont take the faceless nature of contemporary colonial power and make it visible. Dumont through the use of irony and Latour through the use of symbolic action.

Each in turn exposes the hypocrisy of most acceptable forms of engagement with this faceless power. Latour literally shoots the document in order to kill the Indian Act symbolically. Dumont unravels the straight-jacket logic of colonial stereotypes.

Transference: The Indian Male

Director: Dawn Dumont
Canada, 15:47 min, 2004, Video, Colour

In this black comedy, Chris Akapew, a Cree man, finds himself locked in an interrogation room. Chris has no idea of how he got there, or even why he is there. A Voice informs him that he has been convicted of “being an Indian man.” The comedy, shot on video, was inspired by Franz Kafka’s “The Trial”. Certain of his innocence, Chris discovers the true nature of his crimes. Everyone please rise, Kangaroo Court is now in session.

“Where to begin? I grew up in an Aboriginal community but I attended a mainstream (read: white) school. “The Indian Male”, my first video project, is my way of confronting those racist stereotypes held by the Canadian public and those that found their way into my heart.” – Dawn Dumont

Shooting the Indian Act: Kitigan Zibi 2003

Director: Claude Latour
Canada, 10:15, 2003, Video, colour

In 1997, Yuxwaluptun brought the Indian Act back to its place of origin, Great Britain, and symbolically shot copies of the legislation that has had a profound impact on Aboriginal communities ever since it was passed. Six years later, the artist completed the circle by shooting the Indian Act once again on Canadian soil, on the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg territory, with an audience observing and participating in the symbolic destruction of the Act.

Claude Latour defines himself as a videographer, digital photographer, graphic designer, documentarian and historian. Claude Latour holds a diploma in Fine Arts from Heritage College in Hull, Quebec, as well as a BFA from the University of Ottawa.

Hosted by:
A Space

Established in 1971 as one of the first multi-disciplinary artist-run centres, A Space has played a significant role in the evolution of contemporary art in Canada. A Space’s programming and curatorial focus is on developing work that is culturally diverse, politically engaged, technically innovative, and multi-disciplinary.

Print Source: Transference: The Indian Male
Anne
Ed Video
Guelph, ON

Print Source: Shooting the Indian Act
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