Book Review: Global Indigenous Media: Cultures, Poetics, Politics.

Book Review: Global Indigenous Media: Cultures, Poetics, Politics.

Bredin, Marian¹

Source

Canadian Journal of Communication; 2009, Vol. 34 Issue 4, p765-767, 3p, 1 Color Photograph

Global Indigenous Media: Cultures, Poetics and Politics. Edited by Pamela Wilson & Michelle Stewart. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2008. 362 pp. US$24.95.   The central focus of this collection of articles is the recent increase in media about, conceived and produced by Indigenous peoples around the globe. In the introduction, the editors present a concise discussion about the concept of Indigeneity and how it is currently being debated in academic circles. The editors do not propose an all-encompassing definition. On the contrary, they allow for the various elements and tensions of the debate to be developed in the articles of the collection, expanding the conceptual space to include cases not usually deemed Indigenous. For instance, the volume includes a study on Welsh language television and a description of the situation of marginalized minority media from the fringes of Burma (Myanmar), two social groups commonly characterized as national or linguistic minorities, rather than Indigenous. The inclusion of such cases is quite important because it helps promote the academic debate around the concept, and it highlights how narrowing the definition of Indigeneity might hinder comparative scholarly work. The editors acknowledge, however, that the volume is not comprehensive in terms of geography—especially with regard to Indigenous media in India, China and the whole of Africa—but they present the collection to serve as inspiration for “future collections that will continue to speak to the centrality of media for Indigenous movements” (p. 23). On the other hand, the limitation on the geographic representation is balanced with the range of media and issues covered. Conveniently divided by topic, the book is separated into four sections: the first deals with the aesthetics and meanings in the production of video and animation; the second explores the role of media, especially radio, as a tool for political empowerment; the third touches on cultural identity as perceived and shown through the media; and the fourth addresses the use of new digital and interactive media.